What Happens to a Person Who Goes AWOL From the National Guard?

Although military service is voluntary in the United States, there are those who decide that they are not suited to military life. Rather than fulfill the remainder of their enlistment contract, some choose to go AWOL.

Types of Desertion

• Absent without leave, or AWOL, also known as unauthorized absence, or UA, is when a serviceman is absent from his post without a valid pass or leave. After 30 days, he is dropped from his unit rolls and listed as a deserter. Missing movement is when a serviceman does not arrive to deploy with his unit, and is considered more severe than AWOL or UA.

Investigation

• If UA is the only charge against a National Guardsman, and there are no other criminal charges, an active search will not be held. Information on the UA serviceman will be dispatched through a number of interagency components, including the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System and National Crime Information Center data. UA individuals who flag this data during events such as traffic stops have stop orders, which causes local law enforcement to take them into custody pending arrival of military police.

Consequences

• The consequences of AWOL depend on the circumstances. A servicewoman who goes AWOL during training may be granted an entry-level separation or other than honorable discharge. Nonjudicial punishment such as loss of pay, reduction in rank or extra duty may be assessed, or court martial procedures can lead to up to 18 months in military prison.