- WASHINGTON -- At least 28
soldiers have failed to report for flights back to Iraq after two weeks
of leave in the United States or to call ahead with an explanation, US
military spokesmen said today.
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- The military sought to play down the no-shows, noting
that they represented only a tiny fraction of the more than 1300 Iraq-based
soldiers who have been given two weeks of leave since the program began
September 25.
-
- "I don't think anybody here at this level is in
a panic over the situation," said Major Pete Mitchell, a spokesman
for the US Central Command.
-
- The US Army Human Resources Command has reported that
28 soldiers have not shown up for their flights back to Iraq and have failed
to call to give a reason for their absence, according to Joe Burlas, an
army spokesman.
-
- A small number of those people have been given emergency
extensions of their leave because of family problems or other reasons,
he noted.
-
- "In all cases, the circumstances will be investigated,"
Mitchell said.
-
- "We're not seeing this as a chronic, overwhelming
problem here."
-
- Soldiers based in Iraq are flying out of the country
at a rate of 279 a day under the program, which was designed to ease the
pressure of year-long deployments in a combat zone on soldiers and their
families.
-
- Those arriving in the United States come through Baltimore/Washington
International Airport, where they are given instructions on the time and
date of their return flight. They are also told to notify army officials
ahead of time if for some reason they cannot make the flight.
-
- No soldiers have been declared absent without leave (AWOL)
yet, a decision which must be taken by their commanders in Iraq, Burlas
said.
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- "As of yesterday no commander had done that,"
he said.
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- When soldiers fail to report for duty, the army will
typically try to contact them at their leave address, he said.
-
- A soldier will be carried on the roster as AWOL for 30
days before he or she is classified as a deserter, he added.
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- Copyright 2003 News Limited.
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- http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7634774%255E401,00.html
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