Service members who went AWOL after November 29 will lose the option to return to service under the simplified procedure

Service members who left their unit without authorization for the first time have the option to return to service without facing criminal liability and to transfer to another unit, until March 1, 2025. 

However, this simplified procedure does not apply to service members who went AWOL (Absence Without Leave) after November 29, 2024.

Even if this is their first instance of AWOL, such service members cannot return to service or be exempt from criminal liability under the expedited, simplified procedure. 

They must undergo the standard procedure, which includes the following steps:

• Obtaining written consent from the commander of the unit the service member left without authorization or from the reserve battalion to which the service member will be assigned during their reinstatement;
• Conducting an investigation into the criminal case;
• A court decision based on a prosecutor's motion on whether to exempt or not the service member from liability;

Only after a court decision does the service member begin the reinstatement process, including the restoration of financial allowances and social guarantees that were suspended after the commander reported the AWOL.

Service members who went AWOL after November 29 may wait several months for reinstatement. Until then, they do not receive any financial compensation or other benefits.

For those service members who left their unit without authorization a long time ago, i.e., before November 29, and this is their first AWOL, the option remains to return to service by March 1, 2025, under the simplified procedure and be reinstated within three days.

To do this, a report titled “Return to Service After AWOL” can be submitted in the Army+ app, along with a letter of recommendation from the unit that requires the service member. In the Army+ app, each stage of the return to service process is accompanied by a notification, providing the service member with information on the next steps.