AWOL Sailor?
 

Does anyone know what happens if a sailor goes AWOL?

This sailor graduated from basic @ Great Lakes in March and was stationed in Florida. He found out a medical condition would prevent him from getting the job that he wanted, so he left.

What are the chances the Navy will come after him? If he gets pulled over for speeding, can a municipal/county/highway police officer see he is AWOL and arrest him?

He is under the belief that if he waits a period of time (6-9 months?) he can reapply to a different branch and "all will be forgiven" - is this likely?

Soldiers go AWOL, sailors go UA (unauthorized absence). The chances of forgiveness are zero. The longer he waits, the worse it will be.

Lol on the 'be forgiven' - forget that - Recruiters now all check into a database while signing people up and thats one of the flags. IF he had been UA less tha 30 days, he might be forgiven and given his old job back...

When I was in the navy, we had a guy go UA, we saw in on base 2 months later (Tenn. highway patrol got him) He was in "corrective custody" (base jail) doing grunt work. Left the base a few weeks later- not sure where he went (probably just a DD - dishonorable discharge. (which is really not the end of the world). His name will be on the "US-wide get-pulled-over" database. so I guess its possible that a po-dunk police officer might not know but...

Tell your UA friend to go back to the base he left and turn himself in now. He'll probably get a few weeks in CC, then discharged. Take the Big Chicken Dinner (bad conduct dischg.) and move on. Bad discharges are not the end of the world. (you can still go to school, get loans, get a job...)

...Way better than waiting 6 or 9 months, where you might get sent to levenworth if your old command really wants to throw the book at you.

-ex ET2/ss John

He's crazy, if he turns himself in the punishment will be mild and in many cases redeemable, if they pick him up...he's toast.

He's going to jail if they catch him, and they will eventualy. If he doesn't want to turn himself in, getting out of the country for good is probably his other alternitive.

We had a couple guys go UA when I was active duty. They turned themselves in, did about two weeks on restriction, and were discharged. Guys who wait until they get picked up by the police don't get off quite that easily.

The chances of him being allowed to join another branch are currently zero. If he turns himself in and takes the discharge, there is a very very very small chance (call it one in ten thousand) that he may be able to get into the Army, since they appear to take pretty much anybody right now.

In real life the AWOL turns into desertion if you attempt to join another branch before being released from the branch you are assigned, at least according to the UCMJ. And no the Army will not take anyone with an OTH discharge, I wonder where you conjure these facts.:rolleyes:

Sure. The other branches will take him. Maybe even give him officer training. Maybe he can try the navy. Hang around the docks and hope the take him on a ship and life is good. Oh sorry. I forgot that it is 2008 not a few hundred years ago.

Christ almighty, he can't have the job he wants in the Navy so he runs off? What was he going to do that he now can't do?

I was speculating based on the fact that they take convicted felons.

Tell your friend to RUN to a lawyer - just eat the cost of it and work towards paying the fees off later. He has committed a crime and if he does not handle it right his record will reflect it for the rest of his life. Others are right on two accounts: its worse if he gets caught, and if he waits too long it will be desertion. Its in his contract.

Or maybe he can run to Nigeria and run those scams. :D No physical fitness needed.

Maybe the Army or the Marines or the Air Force might take him in just to piss the Navy off? :D

The draft doggers went to Canada...leaving the country is probably his best bet if he doesn't turn himself in.

Can't hurt us if he just leaves the country altogether. I don't see a loss.