Those guys have been growing their own food for quite a while - the basic supply system broke down in 1998 and they have been growing their own since 1999 - so even if they are city dwellers they would either have gotten used to planting their own crops or they would have found people to do it for them while they guarded them - which is another argument against them going over the hill - i.e. if they didnt know how to grow food good luck surviving on their own
As for the 78th - they werent getting any food coming in from NYC - and as A Rock In Troubled Waters states the Amish areas (Lancaster PA is mentioned specifically and thats where they are) were overrun by refugees and basically on the edge of starvation - meaning they werent getting any food from there - and HW does say the Amish basically got wiped out - thus the area around them is basically starving while they are getting fed and no one is hungry in their area - thus deserting makes no sense - versus say being based in West Texas where any drought means pretty quickly you are eating your own leather shoes after the last of the rations runs out
So again 80-90 percent desertion rates when a) they are growing their own food and able to feed themselves and defend that food when going AWOL means you might starve and b) the areas around you are overrun with marauder and bandit and cannibal groups that love to pick off small encampments and family groups - which you would know after seeing that happen ever since 1999 - is definitely not realistic
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