AWOL Soldiers

[DurocShark]

On CNN a couple nights ago they did a big profile on a soldier that went AWOL.

I found it really made me angry. Here's why:

The guy signed up to get the goodies: College money, training, etc.
It's a volunteer army. Nobody made him sign up.
Now that he's expected to do what he signed up to do, he walks away.

If he was drafted, it wouldn't bother me. But he VOLUNTEERED. I hope they find him and lock him up in PYITA prison.

:|

 

[CrackRabbit]

This is going to turn into a P&N flamewar shortly, and I am out of marshmallows.

 

[DurocShark]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
This is going to turn into a P&N flamewar shortly, and I am out of marshmallows.

LOL.

I don't mean to compare current fighting to past fighting, or whether we should be fighting. To me it doesn't matter IN THIS SITUATION.

I just think it's a load of crap that guys like the one they interviewed are running away when they're told to do army stuff. After all, they're actually IN the army!

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
This is going to turn into a P&N flamewar shortly, and I am out of marshmallows.

Hopefully it will. That way we can weed out the idiots right away.
The guy joined up and ran. No one forced him to sign. He's a pos. What ever happened to being a man of your word? Oh, I forgot. Somewhere along the way we became pussified.

 

[mrrman]

They should have the right to leave if they want to..same as a regular job

 

[pyonir]

Does the Army take back the college money (or not give it to him/her)? Do they get a dishonorable discharge when they are found? Are they charged with a crime?

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: mrrman
They should have the right to leave if they want to..same as a regular job

#1

 

[jlbenedict]

Actually, technically speaking, soldiers that go AWOL today can be considered deserters.


I read an article a while back that pretty much explained that the military doens't really go after those that go AWOL. This was a while back though, before the war.

But, we are technically in a state of war and if you run, you should be put behind bars.

 

[DurocShark]

Originally posted by: pyonir
Does the Army take back the college money (or not give it to him/her)? Do they get a dishonorable discharge when they are found? Are they charged with a crime?

I don't know about the first two, but AWOL is a federal offense.

EDIT: And during time of war it's changed to desertion, and that's a crime punishable by death.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: DurocShark
On CNN a couple nights ago they did a big profile on a soldier that went AWOL.

I found it really made me angry. Here's why:

The guy signed up to get the goodies: College money, training, etc.
It's a volunteer army. Nobody made him sign up.
Now that he's expected to do what he signed up to do, he walks away.

If he was drafted, it wouldn't bother me. But he VOLUNTEERED. I hope they find him and lock him up in PYITA prison.

:|

Correctomundo!

It's a volunteer military. When you sign up you know that you are at the mercy of whatever ass-hat administration happens to be in charge. If you signed up thinking you were going to get free college and all you had to do was run a few miles a day and do a few thousand pushups then you should have thought about it a little longer before you signed your life away.

 

[waggy]

i agree. he signed up to a time limit knowing full well what could happen (if not he needs to read some history books). he took advantage of the training and money.

to go awol after all of that he deserves a harsh punishment.

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: waggy
he took advantage of the training and money

What money? the money for college, i'd assume they'd have to fulfill his service contract. Money paid as a wage, well you get that when you leave any job for time worked. The training won't do him any good because he's always going to have a mark on his criminal or veteran record.

AWOL soldiers suck because of the waste of resources the military spends on training them and transporting them, but the soldiers are shooting themselves in the foot more than anything.

I agree with all you guys that they should have thought about it a little more before signing up though. I hope they all get criminal charges filed, and it haunts them for the rest of their lives.

 

[jlbenedict]

Originally posted by: pyonir
Does the Army take back the college money (or not give it to him/her)? Do they get a dishonorable discharge when they are found? Are they charged with a crime?

you don't get college money right off the bat..

When you first enlist, you have to make a $100 contribution per month, for a total of $1200, then you will be entitled to G.I. Bill benefits.

Also, getting the G.I. Benefits is a pain in the @SS. It isn't as easy as "Hey.. VA.. give me my money."
Its a whole bs process that has to take place, plus its used more as a marketing tool and most of the time its not guaranteed. Its more of advertising to get people to join, just as other product advertising.

What They Don't Tell You

 

[olds]

Just for everyones edification:
When you join you sign a contract for a specific time period. No one holds a gun to your head when you signed.

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: jlbenedict
you don't get college money right off the bat..

When you first enlist, you have to make a $100 contribution per month, for a total of $1200, then you will be entitled to G.I. Bill benefits.

Also, getting the G.I. Benefits is a pain in the @SS. It isn't as easy as "Hey.. VA.. give me my money."
Its a whole bs process that has to take place, plus its used more as a marketing tool and most of the time its not guaranteed. Its more of advertising to get people to join, just as other product advertising.

What They Don't Tell You

Thanks for the heads up. I figured there was a little more to it, but never looked into it myself.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: jlbenedict

Originally posted by: pyonir
Does the Army take back the college money (or not give it to him/her)? Do they get a dishonorable discharge when they are found? Are they charged with a crime?

you don't get college money right off the bat..

When you first enlist, you have to make a $100 contribution per month, for a total of $1200, then you will be entitled to G.I. Bill benefits.

Also, getting the G.I. Benefits is a pain in the @SS. It isn't as easy as "Hey.. VA.. give me my money."
Its a whole bs process that has to take place, plus its used more as a marketing tool and most of the time its not guaranteed. Its more of advertising to get people to join, just as other product advertising.

What They Don't Tell You

They do tell you. Unfortunately, lots of people are too stupid to look at what they are getting themselves into.
MGIB

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Unfortunately, lots of people are too stupid to look at what they are getting themselves into.

Unfortunately that seems to be the case in more than just joining the Army as well. There's a reason they make fine print...cause the stupid people don't read it. That's just good marketing. (not like the info on the GI Bill was too hard to find though...)

 

[jlbenedict]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Unfortunately, lots of people are too stupid to look at what they are getting themselves into.

Unfortunately that seems to be the case in more than just joining the Army as well. There's a reason they make fine print...cause the stupid people don't read it. That's just good marketing. (not like the info on the GI Bill was too hard to find though...)

Exactly.. its all in black and white
Its all about presentation.. thats what counts

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Unfortunately, lots of people are too stupid to look at what they are getting themselves into.

Unfortunately that seems to be the case in more than just joining the Army as well. There's a reason they make fine print...cause the stupid people don't read it. That's just good marketing. (not like the info on the GI Bill was too hard to find though...)

That and laziness......

 

[pyonir]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: pyonir

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Unfortunately, lots of people are too stupid to look at what they are getting themselves into.

Unfortunately that seems to be the case in more than just joining the Army as well. There's a reason they make fine print...cause the stupid people don't read it. That's just good marketing. (not like the info on the GI Bill was too hard to find though...)

That and laziness......

I'm the king of laziness! But i read the fine print because i know it'll be more work for me in the long run if i don't.

 

[JinLien]

Originally posted by: mrrman
They should have the right to leave if they want to..same as a regular job

Agree, however the contract that they sign implicate their obligations, and there are penalties to relinquish a contract.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: mrrman
They should have the right to leave if they want to..same as a regular job

Um, no. They should not.

Want to know why? They signed a contract promising they wouldn't leave and understanding that it is a crime to leave without permission.

You don't do that at any other job, or if you do, it becomes a civil matter and the employer sues you. In this case, it's a criminal matter because your contract is with the government, not a private entity.

They have no "right" to leave because they legally signed that right away when they joined.

 

[DurocShark]

Originally posted by: JinLien

Originally posted by: mrrman
They should have the right to leave if they want to..same as a regular job

Agree, however the contract that they sign implicate their obligations, and there are penalties to relinquish a contract.

But it's not a job. Once upon a time people understood that.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: JinLien

Originally posted by: mrrman
They should have the right to leave if they want to..same as a regular job

Agree, however the contract that they sign implicate their obligations, and there are penalties to relinquish a contract.

On the other hand if the recruiter misled the recruit the recruit should be able to walk away scott free.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: JinLien

Originally posted by: mrrman
They should have the right to leave if they want to..same as a regular job

Agree, however the contract that they sign implicate their obligations, and there are penalties to relinquish a contract.

On the other hand if the recruiter misled the recruit the recruit should be able to walk away scott free.

If the recruit is too stupid to read what he is signing, he deserves to lay in the bed he made for himself.

The recruiter can lie all day long, but the paperwork cannot.