AWOL
AWOL is military acronym for "Absent With Out Leave," and refers to service members who are not where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there.
If someone is reported AWOL, it is the job of the Military Police to track them down and bring them back to their assigned military base.
The term AWOL is more generally and more frequently used to criticize anyone who fails to show up where he is most needed, such as pompous politicians who promote themselves while actually intentionally avoiding events or issues that really matter.