The Ministry of Defence has released figures in response to a Freedom of Information Act request about the number of Armed Forces personnel still listed as Absent Without Leave (AWOL) as of August 17, 2023.
In an official response, the ministry stated, “A search for the information has now been completed within the Ministry of Defence, and I can confirm that information in scope of your request is held.“
The data reveals the number of personnel still AWOL from each of the Armed Forces by the year they became absent. For example, the figures show that eight personnel who went AWOL in 2013 are still outstanding as of 2023.
The provided data is as follows:
- 2013: 8 personnel
- 2014: 10 personnel
- 2015: ~ (Less than five)
- 2016: 10 personnel
- 2017: 11 personnel
- 2018: ~ (Less than five)
- 2019: 6 personnel
- 2020: 5 personnel
- 2021: 6 personnel
- 2022: 22 personnel
The ministry also disclosed the number of personnel known to still be AWOL for more than 10 years, 25 years, 40 years, and 50 years. As of August 17, 2023:
- 10 Years: 207 personnel
- 25 Years: 22 personnel
- 40 Years: 0 personnel
- 50 Years: 0 personnel
The Ministry of Defence added a caveat, “Please note that the figures provided are estimates based on Service Police data which is not gathered for statistical purposes or subject to the same level of scrutiny as official statistics produced by Defence Statistics.”
In accordance with Section 40 (Personal Data) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, some data was redacted to protect personal information. Figures under five were replaced with a tilde (~).
The ministry also provided additional context on the types of absence within the Armed Forces, mentioning that the term ‘absentee’ is applied under Military law to a person who absents themselves from their duty location without permission.
“Under Section 16 of the Act (Advice and Assistance) you may find it helpful to note that there are many types of absence, ranging from unavoidable (being absent through factors beyond a soldier’s control, such as transport problems) to short term (periods up to 48 hours) and long term (periods in excess of 48 hours).
In more serious cases, ‘absentee’ is the term applied to a person subject to Military law who absents themself from the place at which their duty requires them to be, without leave to do so. To be guilty of the offence of AWOL a service person must knowingly and intentionally be away from their place of work or place of duty, without reasonable explanation. “
MilPol will be busy…
However, how anyone goes off grid in the UK is hard to believe, unless they are a trained survivalist, is anyone’s guess.
Died and never found, or joined the French Foreign Legion? Do they have to report joinees there?
Or simply joined mercenaries
Most probably the thought of operating AJAX. Sign language courses will help after a weeks training 😂
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/A694/production/_128744624_75cd60bf1fd85b1355ff85200b62e3f86a5ee278.jpg
😂😂😂🤣
So basically a f-ing non story.
Gents, I came across this last night
Battle for Hostomel Airport – Animated Analysis
its 22 mins long and all the claims the author makes are substantiated by actual video clips. Well worth watching and something of an eye opener on the helicopter losses the Russians suffered on day 1.
Well made vid mate.
So the Ukraine has made inroads against the Russian lines south of Orikhiv especially at Robotyne and at Verbove (10kms east of Robotyne. The Russians concerned at how well the Ukrainians are doing there, have relocated teeth arms from the north around Kup’yans’k in which to try and stem the Ukrainian advance. The thing is the battlefront around Robotyne has seen the Ukrainians overmatch the Russians in the use of artillery and counter artillery . With that in mind you’d think the Russians would have sent reinforcements to the area in armoured vehicles. Nope, they used soft topped vehicles,… Read more »
I saw that on Denys mate. They got clustered.
Good old Denys, my daily go to for information mate….
Oh well. Their incompetence= Ukraine’s victory.
Why transport supplies and reinforcements like that in broad daylight.
Should have been done under the cover of darkness.
Clearly the Russian unit was trying to set up a defensive position in those woods, fair enough, but in broad daylight? Just stupid.ripe target for a HIMARS strike.
Cheers Farouk. Was a cluster F*** operation by the Ruskfascists. Trying to drop airborne troops onto an airfield that was actively defended and easily reinforced.
I heard the airborne unit involved lost 30-40% of its combat strength as killed or wounded.
I would love to see the AWOL figures for the Russian Army, more Zeros than pearl harbour I would think…..
Before the war Russia had a problem of a ghost army. Basically making numbers look bigger than they are. 1 person being counted multiple times so the unit claims the wages/expenses for 1000 people but only has 300. Lots of other ways it was done aswell with people. I don’t even know if the Russian army could count AWOL as the corruption runs from the bottom to the top.
Mil Plod haven’t chased people on the trot for years. Not worth the time or effort.
If they sign on the get flagged.
If they get a job the NI gets flagged.
They are happy to sit and wait. Once caught they get a discharge anyway.
The numbers probably reflect people who have left the country or got “Grimson”d or died and recorded as John Smith on a death record.
OT first Challenger 2 in Ukraine on fire. Search web or Youtube.
Unclear where was hit . Seems a total loss.
I wouldn’t be so sure of a total loss, the pics arn’t clear.
Looks like the blow out panel for ammo storage did its job, let’s hope the crew escaped…..
I would guess the work of a Ka52, as the Ukrainians
keep the Chally 2 back for ” sniping work” as they call it, or an unlucky close artillery hit.