First woman in Tennessee to enlist as combat engineer deserts
23 replies, posted
[URL="http://www.local8now.com/content/news/First-woman-in-Tennessee-to-enlist-as-combat-engineer-goes-AWOL-367601961.html"]http://www.local8now.com/content/news/First-woman-in-Tennessee-to-enlist-as-combat-engineer-goes-AWOL-367601961.html[/URL]
[QUOTE]The first woman in Tennessee to enlist as a combat engineer in the Army went AWOL according to a military spokesperson.
Local 8 News was first to tell you about Erika Lopez back in July of 2015. She made headlines when she enlisted for a job that could involve fighting on the front lines.
The U.S. Army had just lifted its ban on women in combat roles when she walked into a recruiting office in Knoxville and decided to enlist as a combat engineer.
Lopez was in basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. An Army spokesperson tells Local 8 News that Private Lopez was scheduled to return from convalescent leave on January 4th. She was reported absent without leave (AWOL) on January 5th after she failed to return.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]She left her husband and two children in September of 2015 for basic training where she was learning to build bridges, detonate artillery, and detect roadside bombs under combat conditions. She said, "You make sacrifices your whole life for your children and for your family, this will be a sacrifice... Women can do anything they set their mind to just as well as men I don't really see any difference at all. I hope women will want to join."
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE] Women can do anything they set their mind to just as well as men I don't really see any difference at all. I hope women will want to join."[/QUOTE]
Better to walk the walk before saying these things
[QUOTE=Rangergxi;49678773]Better to walk the walk before saying these things[/QUOTE]
Techinically she did walk..
..she just hasn't come back yet.
-SNIP-
(NEVERMIND I FORGOT WHAT MONTH IT IS LMAO)
Ohh boy, America breaking all sorts of firsts these days.
[QUOTE=RaxaHax;49678797]Techinically she did walk..
..she just hasn't come back yet.
Also title is heavily misleading as according to the article. She hasn't come back for one day after leave, making her AWOL. You're not counted as a [B]deserter[/B] until you're AWOL for 30 days.[/QUOTE]
She left a month ago, sounds like desertion to me.
[editline]5th February 2016[/editline]
Hopefully it's nothing more serious.
[QUOTE=RaxaHax;49678797]Techinically she did walk..
..she just hasn't come back yet.
Also title is heavily misleading as according to the article. She hasn't come back for one day after leave, making her AWOL. You're not counted as a [B]deserter[/B] until you're AWOL for 30 days.[/QUOTE]
According to the article she was reported AWOL on January 5th, She was a deserter yesterday
[QUOTE=The_J_Hat;49678816]Hopefully it's nothing more serious.[/QUOTE]
if they can't find her I'm going to say it's probably something serious, from the sound of the quote she was pretty excited to be able to get out and make a difference so I'm expecting foul play
[QUOTE=RaxaHax;49678797]Techinically she did walk..
..she just hasn't come back yet.
Also title is heavily misleading as according to the article. She hasn't come back for one day after leave, making her AWOL. You're not counted as a [B]deserter[/B] until you're AWOL for 30 days.[/QUOTE]
She was gone for 30 days
[QUOTE]Lopez was in basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. An Army spokesperson tells Local 8 News that Private Lopez was scheduled to return from convalescent leave on January 4th. She was reported absent without leave (AWOL) on January 5th after she failed to return.
Spokesperson Tiffany Wood issued a statement saying, "After 30 days in an AWOL status, a Soldier is considered a deserter and a
federal warrant is issued for his or her arrest. "[/QUOTE]
-shit i forgot what month it is-
[QUOTE=RaxaHax;49678797]Techinically she did walk..
..she just hasn't come back yet.
Also title is heavily misleading as according to the article. She hasn't come back for one day after leave, making her AWOL. You're not counted as a [B]deserter[/B] until you're AWOL for 30 days.[/QUOTE]
I thought AWOL was an immediate court marshal? Like you were totally fucked if you went AWOL
[QUOTE=Svinnik;49678871]She was gone for 30 days[/QUOTE]
Awwwwww god dammit it's not January anymore , I'm an asshole!
-snip late-
Though I will say that it's too soon to start calling her out for "not walking the walk". She straight up disappeared without a trace and nobody can find her, so something bad may have happened to her.
Considering how stoked she was for this, I'm doubting she got cold feet. It sounds more to me like something bad's happened to her. I hope some sort of more thorough investigation is put in to finding her rather than just a warrant.
i hope she isn't dead
[QUOTE=ZakkShock;49678881]I thought AWOL was an immediate court marshal? Like you were totally fucked if you went AWOL[/QUOTE]
Well AWOL can be as simple as a miscommunication or as bad as someone diserting its really just a term for a person that didn't report as expected
I think anyways, my JROTC instructor had a story about it
I really doubt they'd immediately jump to accusing her of being a criminal if they didn't already have some indication that she willingly skipped town, without evidence of foul play.
[QUOTE=ZakkShock;49678881]I thought AWOL was an immediate court marshal? Like you were totally fucked if you went AWOL[/QUOTE]
Nah. We had like 5 dudes in my company and two guys from another company when I was going through basic go AWOL. As long as you come back before the 30 days you just get chaptered out. They keep your ass there longer than if you had just gone through the cycle. I think some of those guys lost pay as well but that might have been because they also assaulted other privates, I never quite got the whole story.
[editline]5th February 2016[/editline]
This is in a basic training/OSUT environment where the rules are dramatically toned down for privates though. I'm sure if you go AWOL in the force you are fucked but ultimately that depends on your CO.
[editline]5th February 2016[/editline]
[QUOTE=Rangergxi;49678773]Better to walk the walk before saying these things[/QUOTE]
yeah she wasn't the first woman (or man) to go AWOL during training and she won't be the last. I hardly see this as a condemnation against women being able to be combat engineers. I can't say I've ever done combat engineer OSUT but I can't imagine their training is any harder than 19k/19d/11b.
[editline]5th February 2016[/editline]
yeah there are 92 females in OSUT so far with 122 shipped to Ft Leonardwood. Someone was waiting for a woman to do this and push out a story to confirm certain peoples biases regarding women in combat arms.
[QUOTE=dai;49678850]if they can't find her I'm going to say it's probably something serious, from the sound of the quote she was pretty excited to be able to get out and make a difference so I'm expecting foul play[/QUOTE]
Keep in mind, Basic Combat Training sucks some serious shit. I've seen grown men break down and cry. I've seen people who were all Hooah and fired up in reception shut down quit on themselves within the first few days.
My guess is she got injured, went on convalescent leave, and couldn't stomach the idea of going back to Drill Sergeant Land when her time was up. It wouldn't be the first time.
[QUOTE=Psychokitten;49679996]Keep in mind, Basic Combat Training sucks some serious shit. I've seen grown men break down and cry. I've seen people who were all Hooah and fired up in reception shut down quit on themselves within the first few days.
My guess is she got injured, went on convalescent leave, and couldn't stomach the idea of going back to Drill Sergeant Land when her time was up. It wouldn't be the first time.[/QUOTE]
I think the leave was holiday leave considering she was due back Jan 5th. If Leonardwood is anything like Benning then you get a couple weeks to go home during training.
[QUOTE=Raidyr;49680024]I think the leave was holiday leave considering she was due back Jan 5th. If Leonardwood is anything like Benning then you get a couple weeks to go home during training.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, two weeks of Holiday Block Leave. In that case, it might actually be foul play, depending on how determined she was to graduate. You never know, there are a lot of total shitbags running around in today's Army, but that doesn't mean shit doesn't happen.
I just saw an article saying that she came back and is now being investigated and facing military punishment. Should a thought about that before deserting.
[QUOTE=SKEEA;49680327]I just saw an article saying that she came back and is now being investigated and facing military punishment. Should a thought about that before deserting.[/QUOTE]
You could at least post the article.
[QUOTE=DuCT;49680342]You could at least post the article.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.local8now.com/content/news/AWOL-soldier-turns-herself-367850031.html[/url]
Searched for her name on the same website.
Why it took exactly 30 days for her to return I don't understand.
Taking leave in Basic Training....blows my mind.
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