Desertion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- 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.
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.
Iraq War
According to the Pentagon over 5,500 military personnel deserted in 2003–2004, following the Iraq invasion and occupation. [1].
U.S. forces, most notably the Army, have encountered critical personnel shortages as they try to meet increased homeland security duties while simultaneously prosecuting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and striving to meet other commitments abroad. The problem has largely been confronted through the issuance of stop-loss orders and wider use of reserve personnel. The United States Congress has so far not authorized a draft, which would be unlikely to help in the short-term: truly qualified officers and noncoms require years of training and experience, as do certain critical technical and other specialist personnel. In March, 2005 the maximum age for Army reserve enlistment was raised from 34 to 39, a move that would allow older ex-soldiers and qualified civilian professionals to join the service, although it is unclear whether this has had any appreciable effect on personnel shortages. Some soldiers have disputed their stop-loss orders, but challenges as to the legality of an order do not qualify as desertion, only the practices outlined above.
