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Pregnant soldier forced to remain on front line



By Simon Bouda
National Nine News

An Australian soldier was forced to remain on the front line in Afghanistan after she fell pregnant, and eventually miscarried before she was sent home.

The 34-year-old major was deployed to the front line at Camp Holland at Tarin Kowt in southern Afghanistan with the First Reconstruction Task Force.

Within weeks the married officer discovered she'd fallen pregnant before leaving Australia. Her condition was confirmed by the camp medico.

She reported the pregnancy to the relevant officers. National Nine News understands arrangements should have been made to have her evacuated as soon as possible. ADF Health Policy dictates that pregnant soldiers are unfit for both operational and sea-going duties.

But it is claimed she was told to stay in the war zone until a replacement arrived, even though she could have been evacuated on an aircraft which was due to return to Australia.

It's understood that in the days after she reported her pregnancy, Camp Holland came under mortar attack and she was repeatedly forced to lug her heavy bullet-proof vest and helmet in and out of bomb shelters.

Australian Defence Force headquarters in Canberra was notified of the major's situation but it wasn't until almost a week later that she was flown out on a C130 Hercules. She miscarried on board.

Both the major and the officers involved are now back in Australia.
It is understood that the Defence Minister's office was informed of the soldier's pregnancy before she was shipped out of Afghanistan. But she was not flown out until almost a week later.

Internal investigations are understood to have been held into the incident, but no action has yet been taken.

Pregnant soldier forced to remain on front line