In the Marine Corps, when a recruit goes UA, what are the options if they do not want to return to boot camp?

Question

DETAIL #1
A request was made for medical leave, recruit received it, but drill instructor denied recruit medical attention needed for broken bones.

DETAIL #2
Recruit has changed mind and does not want to go back to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot for basic training. Recruit wans to go home!

--UA (unauthorized absence)--

Answer 1

The GI Rights Hotline assists thousands of servicemembers every year who have gone AWOL or UA. We keep up-to-date information on each Service's AWOL and UA policies, provided to AWOL or UA clients in a confidential setting.

For more information, email [e-mail] or call 800 394-9544 or 510 465-1472.

Please call and please, from on human being to another, do not go back there no matter what. You can go home and tha tis where we belong now, with loved ones, don't let them take that right away from you.

Answer 2

Detail #2
Recruit be skrewed. Either go back and face the consequences or the military will catch up to you in a few days, weeks, or years. The military will charge and try you for desertion and you'll spend time in Ft. Leavenworth turning big rocks into little rocks, all over a moment of stupidity.

Detail #1
If said recruit had a broken bone from whatever accident a Corpsman (medic) would have decided to remove them from training and provide immediate treatment and hospitalization. A Corpsman has the power to overrule instructors if needed.
Medical leave? A broken bone would take them out of the training rotation and put them in medical rehabilitation. This story is a bit fishy.

Cpl of Marines

Answer 3

Was medical attention denied, or did you have to get treatment on grounds? They are not required to allow you to seek treatment wherever you want. Usually treatment would be provided by an on site physician who then determines your ability to remain in camp or if injuries are too severe, to go home. Usually a broken bone is treatable and therefore you are not sent home for that. The drill instructor is not who makes that decision.

UA is punishable by a trip to jail as well as an unhonorable disharge from the Marines.
You will have to go back to Boot Camp. I am not sure who you talk to about leaving, but you will porbably need a lawyer to help with everything and find out exactly what your options are. Find one that is experienced in military law.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

ok..i've been reading all the answers and trying to make sense of this whole thing and looks like everyone else is as confused as me. The asker could have given more details. Here's a possible scenario I think might fit.
!. recruit sustains an injury during training
2. reports it to drill instructor
3. for whatever reason drill instructor thinks maybe it isn't that
serious.
4. eventually recruit is sent to sick bay and evaluated
5. determined to have a broken bone and hospitalized.
6. granted convalecent (not medical) leave
7. recruit now feels drill instructor unfairly delayed medical
attention and believes that justifies not returning.
asker if this is correct can you acknowledge please?

well well enlightenment...why doesn't it surprise me that you would aid and abet a desertion?

please tell this young man not to listen to enlightenment..it will be the worst mistake of his life...desertion is a very serious matter.

Answer 5

as a citizen & fellow military member, it's commendable that you joined the service at all, So few people do these days. Thank you for your service. It would be a HUGE mistake to go awol. a dishonorable discharge will follow you around the rest of your life. My advise, suck it up & do the best you can in your marine corp career. At a certain point you should be able to cross-train into a job that you really want to do. At your age 4 years from now seems like forever, but it really goes by fast. Trust me---don't go awol. It will be the biggest mistake of your young life. Take care..

Answer 6

It would not be good not to return. I highly suggest that they would go back before the 30 days. They maybe lenient on them. If the above details is key and true factors, I would also suggest they request mass and speak to there commanding officers and a JAG lawyer. In this situation they really would need legal advice from that of a military lawyer, civilian laws are different from military laws and they would need to know there rights.

Answer 7

You need an attorney & then the Marine Corp will decide on whether to allow you a discharge or not. They do allow some discharges but not all. You signed the contract & now you want to break it. Not cool! If you do not turn yourself in, they will find you eventually. The military always get their man eventually.

Answer 8

Most of us who got off the bus and lined up on the "yellow footprints" at P.I . wanted to go home IMMEDIATELY! You signed your name as an adult on a contract. I went through most of third phase with pneumonia, another recruit died on a run because he refused to tell his DI he had suffered a concussion earlier. Most of us would do whatever it took to stay with our platoon and graduate on time. You just didn't want to let your fellow Marines down. I bring this to bear because you may likely be judged against this standard.

Get a lawyer to negotiate your surrender. The consequences can only get larger the longer you are gone. See link for the punishment time thresholds associated with violating Article 86 of the UCMJ.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/punitivearticles/a/mcm86_3.htm

Answer 9

I seriously doubt that the DI stopped the recruit from going on authorized medical leave.

You signed a contract, have the balls to live up to it.

Answer 10

From a personal standpoint, he needds to go back. Not going back seems like a good idea now, but he'll regret it for the rest of his life. I got hurt during Army BCT and they gave me a choice whether to stay or go, I chose go, and Ive spent the last 2 years trying to get a reenlistment wavier. Tell him to go back, he'll never live it down if he doesnt.