What Does AWOL Mean To A Soldier?

AWOL stands for Absent With Out Leave or in other words, bunking off and not telling anyone where you are going! If you are serving in one of her Majesties services such as the army and you are found to be absent without leave, you will be in serious trouble and we're not talking a detention here for bunking off school either! In the USA, the UK and France, all military personnel are AWOL when they are absent from their post without a valid pass or leave. When this happens to a soldier, they are immediately dropped from their unit and after 30 days, they are listed as deserters. However, in US military law, desertion is not measured by time away from their u nit, but rather the determination to leave and not return. If the intent is to shirk responsibilities, or they enlist in another branch of the service without disclosing the fact or they have not been properly cleared, they will also be classed as absent without leave.
People who are absent for more than 30 days but return voluntarily or have a credible reason for being absent, may still be considered as AWOL and will be tried for desertion by the courts. Before the Civil War in the USA, deserters from the army were flogged, while after 1861, they were branded with tattoos. The maximum US penalty for desertion in wartime remains as death, although the last time this happened was to a soldier called Eddie Slovik in 1945. Today the punishment will be a spell in prison.

AWOL in IM (Instant Messaging) speak is when someone has gone and you don't know where they are. Eg. She's gone AWOL. Have no idea where she is.