what happens when someone goes AWOL?

Question

Cousin went AWOL from the ARMY what will happen to them

not that it completely justifies it but he did serve time in IRAG and watched his
best friend blown to pieces beside him.

Answer 1

Well it depends on how long he is gone and if he has been in trouble before. If he turned himself in he might be able to work something out.

Basically they will look for him. Anybody who he is staying with can get in trouble as well. If they find him before he turns himself in probably jail and a dishonorable discharge.

But they really don't have to look to hard. Someday in his life he will get picked up. It could be when he gets a speeding ticket. More and more jobs of all types are doing background checks so he will never have a good job or be able to move up. He won't be able to ever take a better job for fear of being picked up.

Even if he does OK 10 years from now........ wife, kids, job and all that it could all suddenly come apart. A life of always looking over his shoulder and ultimately he will regret it....... personally and when he realizes he destroyed his ENTIRE life.

This will never go away. So he has a short window to turn himself in and have the possibility of fixing it. His choice though. Thats the basics and I'm sure others will add more.

Added......
And for the PAPPY dude. My answer and others are for a real person, the circumstances or not...... who could be pointed in the right direction life wise. To be a success and realize they made a mistake. Not someone who did it many times showing a certain character. A type of character that I am sure extended well after military service.

Answer 2

Depends on how long he has been gone when he is caught. Could be anything from a verbal reprimand, written reprimand. Article 15 (misdemeanor court) or a court-martial (felony court). He could go to prison or just be discharged for anything from a Honorable (one time and he gets in nor more trouble and serves his time) or a Dishonorable. Probably somewhere in the middle-General under Honorable or other the honorable.
Military personnel have no rights under the Constitution-simple fact and it has been that way since this country was founded. Other government employees do have Constitutional rights but some are restricted to keep the abuse of power to a minimum; many private businesses do not allow political posters or fund raising at work for the same reason.. When you serve in the military you should know that you have no right to free speech and no right to just go home when you want because you disagree with a decision or any other reason. Ii have said before it is funny that the military swears to uphold and protect the Constitution but the minute you say it the Constitution no longer applies to you. Not a complaint and it has to be that way for a military to operate effectively.
Foxhound gave very good advice and I agree with it completely.

Answer 3

Alright, i work for an AWOL apprehension unit. If you are in FORSCOM, you will be returned to your unit. They decide what to do with you, Article 15 (100% probability), make you finish your contract or discharge you. That depends on your unit and your own actions. If you are still in training or from overseas, you will be sent to a PCF in Fort Sill or Fort Knox and outprocessed from the military.
Before that, however, a unit from fort knox will enter a felony, no bond warrant for your arrest. So, if you were to run a redlight, steal a car or even try to get a job (at most places) a red flag will show up and you will be apprehended, at which point, an Awol apprehension team will extradite you and send you where you need to go.
Tell him to turn himself in before the 30 days if possible, it will save the warrant from being entered, which follows him around for life.

And Pappy, you should take your own advice.

Answer 4

When a soldier go AWOL (Absent With Out Leave) his unit notify the chain of command and the local Provost Marshal so all the Military Police on the base will be on the look out for him in the event he comes back onto the installation. The Provost Marshal will also advise the local and state police department in the event he has become involved with local crime/drug activities. Then the PM advises the home town police department in case he runs home to Mama. The parents and every other point of contact he gave on enlistment will be called or receive a visit to determine if they have seen him since he's gone AWOL.

Following thirty days of being AWOL, his unit will drop him from the rolls and he will be declared a Deserter. The F.B.I. will then have a warrant issued for his arrest and hope to catch up on a traffic violation somewhere.

Tell him to turn himself back in to military authorities and he just might have a chance to redeem himself. If he waits and gets arrested they will throw the book at him, he won't have a leg to stand on. If he is frighten, tell him to contact a chaplain to counsel him and bring in.....

Answer 5

AWOL CASES - DESERTERS
If you are absent without authority, or in a deserter status, you have a major problem on your hands. As you are probably aware, once you are absent for more than 30 days, you are declared a deserter and a federal warrant is issued for your arrest. A simple speeding ticket by your local police can result in your immediate arrest, transfer back to the military, confinement, a punitive discharge and a federal conviction that will be on your record for the rest of your life.

Answer 6

Right now since there is a war going on he could face a death sentence, however that's very unlikely. Federal officers will take him into custody, he will face a court martial, he will then be sentenced to a prison (stockade) term. He will be dishonorable discharged and that's about it. He will not be able to get ANY government grants, assistance, loans, or vote. He will not be able to get a job with an airline, railroad, police, city, county state or federal government. He will not be able to work for any company that has a government contract be it city, state, or county if the federal government has given them grant money or a tax reduction.

Answer 7

(Assuming you mean the US Army)

Hopefully jail. He is considered AWOL until he is gone for 30 days. Then he becomes a deserter.

If he turns himself in, it will be up to his chain of command what to do with him. More then likely an other then hornable discharge. With that he will have a hard time finding a good job.

If he stays gone more then 30 days then several things happen.

He will not be able to file income taxes until he turns himself in.

He will not be able to get any type of federal help until he turns himself in.

If he has any legal violation at all, he will be turned over to the FBI then the Army. Once that happens, he will go to Ft. Knox and they will decide what to do with him... jail... dishonarble discharge... return to service (not likely though)

In addition he will have to live with the fact he is a traitor and left his battle buddies in a pinch. His actions are the same as if he shot one of his battle buddies since there is now a hole in his unit.

Answer 8

The army will come after him. And, he will go before the ARmy's court as a deserter. I had a friend that did the same thing. He got a dishonarable discharge that will be with him the rest of his life.

Answer 9

The military police will track him down. He will get court martialed, serve time in the stockade, then get a dishonorable discharge.

Answer 10

For those of you who think you know something, piss off. For the asking, we need true details of the matter. AWOL, can be anything. overslept, sick, etc... An article 15 WILL be given, after that it's more a matter of the circumstances of the AWOL. I went AWOL several times and finally got a general under honorable. If you know nothing, you should say nothing!!!!