Expert: John L - 11/12/2008

Question
QUESTION: my best friend is having a problem with her ex husband...but the issue at hand is that he ran away from the Navy with out being discarged and was hiding out in his home town for the past 8 months. Is he AWOL? and is this a crime that he can be punished for? If so, whom can we contact about this situation cause no one around here seems to take it seriously. thanks for your time!!!

ANSWER: If he is AWOL, and he knows he is, his best bet would be to report back to his station.  If he reports to any military station, they woul dlock him up probably until the Navy came to pick him up.  After he gets back, he will be processed for discharge, lose all benefits and have a unfavorable military record.  Most likely, there is a warrant out for his arrest, so if he is ever pulled over, he will go to jail.  

My recommendation is for him to return to the base he wasnt AWOL from and face the comsequences.  No need to have it hanging over him for any longer.  Time to man up and do the right thing.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I thank you for you quick response and help. I just have one more question about this situation. Now that he has been away from the navy for around 8 months he is looking for an excuse that will get him out of trouble when he decides to take it to court. HE is gonna tell then=m that he ran away from the navy to take care of his sick father. Now what i wounder is, do they investigate these things, cause his father was not sick when he ran away! Also, the short time he was in the navy,  they paid his child support, will he have to pay it back?

Answer
They didnt pay his child support, he did.  they took it out of his check.  No matter what he tells them, the outcome will be the same.  Even if his father was sick and dying, AWOL is AWOL.  Plus normally a sialor will try to ask for leave to take care of stuff like that before they go AWOL, there would be no record of that if he didn't ask.  I am willing to bet he had some discipline problems before going AWOL, that is usually a pattern, but not always.

He will not be locked away for any amount of time.  Just kept in "custody" until his discharge is complete.  He will be fine, but will need a ride home, they will not pay for him to go home.