Continuity mistake: The scenes that appeared on the television that the Sheriff was watching at the beginning was from the 1970's movie, "Smokey & The Bandit". Several of the clips were out of order, not to mention jumping from the beginning of the movie, then close to the end.
Deliberate mistake: During the civilian sheriff's pursuit of the Navy car, the sheriff is occasionally visible in the passenger seat of his patrol car instead of the driver's seat.
Factual error: The scene outside the gate of the Naval Amphibious Base - Little Creek was NOT the same as the actual gate. Little Creek does not have palm trees adjoining it. The base itself is located at Norfolk, VA.
Answer: Officially, the individual has been ordered to attend, failing to could be interpreted as either, Failure to follow orders, dereliction of duty, going AWOL, or even desertion. It would depend on the underlying reason as to why the person doesn't appear.