March 19, 2024

Soldier accused of leaving US Army post arrested

ELDRIDGE — A Davenport soldier accused of abandoning his U.S. Army post has been arrested after the car he was in went off the road in eastern Iowa.

The Eldridge Police Department says 23-year-old Joseph S. Gipson Jr. was taken into custody early Tuesday morning on a U.S. Army warrant. Online court records did not list an attorney for Gipson on Wednesday.

Gipson enlisted in the Army in January 2010 and was recorded as AWOL in March. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ben Garrett says soldiers absent from their post for 30 consecutive days without permission are deemed deserters and could face prison time.

Garrett says the military will take over Gipson’s case once contacted by local authorities. He says commanders are responsible for handling such cases.