Like a naughty Beetle Bailey, in brief

AWOL

Think of a military term for someone who leaves their post without permission, often seen in old comic strips about army life.

This clue plays on the comic strip Beetle Bailey, where the lazy, troublemaking soldier often skips duty. "Like a naughty Beetle Bailey" hints at going absent without permission, and "in brief" signals the answer is an abbreviation. "AWOL" (Absent Without Leave) fits perfectly as the military term for that behavior.