[TheTruthAintPretty]

Coddle The Criminals - except the ones who want to make amends and get their life in order by serving their country!

[Grimmy]

Considering the ridiculous degree that the “no criminal” rules went to, this is a bunch of noise about nothing.

Just another piece attempting to sow defeatism through misrepresentation of information under the guise of journalism.

all enemy, foreign and domestic.
One enemy, one remedy.

[iowamark]

To the Boston Globe, anyone who wants to enlist in the US military is a criminal.

[Dreagon]

There was a time when the Army was considered an excellent destination for problem youths. I have no problem with returning to that.

[ScareyFast63]

That “So Called” information about recruiting is at best being willfully distorted and at worst a downright LIE!!!

I have a very close friend who is in charge of the Infantry School at a large southern training base. His job is to monitor new recruits as they enter the Army and manage their placement for Infantry training. As of one week ago the Infantry branch had no trouble meeting it’s recruiting goals, as a matter of fact, Infantry branch has exceeded its recruiting requirements by 25 to 30 % every month since the Iraq terrorism front war started.

There is a shortage of, so called, skilled MOS fields. MOS means Military Occupational Specialty. The shortage is most acute in the language fields and computer specialty fields.

The Boston Globe is a “RAT” lib rag so what would one expect.

Anyone want to challenge my info? Bring it on and don’t forget to bring your lunch.

[philman_36]

Army officials acknowledge privately...
You would think that they would at least acknowledge their sources. As it stands I'll wait for something more official...with names given.
Besides, going into the military gives young men and women who make a youthful indescretion into something beneficial and meaningful.

[TexasCajun]

I thought liberals were all for rehabilitation?

Oh, except to serve & protect America.

[thiscouldbemoreconfusing]

Coming from the Boston Globe, I have no idea if there is any truth to this story or not, but this I can tell you in all honesty. More and more police departments are hiring men and women with unsavory past.

[Dante3]

Depends on the crime. No illegal aliens or foreign nationals should be accepted into the military - too risky in the post 9/11 era. The comment that they volunteer because of their love of this country is absurd in nearly all of the cases. Drug dealers and terrorists have joined for reasons that prove harmful.

[LibLieSlayer]

I have one thing to say...

“THE DIRTY DOZEN”!

LLS

[vietvet67]

Harry(numbnuts)Reid thought that this fact was important enough to repeat on the senate floor. This is a new low on their attack of the war and a direct insult to our service members.

My disgust for these socialists and their antics continues to grow.

[vietvet67]

Harry(numbnuts)Reid thought that this fact was important enough to repeat on the senate floor. This is a new low on their attack of the war and a direct insult to our service members.

My disgust for these socialists and their antics continues to grow.

[msrngtp2002]

I retired from the Navy. During by career I served as a recruiter for 3 years AND a boot camp drill instructor for 3 years. Saw first hand everything this newspaper article purports to...

In the first place the “criminals” that get waivers are usually for petty crimes. Nobody who had a felony conviction was (this in 1987 - 1989) eligible for waiver - so to say that you would share a foxhole with a murderer is fantasy. I had to waiver at least 10% of the applicants I put in. Waivers for things like not paying child support (no job), shoplifting, traffic offenses and even jaywalking! I didn’t just do a waiver for anyone. I had to work my butt off to do the waiver so I had to be relatively certain the waiver was worthwhile. Additionally if I enlisted someone and they didn’t complete boot camp that enlistee didn’t count and I had to replace him/her. In three years I had two that didn’t complete boot camp - out of 144 plus that I recruited.

As a drill instructor the “court waivers” generally didn’t present too much trouble. The trouble came from the street smart, relatively intelligent who probably WERE criminals but didn’t get caught. And the coddled, snotty little rich kids. The “waivers” understood what was going on and why, they had already been somewhere where they had to do what they were told. They wanted to be there and realized that they had a chance to get themselves together - all they needed was direction and leadership.

So it’s not a bad thing to do these waivers at all. More will probably help the military as well as the individual.

[KenmcG414]

If these guys have payed their debt to society; God bless them all if they wish to serve their country.

[Kay Ludlow]

There are a lot of things that will get you a minor criminal record today that wouldn’t have even 20 years ago. Normal 16-20 year old young men fight with each other, they always have and always will. It use to be considered part of growing up, now if someone calls the police both are charged with assault, and likely get misdemeanor offenses out of it. Breaking something in the course of horseplay can get you a vandalism record. It all depends on where you are, how much your police department has to do, and sometimes whether you mouth off to the police. If those are the kinds of crimes being waived, I’m fine with it. Vandalism that involves smashing dozens of windows and destroying expensive equipment is far from breaking a branch off a downtown tree in my book, but the charges may be the same.

[Non-Sequitur]

I’m sure that just about every guy can relate a story from their teenage years that ends “So then they decided not to press charges.” The fact that people are allowed into the military with minor, and the story does make it clear we’re talking about minor, offenses doesn’t concern me. If a study is done on these recruits after their enlistment is up I’ve no doubt it will show that the overwhelming majority completed their service honorably.

[Thombo2]

Talk about disinformation.This is not new.Yrs ago(mid 80’s)during summer break i worked for the state of Fla in a locked facility housing juvenile males-with criminal records.On a couple ocassions recruiters from the USMC came in and tested,interviewed,and recruited a few of our “clients”.Many young men(esp those from broken/abusive homes)get into trouble with the law.

[xarmydog]

Some of the best soldiers I ever served with were men who had been in trouble with the law.Many went on to retire.Sometimes getting a break in life was all that was needed to see that there is a life out there.Being given a second chance to acquire some sense of honor and self respect was what many found.Yes we had washouts,but not to any serious degree of concern.There will always be a few bad seeds.