§15-1E-85. Desertion.

(a) Any member of the state military forces who:

(1) Without authority goes or remains absent from his or her unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away there from permanently;

(2) Quits his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service; or

(3) Without being regularly separated from one of the state military forces enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or another one of the state military forces, or in one of the Armed Forces of the United States, without fully disclosing the fact that he has not been regularly separated, or enters any foreign armed service except when authorized by the United States;

is guilty of desertion.

(b) Any commissioned officer of the state military forces who, after tender of his or her resignation and before notice of its acceptance, quits his or her post or proper duties without leave and with intent to remain away there from permanently is guilty of desertion.

(c) Any person found guilty of desertion or attempt to desert shall be punished, if the offense is committed in time of war, by confinement of not more than ten years or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct, but if the desertion or attempt to desert occurs at any other time, by such punishment as a court-martial may direct.