Army leaders are debating how to categorize soldiers who go missing
Kyle Rempfer
August 7
The Army chief of staff and service secretary have been discussing potential changes to how units report soldiers missing and how they look for troops who disappear from formations.
Service members who are absent without leave for more than 30 days can be listed as deserters. The offense is typically associated with intentionally slipping away from one’s duty station, but disappearances that involve foul play complicate the practice.
“This has been a topic of debate at the highest levels of the Army for the last several weeks — our reporting policies associated with a soldier,†Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told reporters Thursday while visiting Fort Hood, Texas. “Are they AWOL? Are they DUSTWUN [duty status—whereabouts unknown]? What are they and when do you make these determinations? I think we do need to take a very hard look at that.â€
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2020/08/07/army-leaders-are-debating-how-to-categorize-soldiers-who-go-missing/
