Report: Number of recruits with felonies jumps

[unhappycamper]

Report: Number of recruits with felonies jumps
By Lolita C. Baldor - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 21, 2008 17:00:22 EDT

WASHINGTON — Under pressure to meet combat needs, the Army and Marine Corps brought in significantly more recruits with felony convictions last year than in 2006, including some with manslaughter and sex crime convictions.

Data released by a congressional committee shows the number of soldiers admitted to the Army with felony records jumped from 249 in 2006 to 511 in 2007. And the number of Marines with felonies rose from 208 to 350.

Those numbers represent a fraction of the more than 180,000 recruits brought in by the active duty Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines during fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007. But they highlight a trend that has raised concerns both within the military and on Capitol Hill.

The bulk of the crimes involved were burglaries, other thefts, and drug offenses, but nine involved sex crimes and six involved manslaughter or vehicular homicide convictions. Several dozen Army and Marine recruits had aggravated assault or robbery convictions, including incidents involving weapons.

Both the Army and Marine Corps have been struggling to increase their numbers as part of a broader effort to meet the combat needs of a military fighting wars on two fronts. As a result, the number of recruits needing waivers for crimes or other bad conduct has grown in recent years, as well as those needing medical or aptitude waivers.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/04/ap_waivers_042108a/



uhc comment: I am amazed (not really) that we are now taking convicted felons, training them, and turning them loose on Iraqis. Five will get you ten we'll be seeing them in court again.

[KSinTX]

1. Correlation anyone? "Ex-soldier in murder case faced charge before" nt