What does AWOL stand for?

Brainyblonde

In the United States, Britain, and France, military personnel become AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave) when they are absent from their post without a valid pass or leave. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AWOL Aug 07 06, 9:45 AM

zbeckabee

Americans on both sides in the Civil War sometimes skedaddled (1861, a Union term), not only from the battlefield but from their assigned posts. The phrase absent without leave was used to designate those who were gone for a relatively short time, as opposed to permanent deserters. In the Army of the Confederacy, such a soldier was punished by being draped with a sign bearing the initials "A.W.O.L." to signify his crime, that is, being absent without leave. At first A.W.O.L. was pronounced letter by letter. This is evident in the humorous World War I variant A. W. O. Loose, meaning the same thing as A.W.O.L. By the start of World War II, however, the pronunciation had changed to "AY wall," as if the initials constituted one word rather than an abbreviation. Humorously contrived attributions of the letters in World War II included "A Wolf On the Loose" and "After Women Or Liquor." In our century, it has also been possible to be AWOL from a pursuit in civilian life. http://www.answers.com/topic/awol Aug 07 06, 10:22 AM