Can you go AWOL before you're in uniform?
March 12, 2009 10:00 AM Subscribe
This is purely theoretical--it's not about me or anyone I know. It's for a project I'm working on.
Let's say you enlist in the military but back out before basic training. I've found some information that says nothing will happen to you. So first, is that true?
And second, does anyone have any experience with this they can share?
It depends on if you've signed anything yet, which isn't handled by the recruiter, but at the MEPS station. You swear an oath there, too.
Even so, pretty much nothing happens to you even if you flame out in basic training. You get discharged as unsuitable. I'm not sure about just not showing up; that would make you AWOL.
posted by yesno at 10:19 AM on March 12, 2009
Even so, pretty much nothing happens to you even if you flame out in basic training. You get discharged as unsuitable. I'm not sure about just not showing up; that would make you AWOL.
posted by yesno at 10:19 AM on March 12, 2009
Response by poster: This would be for the US military. Probably the Army, but info on other branches of service is welcome, too.
posted by world b free at 10:19 AM on March 12, 2009
posted by world b free at 10:19 AM on March 12, 2009
The short answer is that nothing will happen to you.
The longer answer is that once you've applied to enter the military and all your preliminary testing and background checks are done, the recruiter will drive you to some base for MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station).
At the end of the first day, you'll take an enlistment oath. Technically speaking, from this point on, the military could prosecute you if it wanted to, but it won't. The military is committed to the idea of a volunteer service, so if you decide at this point you want to back out, nothing will happen to you.
However, if you go back to MEPS for the 2nd time, and you take the 2nd oath, your ass is theirs.
My own personal experience involved a medical problem. I took the first oath, and kept having to push back my deployment while I was in physical therapy, and eventually I just gave up on the idea of joining the military (got tired of wasting multiple entire days at MEPS waiting to be evaluated by the doctor). I believe if a year passes from the time of the first oath and you haven't taken the 2nd, they just drop you.
Check out the 2nd to the last paragraph on this page, in fact, the entire series of articles by this author is full of good information.
posted by cali59 at 10:27 AM on March 12, 2009
The longer answer is that once you've applied to enter the military and all your preliminary testing and background checks are done, the recruiter will drive you to some base for MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station).
At the end of the first day, you'll take an enlistment oath. Technically speaking, from this point on, the military could prosecute you if it wanted to, but it won't. The military is committed to the idea of a volunteer service, so if you decide at this point you want to back out, nothing will happen to you.
However, if you go back to MEPS for the 2nd time, and you take the 2nd oath, your ass is theirs.
My own personal experience involved a medical problem. I took the first oath, and kept having to push back my deployment while I was in physical therapy, and eventually I just gave up on the idea of joining the military (got tired of wasting multiple entire days at MEPS waiting to be evaluated by the doctor). I believe if a year passes from the time of the first oath and you haven't taken the 2nd, they just drop you.
Check out the 2nd to the last paragraph on this page, in fact, the entire series of articles by this author is full of good information.
posted by cali59 at 10:27 AM on March 12, 2009
Well, if you are female and get pregnant before basic training, you can drop out of the Air Force. (Happened to a close relative.)
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 12:17 PM on March 12, 2009
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 12:17 PM on March 12, 2009
Yes.
It's just like cali59 says, if you back out after the first MEPS oath, but before the 2nd, they'll leave you alone. I was THIS close to going in and paying for college that way in 2002, but Bush started rattling the war sabers, and that was not a war I could fight. I backed out once I realized that we were really and truly going to Iraq. Glad I did, too.
posted by saysthis at 12:42 PM on March 12, 2009
It's just like cali59 says, if you back out after the first MEPS oath, but before the 2nd, they'll leave you alone. I was THIS close to going in and paying for college that way in 2002, but Bush started rattling the war sabers, and that was not a war I could fight. I backed out once I realized that we were really and truly going to Iraq. Glad I did, too.
posted by saysthis at 12:42 PM on March 12, 2009
Yep. I know some recruiters who have to deal with this sometimes, since there's often quite a gap between the first and second trips to MEPS, so people have more time to think about things or be persuaded by their parents/spouses/whoever to change their minds. The government doesn't (generally, at least) pursue this if you back out before you swear the second oath. (It's right after the second oath that you ship to basic.)
You wouldn't be considered AWOL because you can't really be absent without leave from a service you're not actually in yet.
posted by lullaby at 1:00 PM on March 12, 2009
You wouldn't be considered AWOL because you can't really be absent without leave from a service you're not actually in yet.
posted by lullaby at 1:00 PM on March 12, 2009
also, don't listen to any threats from your recruiter. he needs you to make a quota, and they have been known to say untrue things to persuade the potential enlistee that he has no choice.
posted by RedEmma at 3:22 PM on March 12, 2009
posted by RedEmma at 3:22 PM on March 12, 2009
I would have someone check what the current, undermanned, desperate for cannon fodder army is doing now....in the past it was true if you took the first oath and not the second, you could just say "Yeah, not so much"....but you have to remember that the services are now having serious difficulty getting enough people who want to go get blown up in the litter box so they might be getting assholish about it.
posted by legotech at 4:27 PM on March 12, 2009
posted by legotech at 4:27 PM on March 12, 2009
you have to remember that the services are now having serious difficulty getting enough people who want to go get blown up in the litter box so they might be getting assholish about it.
The Department of Defense releases monthly recruiting & retention numbers. They're doing fine.
posted by lullaby at 8:41 PM on March 12, 2009
The Department of Defense releases monthly recruiting & retention numbers. They're doing fine.
posted by lullaby at 8:41 PM on March 12, 2009
because of course, the DOD only releases truthful information to the newsies. The information you get from the guys who are deploying with short crews on the carriers and short teams in the sand might have something different to say that the party line. (I'm not some sort of anti military nut, I did 6 yrs in the Navy and still have friends over at the sharp end)
posted by legotech at 4:57 PM on March 14, 2009
posted by legotech at 4:57 PM on March 14, 2009
I imagine there are easier ways to increase numbers than to prosecute people who haven't even gone to basic yet.
Like a recall. I know I realllly enjoy that I'm being recalled to active duty now. But I'm hazarding a guess that it's easier to grab me by the balls than to go after someone who hasn't even been to MEPS the second time.
posted by lullaby at 11:09 PM on March 15, 2009
Like a recall. I know I realllly enjoy that I'm being recalled to active duty now. But I'm hazarding a guess that it's easier to grab me by the balls than to go after someone who hasn't even been to MEPS the second time.
posted by lullaby at 11:09 PM on March 15, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
In the British military, at entry level (i.e. a private soldier, rating or airman), there is normally a 'cooling off' period after enlistment of a couple of weeks. After a certain amount of time, however, you have to 'buy out', basically paying a percentage of the costs of housing, feeding and training you, before you can be released from service.
I would expect that if this is the US military we're talking about, backing out before basic training is likely to be accepted, although if you don't tell someone that's what you're doing you'd be considered AWOL.
In the US, there's also apparently something called the Delayed Enlistment Program, which, in practice, you can be released from before reporting for active duty.
posted by Happy Dave at 10:17 AM on March 12, 2009