In the military, AWOL stands for "absent without leave." It refers to a situation where a service member fails to go to an appointed place of duty, leaves that place, or is otherwise absent from their unit or appointed place of duty. Being AWOL for 30 days is considered desertion, which is a more serious offense. The penalties for going AWOL can include forfeiture of pay, confinement, reduction in rank, and dishonorable discharge, among others
. The specific punishments depend on factors such as the duration of the absence, the service member's intent, and command discretion
