Why do military go AWOL and under what conditions are they ready to return - survey results
"Volunteer fighters are just as susceptible to AWOL as those forcibly conscripted. One of the key factors contributing to AWOL is the low professional competency of commanders."
This conclusion is made by the authors of a survey among soldiers who left their units without permission, Censor.NET reports with reference to TEXTY.ORG.UA.
The survey says that the decision to go AWOL is formed in different ways and does not fit into a single scenario. The survey results show that soldiers made decisions about AWOL equally spontaneously (52%) and deliberately (48%).
It is noted that such actions can be both the result of prolonged dissatisfaction and exhaustion, and an acute reaction to a stressful event.
AWOL among volunteers and those mobilized
79% of the survey participants (those who went AWOL) volunteered to join the AFU, while 21% were mobilized forcibly.
The survey participants emphasized that over time, even the most ardent enthusiasm fades, fatigue and the lack of prospects for demobilization take their toll.
The morale of volunteer fighters declined when the army did not recognize their needs and the command did not meet them halfway. The interviewees felt that their intentions were devalued, and this, in turn, led to the first cases of AWOL, which later became a common practice.
In addition, AWOL is often caused by personal factors. This is especially true for those who are forcibly mobilized and lack sufficient motivation to join the military.
"At the same time, positive experience proves that effective management, respect for personnel and care for their real needs can radically change the situation. In battalions where officers actively worked on the integration of those forcibly mobilized, the outflow of personnel was minimal - only dozens of people left. Instead, in units with an indifferent or formal attitude of the command, there are hundreds of such cases," the study says.
The impact of length of service on the likelihood of AWOL
The majority of the surveyed servicemen who committed AWOL (49%) had been in the army since the beginning of the full-scale invasion (within the last three years). Another 26% had served for less than a year. Only 13% said they had served from three to five years, and 12% had been in the military for more than five years.
At the same time, even those who had received proper training say that the realities of a full-scale war have proved to be immeasurably more difficult and have far exceeded their previous experience of difficult service.
Thus, neither previous long-term service experience nor the quality of training could guarantee avoidance of the AWOL. Thus, most of the respondents who left their units served and trained in conditions of intense combat operations. However, the motives that pushed them to commit AWOL depended not only on the length of service or level of training, but also on organizational conditions, command, and dynamics within the unit.
Attempts by the military to stay in service
The participants of the study state that the efforts they made to solve their problems and not go AWOL often failed and even led to the aggravation of conflicts.
A significant number of them (38%) tried to solve problems through communication with commanders. However, the fear of physical or psychological violence turned these attempts into a source of additional tension.
Writing official complaints also rarely helps to solve the problem (14%). As one respondent noted, even a joint complaint by officers against the actions of an incompetent deputy battalion commander resulted in formal replies.
- The lack of clear terms of service and rotations (54%) remains a major problem for most military personnel. Under such conditions, the moral and physical condition of the soldiers is gradually deteriorating.
- Commanders who do not take care of their subordinates (46%). Incompetent leaders often make decisions that endanger the lives of personnel. The survey participants spoke about poorly prepared positions, insecurity and lack of basic conditions. The appointment of an officer without military experience to a leadership position also caused a sharp reaction from the respondent.
- Exhaustion, fatigue, and lack of opportunities for recovery (44%). The inability to go on vacation is especially frustrating in situations where the military urgently need to visit their families due to certain urgent life circumstances. According to the respondents, even when comrades were ready to replace their comrades at the position, the command prohibited them, citing formal restrictions or their own priorities.
- Corruption in the army (34%). The interviewed military personnel report numerous cases of financial abuse and manipulation, which create an atmosphere of impunity.
- Ignoring the need for medical treatment, prohibition to see a doctor (32%). The interviewed servicemen reported numerous cases of forced AWOL (sometimes with subsequent return to the unit) due to denial of medical care.
- Conflicts with the command (28%), according to the respondents, arise mainly due to the latter's abuse of privileges, unfair treatment of personnel, physical and psychological violence, and disregard for moral and ethical standards. According to those who have gone AWOL, officers enjoy benefits that are often unavailable to soldiers: frequent vacations, proper living conditions, and receiving the title of "combat veteran" without any real reason.
Among the less common causes of AWOL are the following:
- threat and fear of death (27%);
- fatigue from army life (25%);
- constant coercion, pressure, lack of freedom (25%);
- lack of adequate response to complaints (25%);
- refusal to transfer to another unit (24%);
- humiliation, insults (23%);
- a sense of injustice because they are fighting and others are not (23%);
- manipulation and psychological pressure (22%);
- death of comrades-in-arms (19%);
- great sadness for home and family (15%);
- unwillingness to be in the army, to fight (13%);
- health problems at home (11%);
- hierarchy among the military (11%).
Less than 10% of respondents mentioned other reasons for AWOL.
Conditions under which soldiers are ready to return to service
It is noted that almost half of the respondents (45%) are ready or rather ready to return to the Armed Forces.
At the same time, 36% of respondents do not want to return or rather do not want to return, 14% have not yet decided on the answer. And only 5% of respondents have already returned to their own or another unit.
According to the survey, the following factors may encourage the military to return:
- Army reform, revision of the command structure (58%). The military emphasize the need for fundamental changes in the military structure. In particular, it is necessary to get rid of the old-fashioned approaches. Many believe that the current army is guided by methods that do not meet modern challenges.
- Clearly defined terms of service and rotation (55%) and guaranteed possibility of full recovery (42%). The absence of clear terms of service and planned rotations creates a sense of uncertainty and exhaustion. Military personnel want to understand the timeframe of their service in order to plan their lives and recuperate.
- Support from the command (34%). Servicemen who have gone AWOL want to have the support and understanding of their command, especially if they are open to returning. Instead, soldiers often face indifference or even aggression:
- Conflict resolution, response to complaints (27%). The state should recognize the problem of AWOL as a systemic one, not an individual one. One case of escape from a unit is already a reason to investigate the causes. The actions of the command under whose responsibility AWOL have been committed need to be thoroughly investigated.
- Psychological support (16%). According to the respondents, not all military personnel who have gone AWOL have lost their motivation. It is important to work with each case individually to understand the reasons for the escape and offer ways to return.
- Nothing will help (13%). More than a tenth of respondents are so desperate that they are not ready to return under any circumstances. Some consider forced return to be counterproductive.
- Increasing salaries (9%) and improving living conditions (6%).
- Simplification of transfer to other units or branches of the military (National Guard, etc.) (2%).
- Employment of servicemen according to their knowledge, skills and abilities (2%).
- A fair MMC (2%).