Record Number of GI's Going AWOL

A Middle Georgia man is reported AWOL from the army national guard, in an act that has become quite common during the "War on Terror." According to Army Officials, Jeffery Glover from Dry-branch, Georgia has not reported back to his 175th Maintenance Company for duty. Glover already served time over in Iraq, but now can not be found, and his former commander says he can
be considered dangerous.

Bill Galvin is a spokesperson for the GI hot line and website that help council men and women thinking about going AWOL or already have. He says that numbers show a third of inactive reserves have not checked in.

Bill Galvin/ Spokesperson for G.I Hotline: "The ones that almost universally will go AWOL are the ones that have already been there and something that they witnessed or experienced or are apart of made them realize this is wrong - I can't do it and I wont do it."

AWOL, standing for going absent without leave reached its all time high during the Vietnam War. The act is a violation of military law, but apparently does not seem to be on the minds of those doing it.

Bill Galvin/ Spokesperson for G.I Hotline: "The max penalty is 2 years in jail and a bad discharge, if they charge you with deserting the max is quite a bit."

Galvin says the purpose of the hot line and web site is to make sure those who do desert, know the consequences and their options.

Bill Galvin/Spokesperson for G.I Hotline: "We get lots of calls from people who have been to Iraq or Afghanistan and they when they get orders to go back they say, 'no I won't do it'."

source and information:
Fox24 News - Oct 28, 2004
http://www.fox24.com/article.asp?pkid=406
By Angela Williams
Fox 24's Angela Williams reports that an arrest warrant has been issued for a Middle Georgia Soldier for deserting his unit in Iraq. And, an
investigation by Fox 24 News shows that there are a record number of G.I's not reporting in for duty overseas and turning up AWOL.