Badly missing (4)

I believe the answer is:

awol

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'missing' is the definition.
(military abbreviation for absent without leave)

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

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(Other definitions for awol that I've seen before include "Army offence of being missing from duty, briefly" , "'Absent without permission, initially (4)'" , "Absent without leave (abbrev.)" , "Absent without permission, in short" , "Not present when supposed to be" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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