AWOL Consequences?

[proudmary]

Hi all, my son had been AWOL for 8 months and intends to hand himself in this week, h has served 8yrs in the army and has completed 2 tours in Iraq. He thinks he will have to go to the 'glass house' for 6 months and will then be discharged, is this right?? Any advice I can give him would help, many thanks in adavnce xx

[daffy654]

http://www.army.mod.uk/welfare-support/soldier /1950.aspx

Tell him to phone or email the people on the above link,they are the best placed to give him advice.

[voltr4m4x]

On the downside, any absence without leave (AWOL) in excess of 28 days is classified a "desertion" and is triable only by means of a Military Court Martial for which your son is liable to 6 months' imprisonment, followed by discharge with ignomy..

However, there are obviously mitigating reasons why he has not returned to his Unit. He may be ill, distressed or otherwise mentally unfit within himself to carry on due to stress and trauma. That seems to me to be the more likely reason following two tours in Iraq. In these circumstances he needs help and the best thing for him to do is to make contact with the welfare organisation as mentioned in the previous post above.

There is nothing for your son to be ashamed of. These things happen even to the best of us.