Felons helped Army meet recruitment goal

[sabra]

Source: mysa.com

WASHINGTON — The Army made its recruiting goal last year despite an increasingly unpopular war by turning to people convicted of serious crimes.

Recruiters signed up people who had committed such felonies as arson, burglary, aggravated assault, breaking and entering and driving while intoxicated.

The Army Recruiting Command said "moral" waivers for 1,620 felons were approved in the 2007 federal fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. That was far above the 2006 mark of 1,002.

The Army called giving waivers "the right thing to do" for those who want to serve. But a former Vietnam-era combat commander warned the service has cut a Faustian bargain it has made in the past and came to regret.

"I don't think that they should reduce their standards at all because it's not going to pay off for them," said retired Marine Lt. Gen. Bernard Trainor, who had the job of improving the quality of recruits in the Northeast after standards fell in the wake of Vietnam.

"It will be a short-term fix in making numbers, but a long-term headache in terms of performance," he predicted, "and I don't know one Army officer — particularly those who went through the Vietnam and post-Vietnam period — who doesn't take that same view."



Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA101307.01A.ArmyRecruiting.36a6ac8.html

[tularetom]

1. Somehow I don't think this bodes well for the long term reliability

and stability of the US military. I think the Army is making a deal with the devil and will regret it in a few years when gang fights and crime become too widespread for them to maintain any semblance of discipline.

[kimmylavin]

2. Great idea!

Lets take felons - particularly those convicted of arson and aggravated assault - put weapons in their hands and teach them to kill!

Absolutely brilliant.

[saigon68]

9. Even Better

Be a Squad leader and attempt to control the thuggish, murderous behavior of a pathological misfit in combat.

I've seen it before.

Its not a job for the faint hearted.

[monktonman]

3. So Blackwater goons are joining the army now?? n/t

[CRK7376]

23. No way....

Blackwater pays high salaries to their people. Uncle Sam on the other hand does notpay very well, but the money is pretty good if unemployed, seeking college money, travel to exotic locations etc...

[ohio2007]

31. it is the other way arond. the OJT low pay training in the army

gives them what they need to advance their career
/sarc

[lligrd]

4. Lets Face It, The Mental Stability Of Anyone Joining The Armed

forces right now is questionable at best.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

39. That's Nonsense, and You Know It

People sign up for all kinds of reasons. Not everybody coming out of high school has a wonderful, rosy future in front of him. It might make outstanding sense to enlist.

This just isn't even worth wasting more words on.

[cstanleytech]

5. Whats wrong with the military recruiting criminals?

After all if one can be the president of the united states then they can also be soldiers, just give me time to make sure I'm not within range if they are using a loaded weapon.

[rodeodance]

13. Is a person considered a criminal once he/she has served their time????

[cstanleytech]

19. Well when you consider

how sex offenders are treated still as criminals and given additional punishment under the claim its to protect children after the offenders release then yeah I guess to society once a criminal always a criminal but you don't have to be convicted of a crime to be treated as once either, look at O.J. Simpson for example.
He was not convicted but alot of people treat him as a criminal and consider him one but to the law he is supposed to be considered not one.

[rodeodance]

26. I think for the most part your examples are fringe cases and I agree. But for the

most part------people should not be punished, for the rest of their lives once they do the time.

[ohio2007]

32. gang banga's and gansta's in the army?

an alternate to death in the ghetto is an option. few real jobs are offered to them.
boot camp will weed out the real nut case,"fake soldiers" from those willing to take a second chance from the streets

[DeSwiss]

6. Yeah but.....

....I think even street gangs are still way too much for Dubya to command.

And I wonder if those gang-bangers understand that once they sign-up -- George Bush becomes leader of their new gang. They could go from Bloods, or the Crips to the Little Shits.....

[WCGreen]

7. Back int he seventies, several of my Friends were caught in a

drug sting...

They were offered a choice between six months in jail and three years probation or to join a branch of the Armed Service...

One took the jail route and ended up a person living on the fringe...

Five took the Marines and all of them came out with high school diplomas and a sense of purpose...

Two went on to college when college was never a consideration before and three settle into good jobs, good families and a much better life than they were headed toward...

The point is that the Army and Marines always would take people facing trouble...

Now, well, my Friends weren't expecting to go to war like this current crop...

That could have made all the difference...

[ShortnFiery]

8. Regardless, you'd be hard pressed to find ONE person who would like to be your average FELON'S

Platoon Leader?!? ... one each, LT. I'm so glad that I served during the cold war 1980s. :scared:

[pokercat999]

10. Where is our sense of JUSTICE? These are people

who have served their time and "paid their debt to society". How is it that we treat them as criminals all their lives for one mistake? If they are not fit to be part of or society then we should keep them in prison, If they are rehabilitated and are free then they should be treated as anyone else. What the fuck is with this scarlet letter shit even here on DU. I'm disgusted with this post; you are all talking like rethugs.

[rodeodance]

12. well said. (I wrote my post below before reading yours)

[ShortnFiery]

14. Then you must not be aware of the history of "slack recruitment standards" especially in the 60s.

Does the word "FRAGGING" mean anything to you?

No, it's not good to stereotype but when you send people into "hot areas" you'd like to believe that they are people of good character. Even if it's a small percentage of felons who would both, literally and figuratively, stab THEIR LEADERS in the back, IMO, that's too damn many.

Again, stereotypes are unfair, but IMO, people who *CARRY GUNS* should be screened and proven to have a sound moral/legal history.

Especially with regard to combat duty, would you, on a personal level, MIND if your son shared a foxhole with a violent offender? Would you wish for your son, a Platoon Sergeant/Platoon Leader having a troop in his unit who has demonstrated anti-social behavior, i.e., assault, armed robbery, drug dealing, gang activities. :(

Is it any wonder that Company Grade Officers (LTs and CPTs) are resigning their commissions at record numbers?

[pokercat999]

37. I wouldn't let my son anywhere near the current day

military. In my opinion they are mostly poor or lower middle class kids that have been misled and lied to. They are in the military mostly because of effective recruiting methods including promises of a bright future after leaving the military.

Trust me, the kind of anti-social persons you are talking are probably LESS likely to frag their superiors. They would be the kind of people that would ENJOY the war.

People of truly "GOOD CHARACTER" would find a way out of Iraq even if it means courts martial. They would realize this is an unlawful war perpetuated by world class criminals and they would have no part in it. As for those that stay and kill and are considered to be America's hero's; they are at best misled sheep and will be forever, a national disgrace.

The LT's and CPT's are probably resigning in record numbers because they see the truth of what I write and have the means to escape.

[rodeodance]

11. I see nothing wrong with this---why continue to punish people by denying them

jobs---including the service. They have served their time.

Allow them to start over.

[ShortnFiery]

15. Great, you go "on point" and lead these (violent felons) ARMED men to recon the streets of Baghdad.

Good luck ... watch your back! :scared: :(

[rodeodance]

27. many post-prisoners were not sent to jail for violent crimes.

[Orsino]

16. ...with criminals ultimately responsible for the recruitment goals in the first place.

Like hires like, and the * regime epitomizes this principle.

Or whatever the opposite of "epitomizes" is.

[ShortnFiery]

17. Yes, and "criminal minds" on meth make for the best kind of Brownshirt Enforcers.

:scared:

[Jacobin]

18. Catch-22 the book, coming to a war near you soon

:rofl:

[Captain Hilts]

20. More experienced troops can't like this at all. nt

[Maq]

21. FRAGGING of the enlisted

Like Nam, you can expect an increase of FRAGGING of Officers and Enlisted persons now. Thugs IMHO are more open to Fragging their Officers. Further, it has been whispered that Enlisted people are Fragged too. A sure way to restore order in the Ranks especially against an unruly Thug.

Question: Is a Thug that has a second chance a RETHUG; this is also short for Rethuglican.

[DeepModem Mom]

22. K&R

[tuckessee]

24. At least Blackwater has some hiring standards. n/t

[defendandprotect]

25. They took votes away from felons so that they wouldn't ORGANIZE themselves against ....

legitimate government.

So. . . . now they're putting bunches of them into the military and . . . eh . . .

[tom_paine]

28. The Amermacht and the Blackwatershirts

A Match made in the same hell that all these kinds of unions (Hitler's Army and the SS, Caesar's Army and the Praetorian Guard, etc. etc.) have been since human history began.

[lovuian]

29. Felons in the Army that bodes badly for the caliber of soldier

and it sets them lose on a population that will have to fight them

[ohio2007]

33. those that can't cut boot camp will find their way back to prison

we can always use a few good men in the undercrowded jails of this country
/sarc

[lumpy]

34. Has the military lowered the boot camp requirements

also ?

[ohio2007]

30. Ramzi Yousef is willing to sign up I bet

now that he wants to be a crusader and all

[Miss Chybil]

35. There are a lot of criminals in the Army who just haven't been caught yet.

And a lot of criminals outside the Army who deserve a second chance.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

36. If you hand a gun to a criminal

then you have no right to be shocked when he aims it at YOU...

[flordehinojos]

38. o yeah. felons can serve in the army, go to iraq and die there for bush's oil ...

but they had better not try to vote in florida. jeb bush stripped them of their voting rights ... along with those of many who were not even felons but whose names duplicated those of the real convicted guys.