SAVANNAH, Georgia — A U.S. Army soldier who is a single mother who says she refused to deploy to Afghanistan because she had no family able to care for her young son will be discharged from the military instead of facing a court-martial, the Army said Thursday.

Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, an Army cook stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, was arrested in November after skipping her unit's deployment flight. Hutchinson, 21, said she couldn't leave her son because her mother had backed out of plans to keep the child a few days before the soldier's scheduled departure.

The Army filed criminal charges last month against Hutchinson of Oakland, Calif., but a general at neighboring Fort Stewart chose to settle the case by granting her an administrative discharge rather than try her in a military court.

Obama set to speak at two graduations

WASHINGTON — President Obama will deliver commencement addresses this spring at the University of Michigan and Virginia's Hampton University.

Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman said in a statement that Obama will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree during commencement on May 1 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

Hampton University president William Harvey said that Obama will speak to Hampton graduates on May 9.