Comments about ‘Utah law is big relief for military family’

I am glad that someone is standing up for our troops and their families. It is hard enough for the children to lose a parent while they are at war, let alone time spent where they are used to being.

I'm glad to see some good come out of a situation like this. It's amazing what people will do in spite of hurting others or their own children. It's good to know that families can and will be protected with minimal impact to the children. Good luck to you and your family and God Bless.

What a great law! This deserves TONS of publicity.

Way to go Tera and Ben!!!!!! You both, working together with this bill have made a big difference in your families life and now other military families lifes. Keep going strong you 6, there are a lot of us non-military families praying for your safe return.

That's awesome! Families are meant to be together, no matter what size, shape or form they come in. Good luck kids!

So good to see a victory for a service member! As a chaplain, I've seen too many lose such battles while deployed. What a sad price to pay for serving one's country. Glad is turned out well. God bless you and your family, Ben. Staff safe in Afghanistan.

That's great that this bill was passed. It realy deserves alot of media attention so others that are in Ben and Tera's situation now don't have to worry about their kids while they are deployed!! Super!!

Spend more time with your family than your military...we need to get our priorities right
A loss of 17 months can never be replaced. Uncle Sam has his followers, families neeed theirs (Mom and Dad)

wake up. this bill is not protecting ben and tara, it is taking away the rights of their mother and giving it to tara who should have no rights at all. for tara to share joint custody while her husband is away is a tragedy. this is not keeping families together, rather tearing them apart by giving the children to a non-related person half of the time. i agree that ben shouldnt lose his custody rights, but while he is away, why should his wife have full custody rights. please explain to me the wisdom in this.

I'm all for supporting our troops and for keeping things "as they are" and "as they will be when they return" but what makes anyone think that Tera can take the place of the father? Basically, this gives another woman the custodial rights to another woman's children and the 2nd wife could become an ex just like the first ex!
I'm not so sure I would want to relinquish my kids to another woman, 2nd wife, for half of every month.

Anonymous, sounds like you're an ungrateful citizen to this counrty and the people serving it. I agree with you 17 months is a long time to be away from family. But look at it the way that most people do, freedom is not free and someone has to fight the fight or else we woudn't be living in the counrty we do today. I commend this family and every other military family that go through so many hardships to serve and protect us, even the ungrateful ones.

Great Job

the marriage is in force so they are becoming one---the custody of the children is not an issue when ben goes to work or golfing or shopping and leaves the children with the "mom" so why should the fact that he is gone to work in another country make any difference---

Apparently nobody is reading the fact that there aren't just 2 kids involved there are 4. And by the looks of the pictures and information they are all the same age. Why in someone's right mind would they try and break siblings apart, it doesn't matter to children if they are step-siblings or biological. I know from first hand about step families. These kids have gone through divorces, deployment and hey lets break up their family while were at it, yeah that's really stable. At least these parents are tying to keep things stable for the kids and consistant as much as they can. Kids needs should come first, along with the stable environments. I'm sure these boys will need their step-siblings while their Dad is gone, just like they will need their step-mom who is most likely the connection to their Dad.

Cute family, good luck and best wishes to all

Great idea and I'm glad Utah has a law like this.

This can be a two edged sword. Step moms aren't always that great. No one for the most part can replace their mother and that is who they probably should be with when the dad is gone for such a long time. Every situation is different and the legislators don't know everything. I have just had a bad year with a stepmom who didn't like one of her husbands kids and I have never seen anything so heartbreaking. This probably makes me a bit biased as well.

Re:Sour Grapes Anonymous,and other Crabs; Good grief. The gentleman is trying to do his best for his children, and he got some help,through the State
Legislature. I think he and his family have enough on their plate, they don't need your miserable hate.

(not a family posted at 8:06) sorry buddahh you lose familys are ment to be together and not emotionally torn and stuck with an ex mother, if she cant take care of herself how will she raise kids they need to be kept together even while there dads away keeping your unamerican self free, so i think you and obama should go to another country and mess up someone elses economy

This is a great law - those who can't see this - don't want to.

There is too much of a chance that a divorced spouse [non military] who is given full custody [when the other is deployed] will fight to keep it when the one in the military returns.

It happens more times that you would want to believe.

This law needs to be enacted in every state in the USA.