Prior Military, who else feels " dised " allowing felons to rep USA.?

Everyone makes mistakes. You were in back in the early 70s when there were still plenty of senior NCOs that were recruited by "Join The Army Or Go To Jail" Judges. Maybe even some of the junior guys -- AFAIK the practice only ended with the all-volunteer military.

In the 80s and 90s I knew plenty of gangstas that just wanted a chance to do something besides sell dope and become a statistic. The Army helped them accomplish that dream.

Even with the new recruiting numbers and the media hype, the number of felons on active duty is lower than it has ever been. As all of the "Join The Army Or Go to Jail" soldiers have retired by now.

Not at all. If someone makes a mistake and then mans up and takes their punishment I think they deserve another chance. Some people need structure in their life and the military does a very good job of providing that. If decides they are willing to put their life on the line after having their own freedom taking away for a crime then more power to them. If they're still screw ups and not sincere about their choice then they'll right back at square one. When they get to a new command and have their file list a felony waiver I'm sure they'll be scrutinized harder than someone without a felony. My belief is that most felons end up back in jail because no one will even give them a chance when the words "jail time" are mentioned in an interview. How would you feel after supposedly paying for your crime and having everyone continue to punish you? I completely understand why someone who can't make ends meet working for minimum wage might end up going off the deep end.

Before I go off rambling I want to say while I never did a felony I have made some mistakes. They stuck in my mind and I made a choice not to repeat them. While this isn't the best example and I'm not trying to toot my own horn here but a few months after my NJP for underage drinking I went on to win a Battalion level Meritorious Corporal board. I got on that board because my command stood up for me and gave me a chance. If anyone wants to join a volunteer military forces currently engaged in wars overseas I say let them. I believe its "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

look at it this way. The news media says that military is not meeting quotas. Then they report a large amount of suicides of vets unable to get right care. Don't that have an affect on military getting enough volunteers? I am a 21 year vet and don't like the thought of criminals getting in but what can we do about it? We have vets living in river bottoms while illegal immigrants fill the work forces. If we take criminals why not force the illegals in and see it that dont help the immigration problem.

As I understand the data released by Congressman Waxman, the number of moral waivers for past criminal convictions doubled. Now that is one scary sentence until you realize that the new figures for the Army and the Marines are each less than 100, the Navy had a total of 2 and the Air Force none.

Still, the story will draw a crowd in front of the TV to watch endless discussion of it by panels of folks wearing red ties and power suits. Personally, compared to the days of Lyndon Baines Johnson's "Project One Hundred Thousand" when we had functional illiterates in uniform, this one is much ado about nothing.

Dr Deal...you do not even know your own Vietnam History...

McNamara enlisted 100,000+ street people

MICA patients into the Army...

(Which set off the Drug problem in Vietnam...)

Those that were allowed to enlist were

Juveniles when they were charged...

Any Young Person that wants to Turn his/her

Life around...has my VOTE...

Oh...I am a 100% SC Vet also...

Sgt USMC,

RVN 68-70

Prior military myself and I say put all of the scum-sucking slime (felons) on the front lines that want to make amends and become freemen again in this country! If they go back to their evil ways once they are discharged, throw their worthless @sses right back in the pen.

Doesn't bother me, I'm ex-NAVY , let them fight too.....hell it might even straighten some of the poor souls up....However I would not let some go and still execute them.. like child molesters...they don't deserve the honor or the right....