Articles Index
AWOL and Desertion
Many people confuse the terms, AWOL and Desertion. Some people believe that AWOL is when someone is absent for less than 30 days, and someone absent from the military for 30 days or more is a deserter. That's not quite true.
AWOL and Desertion
In some circumstances, the National Guard and Reserve forces handle AWOL and Desertion a bit differently than the active duty forces.
AWOL and Desertion
If you are AWOL or in desertion status from the military, or you know someone who is, there are some actions you can take to minimize the possible punishments.
AWOL and Desertion
It's unlikely that a military member would receive the maximum possible punishment for AWOL and Desertion, listed in the Manual for Courts-Martial. Here are the punishments likely to be imposed by commanding officers in most cases.
AWOL and Desertion
The Manual for Courts-Martial (MCM) lists the maximum possible punishments for military members who are charged with AWOL or Desertion and are tried by a General courts-martial.
AWOL and Desertion
If you are apprehended, or turn yourself in for AWOL or Desertion, how and where you will be processed depends on the particular military service branch.
Reporting AWOL and Desertion
How do you report someone you suspect is AWOL from the military, or in desertion status? You can contact the appropriate service's Desertion Control Point (DIP).
AWOL and Desertion
Military members who are in AWOL or desertion status are subject to arrest by both military and civilian law enforcement.
AWOL and Desertion
Military members who are absent without permission from their units for more than 30 days are administratively categorized as deserters.
Doing Time at Leavenworth
The USDB is the only maximum-security prison within the Department of Defense. Of 440 male inmates, six are currently on death row and 10 are serving life without parole.
Adultery in the Military
I get email all the time (usually from wives) asking what constitutes the crime of adultery in today's military? Usually the wife is upset because she perceives that the military did nothing about a way-ward husband's wicked ways, or are angry because the military did not punish him for cheating on her. So, is adultery still an offense under the military justice system? Yes .... and no. It actually depends upon the circumstances.
Punitive Articles of the UCMJ
Punitive articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice -- Article 120, Rape, sexual assault, and other sexual misconduct.
Uniform Code of Military Justice
Uniform Code of Military Justice -- Article 120a, Stalking
Punitive Articles of the UCMJ
Punitive Articles of the UCMJ -- Article 120a, Stalking
Article 139 Claims
There is a little-known provision included in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which gives commanders the authority to deduct money from one military member's pay and give it to another member or to a civilian, under certain circumstances, if the member wrongfully damages or takes the property of another person.
Coast Guard JAG
The United States Coast Guard’s legal arm is led by a judge advocate general, whose office includes a deputy and military attorneys called judge advocates. Working out of 15 offices nationwide plus a branch in San Juan, Puerto Rico, these personnel provide legal counsel and special assistance in areas ranging from international and maritime law to criminal matters to family law.
Marine Corps JAG
The Marine Corps’ Judge Advocate Division is the Corps’ judicial arm and is composed of military attorneys called judge advocates, who support the Corps’ staff judge advocate. The staff judge advocate provides legal counsel and special assistance to the commandant of the Marine Corps (CMC), the Corps’ highest-ranking officer.
Navy JAG Corps
The Navy JAG (Judge Advocate General’s) Corps provides legal services and advice in all matters involving the Navy, its officers or its sailors, including military justice, administrative law, environmental law, ethics, admiralty, international law and claims.
Army JAG Corps
The Judge Advocate General’s Corps is composed of Army officers who are lawyers. They provide a range of legal services to soldiers in the U.S. Army, including advice on immigration, landlord-tenant disputes and estate planning.
Judge Advocate General’s Corps
The Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) provides Air Force personnel with professional legal services on everything from motor vehicle accidents to courts-martial appeals to international law.
Military Drinking Age
In the "old days" anyone on active duty could consume alcohol on military installations, regardless of the legal drinking age off-base. However, Congress mandated the military to change this in the mid-80s.
Gang Activity in the U.S. Military
According to a recently released FBI report, Gang-related activity in the US military is increasing and poses a threat to law enforcement officials and national security. The report, Gang Activity in the U.S. Armed Forces Increasing, dated January 12, 2007 states that members of nearly every major street gang have been identified on both domestic and international military installations.
Civilian Contractors Now Subject to the UCMJ
U.S. Military Contractors operating in combat zones are now subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Congress quietly made this change as part of the FY 2007 Military Authorization Act. The provision makes a very small, but important change to Article 2 of the UCMJ. Under previous law, the UCMJ only applied to civilians in combat areas during periods of war declared by Congress.
Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)
The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is federal law, enacted by Congress. Here are the articles of the UCMJ.
Inside a Military Prison
NAVCONBRIG Miramar, which houses up to 372 prisoners, is part of the Navy’s corrections system, run by the Navy Corrections and Programs Division at Naval Personnel Command, Millington, Tenn. Staff members at the prison are hand-picked specifically for their leadership ability.
1 | 2