AWOL Soldier Convicted
A U.S. soldier was sentenced to five months of confinement and a bad conduct discharge during a court-martial Friday on charges he was absent without leave from his unit for more than nine months.
Kenneth H. Gore Jr., of the 8th U.S. Army, also was reduced from the rank of E-2 to E-1 during the half-day court proceeding.
So why did he go AWOL?:
During questioning, Gore told Parrish he had married a South Korean woman in early 2005 but had problems getting her a visa to return with him to the United States.
Gore said he had submitted an extension package to stay in South Korea so he could work the issue but the Army denied his request. A second request also was denied, he said, which led him to decide to stop reporting for duty so he could get her “paperwork processed.â€
“I thought it would take anywhere between a couple a days and a week,†he stated in court Friday.
Instead, Gore holed up in an off-base apartment until January 2006 while his wife worked to support them, he said.
On Jan. 3, Gore said, his wife called military authorities and told them his whereabouts. A military investigator and Korean National Police who responded found Gore hiding in a closet, he said.
He goes AWOL for the wife and the loving wife turns him in. I wouldn’t say this has the makings of a healthy marriage. Yes he is an idiot and he now has 5 months at Camp Humphreys to think about it.
This case is a perfect example of why I say it is better to get a Fiance’ Visa instead of getting married in Korea if your time in country is short. Bring the significant other over to the US before getting married to see how she adjsuts, plus the paperwork drill is much easier and doesn’t require you to go AWOL like this dumb soldier.
