[DakotaRed]

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!!!!!

[angkor]

We had a several guys go AWOL from peacetime boot camp, and the company consensus was "Good riddance! Go home!" In active service, others would disappear for days and sometimes weeks.

I presume things haven't changed much in the last 20 years. There are always a few troublemaking shirkers who do everyone a favor by leaving.