Soldier of Conscience Sentenced to Seven Months

AWOL soldier sentenced to seven months

By ANGELA K. BROWN Associated Press Writer

Feb 22, 2007

A soldier who admitted fleeing from the Army rather than deploying to Iraq for a second time was sentenced Thursday to seven months in a military prison and given a bad conduct discharge.

Spc. Mark Wilkerson, who pleaded guilty to desertion and missing troop movement earlier Thursday as part of a plea deal, could have been incarcerated for up to 10 months.

Wilkerson, 23, surrendered at Fort Hood in August–about a year and a half after failing to return from an approved two-week leave–saying he was tired of running and wanted to move forward with his life.

“I quit the Army, I quit my unit, and I did not show up when I needed to,” Wilkerson told the judge during his sentencing hearing.

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