friend of a friend went AWOL, advice please!?

He or She justs needs to report in. After 30 days they can be charged with desertion. If they missed a deployment move then they will probably lose rank and be on someones bad list for a while. They are going to be punished. Most likely just confinement to base and extra duty maybe a loss of one rank and a few dollars. If they return then they will just get their punishment and be done with it. There is no fighting it. They left.

The sooner he turns himself in and takes his lumps the better. Probably will get nothing more than a letter of reprimand. No permanent harm done.

If he does not turn himself in within 30 days he goes down as a deserter. If he gets caught then, at best he will get an Article 15, loss of rank, loss of pay, extra duty. If it goes on for quite a while before they catch him they will give him a general discharge.

If he misses a deployment then it gets even worse as he would have put a hole in the unit in a war zone. He could end up with a dishonorable discharge. That is bad as it counts as a felony conviction.

Their best course of action is to turn themselves in to the authorities. From what I read your friend has been AWOL for only about 2 weeks so they are not a deserter yet. Chances are they will face a court marshal but maybe they can plea a deal. Best case scenario for your friend would be reduction to E-1, be given a ton of extra duty, half pay, and restriction to base. Worst case scenario is time in the Brigg, reduction to E-1, with a dishonorable discharge.

Like I said though your friend needs to turn themselves in before 30 days. Otherwise they are no longer AWOL they are a deserter

She's good until like 27-28 days then it's deserter status. Then it could be a court martial. And most likely would be. She's boned but might as well enjoy it until that point. Prolly just a NJP if she goes back soon enough.

When they go back, they will probably laugh at them if they don't max it out, I know we did when marines came back when I was on duty.

Just have them go back to their orginal unit, get yelled at, NJP'd and call it a day.

I dunno what some of these other guys are on, if you turn yourself in at the nearest military base, and it isn't where your unit is located, you are making it so that they get the maximum punishment. You guys are ***** for saying that. Absolute *****. They didn't rape and kill someone, they went home for christmas while not on leave.

If they turn themselves in at their orginal unit: NJP, possibly slap on wrist.

Turn yourself in at another base: that whole base's chain of command will be notified, and seriously screw them.

to James : you have no idea why they decided to go awol so you definitely should not answer a serious question with an answer that could ruin more peoples lives than the problem that already exists !

The longer gone, the worse it gets. Just go back.

They should turn himself in right away the longer or if they catch him it will be very costly. compared to a slap on the wrist.

Immediately turn yourself in to the nearest military installation. Just that simple.

Tell your friends friend to buy a pistol put it in their mouth and pull the trigger its the only honorable thing to do.