Legal Question in Military Law in Missouri

Re: military awol

The service member is the only one with a contractual obligation to the service. The parents are not legally obligated to do anything, including reporting their son's or daughter's status to the service. There is no legal duty to report offenses to law enforcement agencies. However, it is a crime to knowingly lie to law enforcement personnel when they are in the performance of their duties during an investigation. The individual who is AWOL is committing a crime throughout the entire period he or she is away from his or her place of duty. Parents should avoid assisting in the perpetration or concealment of that offense, if at all possible.