Military Absence Without Leave

The three articles we will be focusing on are article eighty six (absence without leave), article ninety one (insubordinate conduct toward warrant officer, non-commissioned officer or petty officer) and article one hundred and thirty four (general article). In the United States military personnel will be labeled as “AWOL” or absent without leave if absent from their post without a valid pass, liberty or leave. The United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, and United States Coast Guard generally refer to this as "Unauthorized Absence" or (UA). Personnel are dropped from their unit rolls after thirty days and then listed as deserters. However, as a matter of U.S. military law, desertion is not measured by the time away from the unit, but alternatively: leaving or remaining absent from
(c) Any person found guilty of desertion or attempt to desert shall be punished, if the offense is committed in time of war, by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct, but if the desertion or attempt to desert occurs at any other time, by such punishment, other than death, as a court-martial may direct (Uniform Code of Military Justice). It is important to note that unauthorized absence or absent without leave are different from desertion and vary in severity with desertion being the more severe infraction. People who are away for more than thirty days but return voluntarily or indicate a credible intent to return may still be considered AWOL. Those who are away for fewer than thirty days but can credibly be shown to have no intent to return (for example, by joining the armed forces of another country) may nevertheless be tried for desertion. In rare occasions, they may be tried for treason if enough evidence is