Why aren't convicts being used in the US military?

[elderwatsondiggs]

Originally Posted by Though

A convicted felon will never be allowed in the Marines today.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Army and Marine Corps are allowing convicted felons to serve in increasing numbers, newly released Department of Defense statistics show.

A U.S Marine keeps a watchful eye in downtown Baghdad.

Recruits were allowed to enlist after having been convicted of crimes including assault, burglary, drug possession and making terrorist threats.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/21/military.waivers/

WASHINGTON (April 21) - 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 the 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.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, who released the data, noted that there may be valid reasons for granting the waivers and giving individuals a second chance.
http://news.aol.com/story...ist/20080421173209990001

In that bright red big font that you love so much

Like I said it all depends on how bad they need people. The sources above prove what I have been saying this entire thread.

 

[elderwatsondiggs]

Originally Posted by Though

A convicted felon will never be allowed in the Marines today.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Army and Marine Corps are allowing convicted felons to serve in increasing numbers, newly released Department of Defense statistics show.

A U.S Marine keeps a watchful eye in downtown Baghdad.

Recruits were allowed to enlist after having been convicted of crimes including assault, burglary, drug possession and making terrorist threats.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/21/military.waivers/

WASHINGTON (April 21) - 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 the 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.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, who released the data, noted that there may be valid reasons for granting the waivers and giving individuals a second chance.
http://news.aol.com/story...ist/20080421173209990001

In that bright red big font that you love so much

Like I said it all depends on how bad they need people. The sources above prove what I have been saying this entire thread.

 

[elderwatsondiggs]

Hoorah!!!

 

[elderwatsondiggs]

Hoorah!!!

 

[though]

About to drop out of this DEP program. I am disgusted.

 

[though]

About to drop out of this DEP program. I am disgusted.

 

[send one]

This is something I've thought about before. Obviously not murderers and rapists, but why not offer the chance for a non violent inmate to "repay his debt to society". I know dudes doing 7-10 years for drug possession. Would'nt they be more useful on the front lines?

But as huge of a business as prisons are this will never happen.

 

[send one]

This is something I've thought about before. Obviously not murderers and rapists, but why not offer the chance for a non violent inmate to "repay his debt to society". I know dudes doing 7-10 years for drug possession. Would'nt they be more useful on the front lines?

But as huge of a business as prisons are this will never happen.

 

[kix4kix]

Originally Posted by BOTTOM74BOTTOM

Good! I hate feeling like I'm the only person smart enough to think of these things. Damn shame some people don't believe in it though..

Inglorious Bastards was up for best picture last year.
  

 

[kix4kix]

Originally Posted by BOTTOM74BOTTOM

Good! I hate feeling like I'm the only person smart enough to think of these things. Damn shame some people don't believe in it though..

Inglorious Bastards was up for best picture last year.
  

 

[irckthmjays]

Originally Posted by 10 Piece Nuggets

Remember what happened in The Longest Yard during the first practice?


Imagine that with guns.
hahahahahaha

 

[irckthmjays]

Originally Posted by 10 Piece Nuggets

Remember what happened in The Longest Yard during the first practice?


Imagine that with guns.
hahahahahaha

 

[irckthmjays]

i think it has more to do with the precedent that it sets. Once convicts are used in the armed forces, it becomes a step closer to other things that aren't in agreement with what is ethical (if that makes sense..) lol

 

[irckthmjays]

i think it has more to do with the precedent that it sets. Once convicts are used in the armed forces, it becomes a step closer to other things that aren't in agreement with what is ethical (if that makes sense..) lol

 

[thewealth]

Since when did NT care so much about the attrition of the US military? Or were some of y'all sitting back and thinking about the country doing a draft, and realized that your life is more precious than a convicted felon's life?

 

[thewealth]

Since when did NT care so much about the attrition of the US military? Or were some of y'all sitting back and thinking about the country doing a draft, and realized that your life is more precious than a convicted felon's life?

 

[hankzilla]

After reading many replies(some were hard to read). OP's question comes down to do you think people deserve 2nd chances? I support this because most of the people I see join the military are losers that didn't do anything in school and it's a last resort for them since they can't do anything else. So to say it's honorable and all that jazz pretty much shows how deluded you are. Word to army commercials.

 

[hankzilla]

After reading many replies(some were hard to read). OP's question comes down to do you think people deserve 2nd chances? I support this because most of the people I see join the military are losers that didn't do anything in school and it's a last resort for them since they can't do anything else. So to say it's honorable and all that jazz pretty much shows how deluded you are. Word to army commercials.

 

[jimmybeanz]

Originally Posted by kix4kix

Originally Posted by bittersweet

Originally Posted by jimmybeanz

Considering the mental strain that war/battles place on soldiers (seeing people blown to bits, fighting hand to hand, etc.), I really wonder if it would be a bad idea if done right. Aren't a lot of the heavy duty criminals (serial killers, rapists, etc.) psycho anyway? 

Would we be doing ourselves a disservice if we took, say, a thousand of them, and dropped them in the middle of Afghanistan?

We would win wars.

Guys that can't even follow laws would follow orders?

who said anything about giving them orders?

let them nephews figure that chit out. 

see the highlighted portion of what i said.  basically, convicts vs. taliban/al queda.  we could cut down on the amount we spend for keeping these guys in prison. 

p.s. we can sign a treaty with whomever wins. 

 

[jimmybeanz]

Originally Posted by kix4kix

Originally Posted by bittersweet

Originally Posted by jimmybeanz

Considering the mental strain that war/battles place on soldiers (seeing people blown to bits, fighting hand to hand, etc.), I really wonder if it would be a bad idea if done right. Aren't a lot of the heavy duty criminals (serial killers, rapists, etc.) psycho anyway? 

Would we be doing ourselves a disservice if we took, say, a thousand of them, and dropped them in the middle of Afghanistan?

We would win wars.

Guys that can't even follow laws would follow orders?

who said anything about giving them orders?

let them nephews figure that chit out. 

see the highlighted portion of what i said.  basically, convicts vs. taliban/al queda.  we could cut down on the amount we spend for keeping these guys in prison. 

p.s. we can sign a treaty with whomever wins. 

 

[kingofilladelph]

Some of ya'll need to grow the %!!+ up.

Some of ya'll been watching too many "Army of One" commercials. The military is full of no good people. Racists, borderline rapists, manic depressives, degenerates, etc. They go there with the intentions of "killing as many sand monkeys as they can" and getting paid for it. That don't make them good people yet they are given medals, saluted, and paid tribute.

On the other side, serving time don't make you a bad (or unfit) person. One bad decision can land you in prison. Just one. Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes the people in prison just made them at the wrong place, wrong time, with the wrong people, etc. How are they any less fit to serve in the US Military than the people I described above?

That black and white thinking is the problem with society and government. Too many labels and titles are given to people who don't deserve them.

With that said, I think this is a good idea if done properly. Self preservation alone would keep them from "shooting each other". And who wants to run away in Iraq or Afghanistan?

 

[kingofilladelph]

Some of ya'll need to grow the %!!+ up.

Some of ya'll been watching too many "Army of One" commercials. The military is full of no good people. Racists, borderline rapists, manic depressives, degenerates, etc. They go there with the intentions of "killing as many sand monkeys as they can" and getting paid for it. That don't make them good people yet they are given medals, saluted, and paid tribute.

On the other side, serving time don't make you a bad (or unfit) person. One bad decision can land you in prison. Just one. Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes the people in prison just made them at the wrong place, wrong time, with the wrong people, etc. How are they any less fit to serve in the US Military than the people I described above?

That black and white thinking is the problem with society and government. Too many labels and titles are given to people who don't deserve them.

With that said, I think this is a good idea if done properly. Self preservation alone would keep them from "shooting each other". And who wants to run away in Iraq or Afghanistan?

 

[elderwatsondiggs]

Originally Posted by KingofIlladelph

Some of ya'll need to grow the %!!+ up.

Some of ya'll been watching too many "Army of One" commercials. The military is full of no good people. Racists, borderline rapists, manic depressives, degenerates, etc. They go there with the intentions of "killing as many sand monkeys as they can" and getting paid for it. That don't make them good people yet they are given medals, saluted, and paid tribute.

On the other side, serving time don't make you a bad (or unfit) person. One bad decision can land you in prison. Just one. Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes the people in prison just made them at the wrong place, wrong time, with the wrong people, etc. How are they any less fit to serve in the US Military than the people I described above?

That black and white thinking is the problem with society and government. Too many labels and titles are given to people who don't deserve them.

With that said, I think this is a good idea if done properly. Self preservation alone would keep them from "shooting each other". And who wants to run away in Iraq or Afghanistan?

 

[elderwatsondiggs]

Originally Posted by KingofIlladelph

Some of ya'll need to grow the %!!+ up.

Some of ya'll been watching too many "Army of One" commercials. The military is full of no good people. Racists, borderline rapists, manic depressives, degenerates, etc. They go there with the intentions of "killing as many sand monkeys as they can" and getting paid for it. That don't make them good people yet they are given medals, saluted, and paid tribute.

On the other side, serving time don't make you a bad (or unfit) person. One bad decision can land you in prison. Just one. Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes the people in prison just made them at the wrong place, wrong time, with the wrong people, etc. How are they any less fit to serve in the US Military than the people I described above?

That black and white thinking is the problem with society and government. Too many labels and titles are given to people who don't deserve them.

With that said, I think this is a good idea if done properly. Self preservation alone would keep them from "shooting each other". And who wants to run away in Iraq or Afghanistan?

 

[retrotwos]

Originally Posted by ElderWatsonDiggs

Originally Posted by peks03

since i am currently still serving in the military, i read all the replies to this thread to see how NT thinks and i am amazed at the amount of ignorance in some of them.

I am going to go ahead and say you aren't talking about me. I am DoD with a security clearance and I've done a time in the desert in an extremely sensitive position. I know what I'm talking about.

i rarely post here on NT and ive never directed a post towards anyone before but LMAO at this guy thinking 6 months in some kush area in Iraq probably as they guy that watches the local nationals cook with a "security clearance" makes him a credible source. #$@ out of here with this garbage. and yes there are people in the military with a "record" now. but best believe those offenses were small and looked at very closely. also, smh at people thinking the military is composed of nothing but "low lives" with no other options that are racist, killers, blah blah blah. this thread honestly makes me sick. but then again we in the military are over here doing what we have to do in order for you to make such outrageous comments FREELY.