No more deserter info over the phone???

[alabamaman]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? AL

I called the USADIP administrative phone number.. They no longer verify your deserter status or anything. And they were fairly rude about it. "You'll find out your status when you turn yourself in" said the man...

I called a few other numbers and got the same spiel. So, apparently the procedure has changed. Anybody know anything about this?

And, to complicate things, I'm in the Guard. I graduated Basic, but went awol before completing AIT. So I don't plan on going to Ft Knox with absolutely no knowledge of what may occur...

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

[objetora]

Yup, the USADIP stopping giving out that info a while back. There are a number of strategies that you can try, such as calling the AWOL apprehension unit (Ft. Benning 706.545.2638 may be helpful, you don't have to have been there). There's a good (though LONG) document on AWOL from Army at the following web address that gives ten or so strategies starting on page 3 of the document:

[url]http://nlgmltf.org/onWatch/Onwatch_xx-3_Jan_Feb_2009.pdf[/url]

You also have to consider that as a Guard member, you are also under the jurisdiction of the state, in this case AL, right? Some states impose punishments when the Army doesn't, but AL doesn't seem to be doing that, even though they have laws that might say that they can. We see lots of cases on the GI Rights Hotline, but although many reports have come in on that from PA and IN and a few others, we haven't gotten any reports of AL punishing soldiers.

[ERAUPIKE]

Originally Posted by alabamaman

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? AL

I called the USADIP administrative phone number.. They no longer verify your deserter status or anything. And they were fairly rude about it. "You'll find out your status when you turn yourself in" said the man...

I called a few other numbers and got the same spiel. So, apparently the procedure has changed. Anybody know anything about this?

And, to complicate things, I'm in the Guard. I graduated Basic, but went awol before completing AIT. So I don't plan on going to Ft Knox with absolutely no knowledge of what may occur...

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks.What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

No complication, turn yourself in and you will find out your status. Nothing good will come of you staying AWOL longer. Any individual that will encourage you or assist you to do so is violating Federal Law.

[objetora]

The purpose of this list is to help soldiers with accurate and relevant information.

"No complication, turn yourself in and you will find out your status."

This is certainly true, that is one way to find out your status.

"Nothing good will come of you staying AWOL longer."

As a statement of fact, this is false. The soldier will make his own decision and if that decision is to stay AWOL longer in order to verify his DFR status, he may get a discharge. If the soldier decides to go back now, that is also his decision, no one can tell him what to do, and that may or may not be in his interest.

"Any individual that will encourage you or assist you to do so is violating Federal Law."

True, but not particularly relevant in this case since the soldier already stated "I don't plan on going to Ft Knox with absolutely no knowledge of what may occur." In that case, helping him find out his DFR status is helping him to turn himself in sooner rather than later.

[ERAUPIKE]

The purpose of this list is to help soldiers with accurate and relevant information.

The purpose of this forum is to provide legal advice to those seeking it. Legal advice does not and can not include giving individuals advice that will cause them to further or continue to violate federal/state laws.

This is certainly true, that is one way to find out your status.

This is apparently the only way the military wants you to find out your status. If they wanted you to get your information over the phone, they would give it to you. The OP could always visit the local police station as well to see if he has a federal warrant yet.

As a statement of fact, this is false. The soldier will make his own decision and if that decision is to stay AWOL longer in order to verify his DFR status, he may get a discharge. If the soldier decides to go back now, that is also his decision, no one can tell him what to do, and that may or may not be in his interest.

As a statement of fact, I am correct. Although the lines are somewhat blurry and many cases have been interpreted differently by judges the same precedence has been set in most cases. Any individual that encourages or assists a member of the armed forces to become a deserter is violating federal law.

True, but not particularly relevant in this case since the soldier already stated "I don't plan on going to Ft Knox with absolutely no knowledge of what may occur." In that case, helping him find out his DFR status is helping him to turn himself in sooner rather than later.

The law has nothing to do with this individual and before you begin to proclaim your innocence, remember that you do not know what the law says. The only legal way for him to obtain his status is by turning himself in.


You are wrong and your advice will do nothing but jeopardize the future of the OP. Advising someone to remain AWOL or desert as a way of obtaining a discharge is an obvious and blatant violation of federal law. The purpose of this forum is to give legal advice, not to advise people to continue breaking the law.