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Note that being declared a deserter is not the same as being charged with the offense of desertion.

NAVPERS 15560D MILPERSMAN Section 1600-010 (14 Aug 2007)
DESERTERS

1. Policy

a. A member may be declared a deserter

(1) immediately, if the facts and circumstances of the member's absence, without regard to the length, indicate the member committed the offense of desertion, as defined in reference (a), article 85; or

(2) if the member has been absent without authority for 30 consecutive days; or

(3) immediately, if member is absent without authority, without regard to length of absence, and has gone to, or shown intention of going to any foreign country, or remains in any foreign country and requests or accepts any type of asylum or residence from that country or its governmental agencies.

ACCEPTANCE AND DISPOSITION OF RETURNED DESERTERS

1. Policy. Any military installation of command, manned by active duty members, may receive absentees and deserters. Absentees/deserters should be subsequently transferred to the nearest installation of their branch of service which has the facilities to process absentees/deserters. Navy Absentee Collection and Information Center (NACIC) will direct the movement of apprehended Navy deserters.

2. Procedures
...

b. Enlisted personnel, absent for 119 days or less, will normally be returned to their original duty station from which they deserted; however,

(1) deserters absent from an overseas shore activity, unit homeported overseas, or deployed unit (absent from homeport for more than 90 days consecutively), who return to military control within the 48 contiguous United States, Puerto Rico, Alaska, or Hawaii, will be transferred to the Navy processing unit closest to the point of apprehension/surrender.

(2) deserters absent from an overseas shore activity, unit homeported overseas, or deployed unit, who return to military control in an overseas area other than where the parent command is located, contact NACIC for guidance.

(3) deserters absent from an overseas shore activity or unit homeported overseas, absent for 119 days or less, who return to military control in the overseas area where the parent command is located, will normally be returned to their parent commmand for disciplinary processing.

(4) deserters absent 119 days or less, assigned to an at-sea ship or unit not deployed, will be returned to Transient Personnel Unit (TPU) at homeport of unit for further transfer to the unit upon return to port.

(5) deserters absent 119 days or less, assigned to an at-sea submarine not deployed, will be returned to the submarine's parent squadron/group or the TPU at the submarine's homeport.

(6) deserters absent for 120 days or more will be returned to the Navy processing unit closest to the point of apprehension/surrender. Navy processing activities for the purpose of this article are

TPU, Puget Sound, Sliverdale, WA;
TPU, Jacksonville, FL;
TPU, Great Lakes, IL;
TPU, Norfolk, VA;
TPU, San Diego, CA; and
TPU, Pearl Harbor, HI.