Awol????

Moldy Mike · 02-11-2008, 09:44 AM

Hi folks,
I thought the "Life in general" board was a place for this question. A friend of mine has a son in the Navy. He is attached to an aircraft carrier. A few months ago they came home from a tour in the persian gulf. Since being home the sailor in question has been assigned shore duty that he hates!
So. He (the sailor in question) just decided that he would go home for a while until the time for his ship to redeploy is closer. He tells his mother that "guys do it all the time". He has been gone from the ship for a total of almost three weeks. He tells his mother that he "might go back this week".
Has the service changed so much since "back in the day" that a fellow can just decide to go home because "he hates his job" I am worried that the lad is going to face more penalties than he thinks when he finally decides to go back.
I figure there must be some Navy folks on the board that can shed some lite on the potential punishment this kid may be facing. Thanks in advance for any and all feed back. BTW. He has no permission to be gone from the ship. Fish ON!! Mike

wthr4d · 02-11-2008, 09:50 AM

There's a lot of details missing from your story. My uncle was on a ship in the Navy and he would often come home for weeks at a time when the ship was in station or dry docked but he always had leave(permission). You can't just leave because you don't like your job, BUT if you don't like your job and you have leave on the books and you CO gives permission then yeah sure take all they will let you take. NOTE: my two examples are based on two experiences twenty years apart.

the kid may be okay but there is nothing saying he isn't going back to UCMJ charges either. all depends on the terms of his leave.

Paul
Paul

wannacatchem · 02-11-2008, 09:59 AM

Qualification = 21 yrs Active duty, USAF. Retired as a MSgt.

I one of my troops "went home for a few weeks" without having a proper leave form filled out and approved on the books, he would be in custody for AWOL. AWOL is a peace time violation. Usually punishable by administrative action such as reduction in rank/fines (Art. 15, or Captains Mast in the Navy/Marines) and may include a general discharge. When you are attached to an active combat unit, its called desertion, which results in Dishonorable Discharge/jail. The Article covering this in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) allows execution (death penalty) for this offense.

I hope the kid knows what he's doing. Either offense is very serious and can affect the rest of his life in a negative way

Tallride · 02-11-2008, 10:33 AM

I am active duty AF, just went over 17 and instruct students in Technical school. We have kids that go home between school and their first assignment and then decide they no longer want to be in. They just don't go to their next base and we have to send someone to go retrieve them. Most have been separated for incompatibility with the military and the type of discharge depends on the circumstances. In any case, the military does not just let folks come and go as they wish, you must be on leave or pass. It is in this kids best interest to get him back to his base ASAP.

Cornbread · 02-11-2008, 10:42 AM

2 years in Marine Corps Anti-Terrorist Security Forces, 6 years in the Marine Corps. Infantry. "Just going home" without leave or permission == "go to the brig when they find you". Now if the entire ship is on shore leave and he has no duties requiring him to be aboard and his home is within the allowable distance limits then it could be another story but it sounds like the young man might be in considerable trouble when he gets back.

Irish Pennant · 02-11-2008, 10:48 AM

When I was in we had some guys that would disappear for a month or so. There are a few charges that can be bought forth besides AWOL, there's also missing ships movement. If the ship only moves down 1 berth it is missing ships movement. If he only gets administrative punishment, the time he's away will be tacked onto the end of his enlistment. I wouldn't want this person back on board my ship. A person that will do what he's apparently doing will have such a bad attitude all you will ever hear from his pie hole is negativity. If I was king of the Navy I would give him 13 months in the brig and a dishonorable discharge, I would keep him away from the Honorable sailors.

If he turns his self in then it would be 3 months in the brig, change of duty station, loss of pay and rate, tack on the brig time and AWOL time onto the end of his enlistment and make him serve his total enlistment in active duty.

freespool · 02-11-2008, 11:34 AM

"Since being home the sailor in question has been assigned shore duty that he hates!
So. He (the sailor in question) just decided that he would go home for a while until the time for his ship to redeploy is closer. He tells his mother that "guys do it all the time". He has been gone from the ship for a total of almost three weeks. He tells his mother that he "might go back this week".

As a retired military veteran I can say this.
When you enlist in the United States Armed Forces, you relinquish all control over your life, you do what they say, or you pay the penalty.
AWOL/desertion is a very serious offense, serious consequences are in play, I would urge the sailor to return to his duty station immediately.
On a side note, AWOL time does not count against your tour of duty, it's considered bad time.

Don Becker · 02-11-2008, 11:46 AM

If he isn't actually on leave; really, it's potentially far more serious than just deciding you're not going to show up for work for a month or so - - there are consequences - - more significant than just losing his job. It isn't like all of this wasn't covered in his basic taining/boot camp/whatever.

I suspect he was just having some fun w/Mom and now, he's reading this thread and getting a real belly-laugh. ('Hope so!)

Don

uhmw · 02-11-2008, 12:33 PM

Gosh I used to think I was gettin away with murder when I slept under my bunk and missed breckfast and am pt during ait training.

I also had this trick of sleeping under my duce and a 1/2 during those long pmc's. Or sleeping in the arms room with a wrench stratigicly placed on the door to keep me alert. Leaving was never a option but I did get lost alot and broke down on occation in germany on supply runs

AWOL is pretty easy to catch though- your one base alert from the brig.

samiam · 02-11-2008, 03:56 PM

Military folks get 30 vacation days yearly, and often Soldiers with nice bosses get lots of passes instead of chargeable leave so they don't have to dip into their chargeable leave account, and... I think all branches of services allow you to build up 60 days in your leave account which just rolls over into the next fiscal year, plus you could have 30 from the current fiscal year, so that makes 90 possible leave days (i've done this myself, and so have many many of the guys i've served with), so.... your friend's son might just have a boatload (pun intended) of vacation days built up. I hope that's the case!

freespool · 02-11-2008, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samiam

Military folks get 30 vacation days yearly, and often Soldiers with nice bosses get lots of passes instead of chargeable leave so they don't have to dip into their chargeable leave account, and... I think all branches of services allow you to build up 60 days in your leave account which just rolls over into the next fiscal year, plus you could have 30 from the current fiscal year, so that makes 90 possible leave days (i've done this myself, and so have many many of the guys i've served with), so.... your friend's son might just have a boatload (pun intended) of vacation days built up. I hope that's the case!

Perhaps the rules have been changed, but when I was on active duty you could not accrue more than 30 day leave.

samiam · 02-11-2008, 04:10 PM

yup. you get 30 days yearly. you may retain a balance of 60 days on the rollover of the fiscal year on 1 October each year. anything over 60 days on your leave balance at midnight on 30 September would vanish come the morning of 1 October. they call it "use/lose" Leave Days. use it, or lose it. hard to believe, but due to many reasons, such as deployments or just being given many free passes, lots of guys build up and maintain that maximum 60 days every year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by freespool

Perhaps the rules have been changed, but when I was on active duty you could not accrue more than 30 day leave.

Queeg · 02-11-2008, 04:21 PM

A lot more mental illness resulting from this war than anyone cares to admit...

Moldy Mike · 02-11-2008, 05:35 PM

Guys,
Thanks for all the input! I really appreciate it!! Fish ON!! Mike

roadsend · 02-11-2008, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freespool

Perhaps the rules have been changed, but when I was on active duty you could not accrue more than 30 day leave.

I went on active duty in 1966 and at that time it was as Samiam describes. If it changed, I don't recall it. I know that I was in a use it or loose it by 1971.

Dave G · 02-11-2008, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freespool

Perhaps the rules have been changed, but when I was on active duty you could not accrue more than 30 day leave.

30 days! Man that was a decade or three or four ago. I went in back in 78 and it was always 90 days and you could almost get it to 120 days, but you would lose anything over 90 at the end of the year. This was in the Army, maybe the rules are different in the other services.

One other thing. Today every service member is a volunteer and in wartime, a lot of things are over looked. We can not go out and court-martial every deserter or shoot them, they would stop volunteering real fast. This story came up on Ifish and it is very serious. So how come stories like these do not hit the newspaper? Bad PR, but none then less AWOL is not good. Man/Woman up, go back and do your time!

RascallyRabbit · 02-11-2008, 08:23 PM

I joined the Navy in 1977 and retired in 1997 as a Data Systems Technician Cheif (DSC), and have had to attend a number of Mast's when my people would have moments of ..........

At this point he is UA (Unauthorized Absence). Since he's assigned to a ship, he will most likely get Captains Mast, if he's UA less than 30 days and doesn't miss ships movement, over 30 days they could actually take him to Court Martial. Things that can happen at Captains Mast include 30 days restriction, 30 days extra duty, 30 days in the brig (carriers have brigs), 3 days bread and water (E-3 and below), up to 3 months forfiture of pay, reduction in rate (RIR), or any combination. If this is the 1st trouble he's had on the ship he will probably get restriction, and extra duty. If he's been to Mast before or has been a problem child, then expect at a minumum restriction, extra duty, RIR, and a fine. It is possible that the RIR and the fine could be suspended for up to 6 months, and as long as he keep out of trouble for the specified time, it is like they never happened. But if he gets in trouble again within the time limit, the suspensions will kick in, and then he will go to Mast for the new offense.

Hopefully he is actually on leave and trying to pull a fast one on mom. But if he's not he needs to get back to the ship ASAP!

Steve/RR

Bob-Burr · 02-11-2008, 09:04 PM

One thing you can be sure of, if he left on his own like is assumed in this thread and it has been more than 2 days the military would have contacted mom to see where he was. You don't just take a few personal days without permission.

Rocky · 02-12-2008, 03:58 AM

If he is AWOL he will learn what Brasso is all about..........

gottafish · 02-12-2008, 04:09 AM

If he was on my ship he would get a dishonerable disscarge. I have seen 3 shipmates pull this and everyone is toast. Id fry him personnaly But I was an MMC Sub Qualed. Tell that Dink NOn qual Puke to get back to the ship!!!!

Moldy Mike · 02-12-2008, 05:24 AM

Thanks guys! He went back last night. Fish ON!! Mike

samiam · 02-12-2008, 05:34 AM

haha sounds like a man speaking from experience... i've been there (the brasso part, not the awol part!)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocky

If he is AWOL he will learn what Brasso is all about..........

JustSteve · 02-12-2008, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RascallyRabbit

I joined the Navy in 1977 and retired in 1997 as a Data Systems Technician Cheif (DSC), and have had to attend a number of Mast's when my people would have moments of ..........

At this point he is UA (Unauthorized Absence). Since he's assigned to a ship, he will most likely get Captains Mast, if he's UA less than 30 days and doesn't miss ships movement, over 30 days they could actually take him to Court Martial. Things that can happen at Captains Mast include 30 days restriction, 30 days extra duty, 30 days in the brig (carriers have brigs), 3 days bread and water (E-3 and below), up to 3 months forfiture of pay, reduction in rate (RIR), or any combination. If this is the 1st trouble he's had on the ship he will probably get restriction, and extra duty. If he's been to Mast before or has been a problem child, then expect at a minumum restriction, extra duty, RIR, and a fine. It is possible that the RIR and the fine could be suspended for up to 6 months, and as long as he keep out of trouble for the specified time, it is like they never happened. But if he gets in trouble again within the time limit, the suspensions will kick in, and then he will go to Mast for the new offense.

Hopefully he is actually on leave and trying to pull a fast one on mom. But if he's not he needs to get back to the ship ASAP!

Steve/RR

exactly. That 30 day mark is a key player in the punishment process.

USN 1990-2000