That AWOL list goes back decades, so this story is a crock.
AWOL is as old as the military. Every war and even peace time produces those who "go over the fence." Technically, when we snuck out the wire to visit the "ville" in Vietnam, we went AWOL also.
I also notice this a UK news source and as are most there, not very sympathetic to the US. I'd read this with a large grain of salt and give it the merit it deserves, squat!!!!!
A read of some other of Andrew Buncombe's articles will no doubt explain, shall we say, a bias?
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=638635
"The most recent Pentagon figures suggest there are 5,133 troops missing from duty. Of these 2,376 are sought by the Army, 1,410 by the Navy, 1,297 by the Marines and 50 by the Air Force. Some have been missing for decades.
But campaigners say the true figure could be far higher. "
Could be far higher or maybe not ?
Bush's war on "terror"? Seems like Bin Laddie called the war ON. Ain't canceled yet, last I heard.
#2 - It is a REAL problem.
However, the USAF active duty forces says they will force out another 50,000 and are giving them the chance of going Army or civilian.
In the meantime, we are closing another round of bases and China quietly builds up and reinforces her million man army.
The Independent is, like The Guardian and many other Brit papers, an great source for anti-American journalism. I don't say that as someone who complains about "liberals" and people being unpatriotic. These papers are simply exceedingly anti-American or counter-American in their views, and are quite open in admitting such. Unfortunately many people don't know this, especially people across the pond, and they believe this is the "true, objective" reporting that Americans aren't given.
The only ones AWOL are the radical left in their desertion of America.