More entering Army with criminal records (than even last time)

[IChing]

Source: Boston Globe

By Bryan Bender, Globe Staff | July 13, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Nearly 12 percent of Army recruits who entered basic training this year needed a special waiver for those with criminal records, a dramatic increase over last year and 2 1/2 times the percentage four years ago, according to new Army statistics

With less than three months left in the fiscal year, 11.6 percent of new active-duty and Army Reserve troops in 2007 have received a so-called "moral waiver," up from 7.9 percent in fiscal year 2006, according to figures from the US Army Recruiting Command. In fiscal 2003 and 2004, soldiers granted waivers accounted for 4.6 percent of new recruits; in 2005, it was 6.2 percent.

Army officials acknowledge privately that the increase in moral waivers reflects the difficulty of signing up sufficient numbers of recruits to sustain an increasingly unpopular war in Iraq; the Army fell short of its monthly recruiting goals in May and June.

Since Oct. 1, 2006, when the fiscal year began, more than 8,000 of the roughly 69,000 recruits have been granted waivers for offenses ranging in seriousness from misdemeanors such as vandalism to felonies such as burglary and aggravated assault.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/07/13/more_entering_army_with_criminal_records/

[Double T]

1. The new recruits will have a lot in common with their leaders.........

over in the WH.

[Fresh_Start]

2. Thats right. An organization takes on the character of its leaders.

Criminal

[pinniped]

3. Pretty soon they will be calling on the prison population.

Some already have firearms training and experience in killing.

[saigon68]

18. Yes there's nothing like turning loose a gang of child rapists

To teach the Islamics that Jesus is the only path.

[qwlauren35]

4. I'd love to know what's wrong with this???

So many young men (and some women) who have made major mistakes in life need a second chance that few employers are willing to give. Worse still, there are people in jail for crimes they didn't commit, or from guilt by association. There are people in jail because they are followers, and followed the wrong people.

Some of them will do well in the military, for a variety of reasons. AND, not all of them will end up in Iraq. The brighter ones will learn skills, and have a better chance of being hired after serving. Others will simply have a chance to mature, outside of a jail cell.

I would add that those in jail for USING drugs, those in jail for prostitution, those in jail for DUI/manslaughter, those in jail for petty theft, those who sold marijuana... I just don't have a problem with them serving in the military.

As someone else said earlier, there's little difference between such individuals and those in the highest offices of our government. Except for getting caught.

[MetaTrope]

8. What's wrong with it?

Ask 14-year-old Abeer Qasim Hamza al-Janabi, raped and then she and her family killed by Private Steven Green, who was granted a moral character waiver for prior drug and alcohol related offenses that might have otherwise disqualified him from serving.

Green is still sitting in custody over a year later awaiting trial. Abeer and her family are very, very dead.

[treestar]

14. I don't think that's the point so much as that it illustrates that

they aren't getting the sign ups they would if their war were truly righteous and that the Freeper 101st Keyboardists are STILL not signing up.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. So is this the second round of "MacNamara's Morons"

aka "Project 100,000" a policy during the Vietnam war that saw criminals and the insane drafted to serve as cannon fodder.

[qwlauren35]

6. I think the folks who are in jail these days aren't the same

as the ones who were in jail in the 1960's.

[saigon68]

19. Over 89,000 received bad discharges

Most were not worth a shit.

[Spangle]

7. Good!

Kids now days can get a record for blinking. Zero tolernece, and all that.

I normaly believe that time in the military is good for some kids. Get them away from the bad influences in their lives. Show them that they 'can do.'

But that was before Jr moved to DC.

I've always thought it was WRONG to take only our brightest into the military. Some of those other kids are bright, their just stuck in a rut.

[LiberalFighter]

9. Remember this paragraph

Army officials acknowledge privately that the increase in moral waivers reflects the difficulty of signing up sufficient numbers of recruits to sustain an increasingly unpopular war in Iraq; the Army fell short of its monthly recruiting goals in May and June.

[tanyev]

10. Hey, maybe they'll take Scooter!

[Maddy McCall]

11. I looked at the Mississippi Sex Offenders Registry for the county that is home to Camp Shelby.

I was shocked that so many people on the sex offenders registry are soldiers not from that county, but from other parts of the nation, who had to register at the county so that they could attend camp shelby and then go off to Iraq.

Yes, the military is taking child rapists and sending them to Iraq. It's a fact.

[AngryOldDem]

12. This was in the New York Times some months back.

Apparently recruiting quotas are not being met -- enlistments are at almost record lows, if I recall the story -- so the military is "relaxing" some standards.

God help us all.

[sanskritwarrior]

15. Actually the Army has met initial enlistment quotas for quite a while, the last 2 month they did not

meet it.......Also RE-enlistments are at record highs.....I know I was one of those RE-enlistees last year.

I;m not defending the war, but get your facts straight..........

Secondly I had a criminal record WAY back in 1994 and I was allowed in, I was even given a TS/SCI clearance after my probation was over.......This is a non story that the military haters on this site are trying to exploit it............WHATEVER........... :eyes:

[Hekate]

13. Will those who return with PTSD be refused care because of their "personality disorder"? brrr

We will have just as much responsibility for these guys as for all the rest.

We can hope that for many the military will provide the structured lifestyle and path to honorable service that it has historically for troubled men who have difficulty conforming to civilian life -- but under the current circumstances, I wonder how well this will work out in practice.

Hekate

[ProudDad]

16. Saves time in boot camp

especially those convicted of aggravated assault...

Don't have to teach them to kill or maim...

They could recruit in the Death Rows next... :sarcasm:



Don't get me wrong, no one should volunteer to be a paid killer for g.w.bush...or any other fucking president...

[defendandprotect]

17. Gays "no--!!" . . . Criminals "yes--!!!" ----

Criminals are so much more valuable to our president and AG . . .
they probably don't have to be trained in TORTURE . . .
all set to go!!

But -- no gays, please . . . egads!!! gays!!!!

[Fire Walk With Me]

20. Worry about groups of Aryan Nation and KKK members becoming ensconsed.

In the past I had written that I was worried about the formation of a civilian militia, made up of such elements. I was partially correct.

"Moral waiver." "Friendly fire." "Military Intelligence."

Just more types who would look forward to cracking skulls if ordered. Or unobserved.

The entire thing is slowly wresting itself from the hands of the people of the United States, and is wrapping itself around the corporate/theologic plunderers.