It’s “absent without official leave”, meaning they don’t have permission from the chain of command to be absent from their post (which is literally just wherever they are supposed to be).
It’s not a matter of saying you’ll be gone and when you’ll be back, it’s a matter of having official permission to be away from your duties at all. They won’t get you for it for being off-base in your free time, but if you are off-base on THEIR time, then you are AWOL. You can also be AWOL without actually going anywhere, like if you are sick and stay in bed without contacting your superior, or medical for a chit, very likely considered AWOL.
Going AWOL is often a court-martial offense, and often results in a dishonorable discharge, which is right up there with a felony conviction insofar as the impact on your life long term is concerned.
Absent with-out leave
It’s “absent without official leave”, meaning they don’t have permission from the chain of command to be absent from their post (which is literally just wherever they are supposed to be).
It’s not a matter of saying you’ll be gone and when you’ll be back, it’s a matter of having official permission to be away from your duties at all. They won’t get you for it for being off-base in your free time, but if you are off-base on THEIR time, then you are AWOL. You can also be AWOL without actually going anywhere, like if you are sick and stay in bed without contacting your superior, or medical for a chit, very likely considered AWOL.
Going AWOL is often a court-martial offense, and often results in a dishonorable discharge, which is right up there with a felony conviction insofar as the impact on your life long term is concerned.
Ey, that makes even more sense :) thanks!
AFKWOL