What to Do If You Have Been Accused of "Going AWOL"

What to Do If You Have Been Accused of "Going AWOL"

Posted By Feldmann Nagel, LLC || 7-Dec-2016

Members of the military have an obligation to fulfill their duties of service to the best of their ability. If a service member does not fulfill this duty and leaves behind his or her responsibilities and comrades, they may be charged with absence without leave (AWOL). If you have been accused of desertion from the military, you should immediately contact an attorney to represent you.

The Manual for Courts-Martial specifies four different ways that a person can be found guilty of absence without leave:

  • Abandoning watch or guard. An individual may be accused of this offense if they absented themselves from their watch, guard, or duty without permission and intended to abandon their post.
  • Failure to go to appointed place of duty. If an individual was appointed to a place of duty at a certain time or place and that individual knowingly failed to appear without permission, he or she may be charged with this offense.
  • Going from appointed place of duty. Similar to the above, an individual may be charged with going from appointed place of duty if he or she knowingly left somewhere they were required to be without permission.
  • Absence from unity, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid maneuvers or field exercises. This offense is committed when an individual knowingly fails to report for duty in order to avoid all or part of a field exercise or maneuver.

Although it can be stressful to be accused of this offense, you should know that you have an opportunity to defend yourself and will not automatically be deemed guilty. If you have been accused of going AWOL, Contact Feldmann Nagel, LLC to put an experienced military criminal defense attorney on your side. We believe in the presumption of innocence and are ready to relentlessly defend you, your freedom, rank, retirement, and reputation.

Since every case is different, we encourage you to give us a call to discuss your case and potential defenses with a lawyer. We can be reached at (888) 458-0991.

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