Politics: Soldier called up on IRR has no one to take care of child

What can I say, I'm a sucker for the stories that demonstrate how the war on Iraq affects and disrupts the lives of those who have served in our armed forces.

Nia Salakielu , a 28-year-old former Army sergeant and single mother, left active military duty in April 2003 because she needed to care for her infant son, Noa. Now, the administrative specialist is being recalled for Operation Iraqi Freedom and must report to Fort Jackson, S.C., on Jan. 2 — possibly with Noa.

If she doesn't show up, she will be considered absent without leave and could be court-martialed.

Regardless of whether the Iraq war is the "right" or "wrong" war, I think it serves all of us well to remember how disrupting wars are, and also to see how many different ways that wars can be disruptive.

This article is also blogged at BlueGrassRoots.