Awol, help appreciated.

[itaitab]

What is the name of your state? California

During my time of enlistment I was 17. I got to basic at Fort Benning September 13th 2007, and was received at Fort Carson February 10th 2008 after completing osut infantry school.. During this time I was constantly severely depressed, which started in basic, but I just kept it to myself because I didnt want to admit I was so sad. about 2 months prior to being awol Id wake up in the mourning feeling worthless, I couldnt find happiness in anything. I was actually thinking about suicide. I decided I needed to get out because I cant spend 3 more years of my life like this. Call me a coward, or whatever you can muster. I dont care, This feeling I get every mourning, and throughout the day isnt living. You only live once, and no contract or dishonorable discharge is worth my happiness.
I left about 10 days ago, and I havnt been this happy in along time.

But heres my question. I was at my unit 3 months before going awol. Im obviously going to turn myself in after 30 days, but ive been reading i wouldnt be pcf(pfc)? eligable because I graduated ait. Theres no way I can go back to the Army, I just get in such depressions it makes me unable to operate fully. So if they try and send me back to my unit I will go awol again.

What are my options here? Can anyone offer advice without knocking me for going awol? Im keeping a open mind, anything will be appreciated. I have no problem going to fort sill, spending a month in jail or whatever im sentenced and getting discharged.
but I just cant go back to my unit.What is the name of your state?

[ElvisG]

Since you have mental issues, want out, and the people who want to stay in want you out, here is my 2 cents.

Be AWOL for 90 - 120 days. After this period, you should be able to get what you are wanting when you turn yourself in.

[ElvisG]

He is going to be AWOL irregardless of what people on the internet say.

Of course, it is a bad idea to go AWOL. If the person is intent on wanting out. Would you rather have him stay in and keep repeating the cycle of going UA?

Depression and server depression is two different things. Itaitab, just remember that this is only a phase in your life and there is life after this part in your life.

A person like this needs to seek professional help through therapy. Any military person with any type of mental disorder especially server depression needs good help. Considering that most Psychologist in the military see many patients a day trying to get out they get numb with so many people coming through their office. Military doctors who are Psychologist are worthless to a point. I can only speak from the Navy side though.

[Andy104]

Originally Posted by itaitab

Theres no way I can go back to the Army, I just get in such depressions it makes me unable to operate fully. So if they try and send me back to my unit I will go awol again.

I would look up the word DESERTION, if you have no intent of returning to the Army that is one of the new charges i am beginning to see prosecuted up here in AK. Maybe Shorty can speak on this.

[elleoelle]

This is not legal advice, I am speaking from my own exp as an Army wife and dealing with this exact issue with soldiers in my husbands unit

You should have said something to someone while you were in basic if you felt this way. You were still legally able to leave the Army without dealing with anything else.

Everyone telling this kid to continue his desertion is crazy, you will end up A. getting a dishonorable, and then your life will pretty much suck, you think you're depressed now wait until you are unable to get a job at even Mcdonalds. or B. If your unit is deployed, about to deploy, under stop loss-movement you're going to end up in jail for desertion and get a dishonorable.

Your best bet it to turn yourself in now, you are already facing atleast an article 15, maybe a court martail.

You're fresh out of basic, what are you a PV2 or PFC? The most they can drop you down to is PV1, not a big difference in pay and pretty much zero difference in rank. It will all depend on your chain of comand and the punishment they see fit. Talk to them about getting the help you need. Perhaps you can be put on meds to help your depression. Take the correct steps to get discharged if that is what you need to do.

Have you seen a Dr about your depression? Is there anything in your file about depression? Did you seek help prior to taking the "easy" way out? You didn't say anything in basic because you didn't want to admit that you were sad, but you were readily willing to admit that you are a coward, and not mature enough to fulfil an obligation that YOU, no one else, sought out to obtain????

Do you really think that there aren't any other military members that aren't depressed? Try leaving your wife and 2 children behind while you are deployed to Iraq on three different occasions, but yet those brave men and women are still pushing through

[itaitab]

Update:

I'm turning myself in soon. My only worry is my unit deployed September 1st 08, I left around may 30th 08. At this time we did not know when we were deploying. We just had a general idea of it being with in the next few months. And there was even talk of us not deploying at all.

Me going AWOL had nothing to do with the deployment, but in the Armys eye are they going to try and stick me with a failure to ship?

I had a bonus, I'm sure I will have to pay it back. How much will the payments be a month? If anyone has any experience with this issue as well.

I talked to a few guys in my platoon and they told me all my gear which I left in my room. Was in a black bag in my Platoon Sgt's office. If they did not turn it in, Will I have to repay the army for all this gear?

Also, is there anyway I can check if I was DFR'd besides calling that hot line?

For some reason I don't think they turned in my packet. The police never came to my house, my platoon sgt called a few times saying if i wasn't on the plane to ship to Iraq on September 1st I was going to jail. This was after I had already been AWOL for 3 months.

I'm ready to accept any punishment they dish out to me, I understand some of you are sacrificing what I am not. You may resent me, think of me as a coward. But its the military life style I just couldn't cope with, not the mission ahead of me.


Any negative replies some of you may have are not wanted, but expected.

But any of you offering advice, a few helpful words because you've gone through the same thing and experienced the same paranoia would be great appreciated.

[harveydm]

Honestly, I think your a POS. Aside from that I think you have been giving very bad advice to this point, and suffered from a severe lack of leadership in your command. Unfortunately, you are now not looking at being UA anymore, but being a deserter. Missing the movement to Iraq is going to compound your problems. I would be less interested in the money side of things as I would be in the jail time your looking at. Yes you will probably have to repay your bonus, as well as any gear you cannot return. All in all I would say it's in everyone involved's best interests for you to throw yourself at the mercy of the court at this point in time.

[Peligroso27]

You will absolutely have to repay every dime you owe. This is the third time you have stated you are going back so we will see if you follow through. I highly doubt it though.

[itaitab]

Alright sweet thanks for the advice you totally awesome people.
When i made that first post a few months ago i hadn't even left yet. I just didn't want people saying don't go and I wanted to get some advice on how it would of went because I knew for sure I was leaving by that time. The whole time ive planned to go back during early January so I could watch all my brothers football games, and spend my last Christmas home before they did whatever it is they are going to do with me. So I don't understand how you get the idea ive stated I was going back three times already.
And I had a better heart with the best intentions then anyone in my platoon. Which is probally the reason why I had to get out of there. Im sure most of you biased human beings wouldnt understand that though.


Ill post how it goes to keep you totally awesome people updated.

and anybody with some real advice free feel to advise.

[taxtrouble2]

Originally Posted by harveydm

Honestly, I think your a POS. Aside from that I think you have been giving very bad advice to this point, and suffered from a severe lack of leadership in your command. Unfortunately, you are now not looking at being UA anymore, but being a deserter. Missing the movement to Iraq is going to compound your problems. I would be less interested in the money side of things as I would be in the jail time your looking at. Yes you will probably have to repay your bonus, as well as any gear you cannot return. All in all I would say it's in everyone involved's best interests for you to throw yourself at the mercy of the court at this point in time.

I think you are a huge POS.
Try to tell me of your leadership abilities with a statement like that. Ever been in the sh*t ?
No. I thought not.

To the original poster, you will go through some bs , hang tough. If your mind is not in the game, you do not need to be in the deal.
Any REAL LEADER knows this and would rather have you stateside.

A few grand bonus is not worth getting your or my buds ass in a sling.

[Peligroso27]

Originally Posted by taxtrouble2

I think you are a huge POS.
Try to tell me of your leadership abilities with a statement like that. Ever been in the sh*t ?
No. I thought not.

To the original poster, you will go through some bs , hang tough. If your mind is not in the game, you do not need to be in the deal.
Any REAL LEADER knows this and would rather have you stateside.

A few grand bonus is not worth getting your or my buds ass in a sling.

You have not read any of this posters other threads. He has been stating he is going to return for almost a year now. I believe he may have recently been banned from the site as well.