Desertion

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(Redirected from AWOL)

For other uses of Desertion, see Abandonment. For other uses of AWOL, see AWOL (disambiguation).

Desertion is the act of abandoning or withdrawing support from an entity to which one has given.

In a military unit, desertion is the act of leaving a unit. In some cases, the permanent or temporary nature of their leave, as defined by "intent" bears relevance on their distinction and further judgement as a deserter. Desertion is generally considered a serious crime, particularly during wartime, but punishments can vary widely; from execution to a simple discharge from duty.

1 AWOL: Absent Without Official Leave
2 Iraq War
3 External links
4 See also

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AWOL: Absent Without Official Leave

In the United States, military personnel become AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave) when they are absent from their post without a valid pass or leave. Such people are dropped from their unit rolls after 30 days and listed as deserters. However, as a matter of U.S. military law, desertion is not measured by time away from the unit, but rather:

by leaving or remaining absent from their unit, organization, or place of duty, where there has been a determined intent to not return;
if that intent is determined to be to avoid hazardous duty or shirk important responsibility;
if they enlist or accept an appointment in the same or another branch of service without disclosing the fact that they have not been properly separated from current service; or
if they enter a foreign armed force not as authorized by the United States.

People who are away for more than 30 days but return voluntarily or indicate a credible intent to return may still be considered AWOL, while those who are away for fewer than 30 days but can credibly be shown to have no intent to return (as by joining the armed forces of another country) may nevertheless be tried for desertion.

In the United States, before the Civil War, deserters from the Army were flogged, while after 1861 tattoos or branding were also adopted. The maximum U.S. penalty for desertion in wartime remains death, although this punishment was last applied to Eddie Slovik in 1945.

"To go U.A.," a variant of the expression "to go AWOL," is used in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps ("U.A." stands for "unauthorized absence").

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