General Staff Simplifies Military Return Process After AWOL

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has made an important announcement regarding the simplification of the procedure for military personnel returning after unauthorized absence (AWOL). This information was shared on the official General Staff Facebook account, as reported by the Ukrinform news agency.

According to the new regulations, the intermediate steps in processing documents related to the appointment of servicemen have been eliminated. This means that documents will now be submitted directly from the military unit to the General Staff, without the need to go through the army corps, operational command, or branch.

The General Staff explained that these measures are designed not only to expedite the process of appointing servicemen to new positions but also to make it more transparent. This will help avoid manipulations by certain officials who may obstruct the transfer of military personnel.

Furthermore, it is emphasized that the new mechanism for the appointment and transfer of servicemen does not alter the conditions for returning to service after AWOL. However, it aims to reduce the number of cases of unauthorized absence by offering a more democratic approach to transferring to a chosen military unit.

It is important to note that recommendation letters, which will now be exclusively electronic, should not be used as a means to transfer from a combat brigade operating in an active combat zone to a military unit with more comfortable service conditions. This innovation is intended to maintain the combat readiness and effectiveness of the Armed Forces.

The General Staff is also actively working on reducing paperwork related to the movement of servicemen. The primary goal of this process is to accelerate the decision-making regarding personnel, which, in turn, will allow for a more prompt response to the needs of the military.

Recall that in March of this year, the Office of the Military Ombudsman, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, began analyzing issues related to the processing of military personnel returning to service after AWOL. During this analysis, systemic violations were identified, including prolonged delays by commanders in executing the action algorithm concerning fighters returning after unauthorized absence.

These changes in the procedure for returning servicemen are an important step towards improving service conditions and enhancing trust in military structures. The General Staff hopes that these innovations will help reduce cases of unauthorized absence and ensure more effective management of military resources.

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