Desertion; member of state military forces not prohibited from accepting employment in another state or leaving state in pursuance of vocation, education, or profession; informing commanding officer of absence; waiver; punishment.
MCL 32.1085
in effect32.1085. Desertion; member of state military forces not prohibited from accepting employment in another state or leaving state in pursuance of vocation, education, or profession; informing commanding officer of absence; waiver; punishment.
Sec. 85.
(1) A member of the state military forces is guilty of desertion if the member commits 1 of the following acts:
(a) Without proper authority goes or remains absent from his or her unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away permanently.
(b) Quits his or her unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service.
(c) Without being regularly separated from 1 of the forces of the state military forces, enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or another state military force without fully disclosing the fact that he or she has not been regularly separated.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), a member of the state military forces shall not be, in time of peace or order, prohibited from accepting bona fide employment in another state or leaving the boundaries of this state in pursuance of a vocation, education, or profession if before so doing the member fully informs the member's commanding officer of the absence from the state and the reasons for the absence. However, the commanding officer may waive this requirement.
(3) An officer of the state military forces who, having tendered his or her resignation and before due notice of the acceptance of the resignation, quits his or her post or proper duties without leave and with intent to remain away permanently is guilty of desertion.
(4) A person found guilty of desertion shall be punished as a court-martial directs.
1980, Act 523, Eff. Mar. 31, 1981; Am. 2005, Act 186, Imd. Eff. Oct. 27, 2005
Source: Michigan Legislature (legislature.mi.gov)URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-32-1085Fetched: 10/20/2026