How do they know which one to classify the missing soldier as?
2007-09-21 15:07:48 · 6 answers · asked by Trey 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
MIA, is Missing in action -- this is due to a personnel accountability, to which an individual is missing after a mission or conflict.
AWOL. is Absent Without Leave --- This is when a soldier is absent from his/her regular place of duty, with permission for more than 24 hours, then at 29 days of absence, the soldier will become DFR, (Dropped from the Rolls).
The military, if the soldier is AWOL, will not go out and look for the soldier. Eventually he/she will mess up and get caught, which could mean jail time.
As to how the military would know when someone is MIA and not AWOL, details of known accounts as to the last time the soldier was seen will be give by other soldiers with knowledge of the situation.
2007-09-21 15:31:15 · answer #1 · answered by WOODSAK 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its hard to say. It would depend on the circumstances. They will usually be carried as AWOL unless there is some evidence showing otherwise.
We had a who was carried AWOL until the county sheriff found his body after he commited suicide.
The unit will check his home of record. Next of kin is a big indicator. If they file a missing person's report, then it is changed.
Otherwise it based on witnesses if its a deployment. You have to report to someone. Someone saw them last. Its pretty hard to go AWOL on a deployment.
2007-09-21 15:33:40 · answer #2 · answered by mnbvcxz52773 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
MIA- someone missing in combat
AWOL or UA- someone missing an accountability formation or duty.
KIA- Someone killed in combat
Deserter- someone leaves a combat zone, or is AWOL/UA for more than 30 consecutive days.
POW- Someone is a prisoner of another country during a war.
WIA- someone wounded in action.
If a Marine comes up missing in combat he is listed as MIA until his body is found then it is changed to KIA. If there is proof he is captured and alive he is listed as POW.
2007-09-22 02:09:20 · answer #3 · answered by guns155mm 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
MIAs were actively engaged in the fighting. Nowadays it is easy. Knowone is going to go awol to live it up in Mosul. In WW2 Switzerland was a very attractive diversion
2007-09-21 16:28:03 · answer #4 · answered by M C 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Like they said, MIA is MISSING IN ACTION...
If you are last seen on a patrol in Ramadi, or ejecting over downtown Hanoi you are MIA
If you miss formation in Fort Hood Texas you are AWOL...
2007-09-21 17:39:12 · answer #5 · answered by Larry R 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes they don't know, and sometimes they just don't want to know... For instance if your father's name is George Bush than the military just doesn't want to know you'd gone AWOL.. In other cases they didn't want to know that soldiers thought MIA were in fact POW, and the government let them rot in Vietnam and lied about it.
2007-09-21 15:22:46 · answer #6 · answered by oxygenezvous 1 · 0⤊ 4⤋