AWOL Marine Definition
"AWOL," less commonly known as "Absent Without Leave," is a violation in any United States military branch. The Marine Corps publishes what is known as "Marine Corps Order," or MCO, that lists the definition of when a Marine is considered to have "gone AWOL."
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Absentees and Deserters
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In the event a Marine has gone AWOL, the media generally publish articles concerning what are known as deserters. But a Marine might also be considered an absentee. An absentee is a Marine who, according to the MCO, is regarded as being absent from his assigned location for 30 days or fewer. A deserter is a Marine who has been absent from his assignment for more than 30 days or a Marine who is believed to have moved to a foreign country and has taken steps to seek refuge under that country's government. Criminal fugitives from the Marine Corps and "special category absentees" are also considered deserters.
Return to Military Control (RMC)
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The MOC stipulates an absentee or deserter is no longer AWOL but is "RMC" (Return to Military Control) upon his surrender to or apprehension by military authorities; his delivery from civil authorities to military authorities; when civil authorities holding an absentee or deserter for something other than his AWOL status inform military authorities "of [the Marine's] availability;" or when the Marine otherwise comes under control of the military.
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Apprehension and Relocation
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The Marine Corps utilizes a number of organizations within its authority to reacquire AWOL Marines. The management of the "overall effort," according to the MOC, is the MCACC (pronounced "em-kack"), otherwise known as the Marine Corps Absentee Collection Center. The MCACC serves to locate, plan apprehension of, and relocate absentees and deserters back into military control at their assigned post.
Delegation of Responsibility
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Instead of sending Marines from the absentee or deserter's assigned location, apprehension is delegated to specific battalions divided by the ZIP code the AWOL Marine is in at the time of his planned apprehension. Proximity of one battalion to another has no effect on each battalion's responsibilities. In other words, no battalion specializes in catching a certain type of absentee and/or deserter.
Applicability
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The MOC simply states, "This Order is applicable to the Marine Corps Reserve," though the context of the entire document stipulates it applies to the Marine Corps as a whole as well.
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