12-20-2004, 06:49 PM
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| Senior Member   Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Cocoa Florida
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| GI Bound for Iraq loses Custody Fight GI Bound for Iraq loses Custody Fight LAST UPDATE: 12/20/2004 9:49:01 AM A North Texas soldier who will deploy to Iraq early next year is furious that he recently lost custody of his son because of his military obligations. John Wertz must comply with a court order and deliver his 9-year-old son to his ex-wife three days after Christmas. "This is a big slap in the face," he said. "I'm defending the country, and right behind my back, they're taking things from me." Wertz won primary custody of his son when his marriage to Lisa Roberts dissolved in 1998. He was called up by the National Guard for airport security after the 2001 terrorist attacks. Active duty followed and he spent five months at Fort Knox, Ky., and a year in South Korea. During that time, Wertz's son lived in Mineral Wells with Wertz's new wife. Last summer, the Army moved Wertz to Fort Irwin, Calif., where he has been preparing to deploy to Iraq with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. John White Jr., Roberts' attorney, said Wertz gave her no warning that he was moving to California and she filed for a change in custody in August. A judge awarded her custody until Wertz returns from Iraq. The custody situation will be re-evaluated then. It's difficult to gauge how often soldiers lose custody because of deployment. Officials at Fort Hood, the nation's largest Army post, said it isn't common. Mike Windsor, Wertz's attorney, said he doesn't think the judge picked on his client because he is in the military. In recent years, Texas family court judges have been increasingly unwilling to allow children to be moved around the country by a custodial parent. --- Information from: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, http://www.star-telegram.com ©2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. |
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