Exclusive: Gangs Spreading In The Military

CBS News Talks To The Family Of A U.S. Soldier Killed In Gang Initiation

(CBS)  U.S. Army Sgt. Juwan Johnson got a hero's welcome while home on leave in June of 2004.

"Not only did I love my son - but my god - I liked the man he was becoming," his mother, Stephanie Cockrell, remembers.

But that trip home was the last time his family saw him alive.

When Johnson died, he wasn't in a war zone, he was in Germany.

"He had finished his term in Iraq," his mother said. "I talked to him the day before his death. He said, 'Mom, I'm in the process of discharging out. I'll be out in two weeks'."

On July 3, 2005, Sgt. Johnson went to a park not far from his base in Germany to be initiated into the 'Gangster Disciples,' a notorious Chicago-based street gang. He was beaten by eight other soldiers in a "jump-in" - an initiation rite common to many gangs.

"My son never spoke of joining a gang," Cockrell told CBS News correspondent Thalia Assuras.

Johnson died that night from his injuries. His son, Juwan Jr., was born five months later.

"I feel like I didn't prepare him enough to deal with this and I should have," his mother said. "But how would I have known there were gangs in the military? I could have had that talk with him."

Evidence of gang culture and gang activity in the military is increasing so much an FBI report calls it "a threat to law enforcement and national security." The signs are chilling: Marines in gang attire on Parris Island; paratroopers flashing gang hand signs at a nightclub near Ft. Bragg; infantrymen showing-off gang tattoos at Ft. Hood.

"It's obvious that many of these people do not give up their gang affiliations," said Hunter Glass, a retired police detective in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the home of Ft. Bragg and the 82nd Airborne. He monitors gang activity at the base and across the military.

"If we weren't in the middle of fighting a war, yes, I think the military would have a lot more control over this issue," Glass said. "But with a war going on, I think it's very difficult to do."

Gang activity clues are appearing in Iraq and Afghanistan, too. Gang graffiti is sprayed on blast walls – even on Humvees. Kilroy – the doodle made famous by U.S. soldiers in World War II – is here, but so is the star emblem of the Gangster Disciples.

The soldier who took photos if the graffiti told CBS News that he's been warned he's as good as dead if he ever returns to Iraq.

"We represent America – our demographics are the same – so the same problems that America contends with we often times contend with," said Colonel Gene Smith of the Army's Office of the Provost Marshal.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command reported 61 gang investigations and incidents last year, compared to just 9 in 2004. But army officials point out less than 1 percent of all its criminal investigations are gang related.

"We must remember that there are a million people in the army community," Smith said, "And these small numbers are not reflective of a tremendous, pervasive, rampant problem."

The rise in gang activity coincides with the increase in recruits with records. Since 2003, 125,000 recruits with criminal histories have been granted what are known as "moral waivers" for felonies including robbery and assault.

A hidden-camera investigation by CBS Denver station KCNC found one military recruiter was quick to offer the waiver option even when asked, "Does it matter that i was in a gang or anything?" That is well within military regulations.

"You may have had some gang activity in your past and everything ... OK ... but that in itself does not disqualify...," the recruiter said.

Military regulations disqualify members of hate groups from enlisting, but there is no specific ban on members of street gangs. Sgt. Juwan Johnson's family says such a prohibition is long overdue.

"Just maybe we can save someone else's child ... somebody else's husband ... somebody else's father," his mother said. "I would have loved to have seen him with his child, I really would have -- that part is hard, that part is hard."

This month a military court sentenced two of Juwan Johnson's attackers to prison.

---

Part two of this CBS News investigation looks at police warnings that gangs in the military are branching out to the streets of America.

[tnt1954]

units, squads, sections, divisions, old friends,
comrades, nepotism, the guy who saved your life,
indian blood brothers, even in the police forces.
its not all black and white and cut and dried.
women in the military to fight over. what a mell
of a hess. the average duration of a planet
that has gone militaristic, is not very long.
we're headed right into a real blow-up.
can we stop the train from going over the
bridge that has been blown up. you've got
about a billion experts at military tactics
and weapons out there to control. rotsa ruck.
personally i think it's later than you think.
but there's always hope at the end of the
tunnel of love.

[twohares]

"...the average duration of a planet
that has gone militaristic, is not very long."

How many inhabited "militaristic" planets have you personally observed to determine that they don't last very long? Maybe you just read about it. Care to share your references? Are there any UN-militaristic planets that I may move to? You must know of some, else what did you compare your "militaristic" planet to in order to determine which lasts longer?

Curious minds want to know.

[feelfree1]

Gangsters, convicts, and brainwashed dimwits. That is what the ranks of our military are being reduced to, as the recruitment standards drop ever lower, in the desperate search for cannon fodder.

Even these troops can be considered as victims of the illegitimate and criminal Bush regime, but as time goes by, I have a harder time feeling very sorry for them.

Even before the recruitment standards dropped, anyone claiming that our military men and women represent our "best and brightest", has never served in our all-volunteer military, or they are not being honest. That is not to say that there are not some sharp people in our military, but overall, they are far from the cream of the crop.

Does anyone know if there are still troops in our military that have been involuntarily extended, who enlisted prior to March 19, 2003?

###

On a side note, if anyone ever pulls a pistol on me, I hope that they will hold it in the same way as the fool in the photo, so that I have a better chance of getting away without being shot.

[feelfree1]

By the way, some 33,000 U.S. green-card soldiers have been naturalized in the U.S. so far, who have volunteered to fight in the idiotic and criminal Bush regime War of Terror, so I don't want to hear any war supporters whining about immigrants.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070725/lf_afp/usmilitaryimmigration

[us18988]

feejihadi,

they're coming home - for you and for Pelosi, Reid, Obama and the rest who didn't serve.

Better lock your door, Islamonut.

[feelfree1]

US18988,

Re: "Better lock your door, Islamonut."

One thing that craven Zionist apologists, like yourself, seem unable to comprehend, is that many people do not subscribe to any of the major religious cults.

I am proudly among this group. I realize that this is difficult for your pea-brain to process, but it is a fact.

[eccentric506]

Of course gang activity is up in the military, out illustrious liberal legislators want to belittle the military at every level, to the extent that others who would love to serve beleive that garbage that the legislators are serving up and dont want to be a part of it

[carolrhill]

If they are getting these men from the general population what do they expect?
These kids are young and they are there just to earn money and that is it. If they do not do something about this there is going to big trouble. Look at the streets of any large city they have the same problem.
These kids are being taught how to shoot a weapon without even so much of a background check well that is stupid and not a good idea.
I am sure that is not all blacks I am sure this is also Latins that are causing this sorta problems.
WE HAD BETTER CLEAN THIS UP BEFORE THIS REALLY EXPLODES.

[hungry1968]

"...infantrymen showing off gang tattoos at Ft. Hood."


Boyz in the Ft. Hood?

[hungry1968]

Of course gang activity is up in the military, out illustrious liberal legislators want to belittle the military at every level, to the extent that others who would love to serve beleive that garbage that the legislators are serving up and dont want to be a part of it
Posted by eccentric506 at 04:53 PM : Jul 28, 2007


Man - are you kidding or what? Holy *****!! People aren't joining the military because they don't want to get shipped over to Iraq and die in vain for no reason. The only people that are joining voluntarily these days are the people from the inner cities that have nowhere else to go, or people that got lied to by their recruiters like my son's friend.

Blame it on the liberals. Wow! You right wing neocon, war mongering christians are just too much. If people weren't dieing needlessly, it would be funny. But unfortunately - they still are.

[mcv57]

Blame it on the music! The power and influence of music is cultivating a reign of thugs and crimminals. The freedom of speech that Hollywood and the underworld music world in America has exploited this freedom . . . and POWER. It bears to reasons, money buys everything: power, justice, corruption, and a society of gangsters. The question is, who can possibily bring REFORM? The law enforcement, the Justice Department, the FBI, and the White House officials are all CORRUPT! THE PEOPLE need to start a revolution of government reform. Else, the thugs will "help" destroy this demoralized country. Don't turn to the state and federal U.S. Government; they are already corrupt.

[cerbia-2009]

The military is a place to get away from gangs. If this Johnson clown was killed during a Gang Initiation then good riddens to bad rubbish. The Military should hunt these Gangs down and put them away. Not only in the military but on our own city streets. I will never give a flying *** about any gang member or the consequences of the actions they take. Headstones and plots are cheaper then jail cells and the chaos they create.

[choosejesus]

We're praying for the troops.
www.choosejesusrightnow.com

[gkc99]

Of course gang activity is up in the military, out illustrious liberal legislators want to belittle the military at every level, to the extent that others who would love to serve beleive that garbage that the legislators are serving up and dont want to be a part of it
Posted by eccentric506

The military has been steadily lowering the recruitment standards, and the repeat tours of duty, shortened times at home, and other impositions on those who had signed up before the war is a bigger disincentive to join up than anything a "liberal legislator" (where are they?) might have said. Who wants to be the last man killed either in the withdrawal or in the permanent occupation (what other alternatives are there?)

And, since Bushit, Darth, and Rummie wanted to do this war on the cheap, without a draft, there is no large pool of "applicants" for military service. If there were a draft, some of the young gung-ho Bushites that talk up this war might find their A$$ES WEARING CAMO! Talk is cheap.

[feelfree1]

Choosejesus,

Re: "We're praying for the troops."

You should consider praying for yourself, because if you support what we are doing over there, you are facing an eternity of being raped by Satan.

[feelfree1]

Cerbia,

Re: "The Military should hunt these Gangs down and put them away."

Who will replace them in fighting the disgraceful and illegal war of aggression against Iraq?

You?

[bobgee_1999]

Choosejesus & pray, accomplish nothing.

Choosethought & work for change, accomplish something.

[ramos937]

This is unbelievable. When my two sons joined the military in the mid 1009's, they had to join under a special program because they only had GEDs. The regular requirements were a high school diploma, of age, physicall & mentally capable and a recommendation from the local police. My boys had all but the diploma.

Now, because of the Iraq war, the army has to let anybody willing to volunteer no matter his/her background. This is a very big consequence of the Iraq war.

[gkc99]

When White, neo-Nazi cliques are ignored and tolerated in the Army, it seems a bit hypocritical to start hyperventilating about Black and Latino gangs. Just another gang.

Neo-Nazis such as, perhaps, the ones who executed Tillman with 3 bullets to the forehead at 10-yard range. Working, perhaps, in concert with rogue officers.

[roach9703]

ANY indentified GANG member should be immediately discharged ( Period). This is a powerful argument for reinstituting the draft (NOW). STOP using these moral waivers! Now, how can one expect these people to obey the opaque rules of war, when they do not obey the U.S. Penal Code.

[tbweb]

I was in Japan in the early 70's out on the town and a gang war broke out involving over 50 Marines and Sailors, it wasn't a gang fight between Services either, it was a gang fight between rival street gangs from the States! Drunk military personnel running into other drunk military personnel rehashing past offenses from gang wars from the States, serious business. Trash cans were thrown, all hell broke loose, I could not believe my eyes! This gang story is not unique or new!! It was going on in the 70's but never reported!! TRUE.

[tbweb]

This story also highlights why race relations in the U.S. are so bad. The imbalanced reporting usually points the fingers at minorities when whites make up the majority and commit the majority of crimes, whites even outnumber minorities on public welfare rolls, but based on the way news is reported you don't come away with that impression! Even worst than this article is how hate groups have infiltrated the military are are using the military for real weapons training now instead on their traditional preference of Paint Ball. The neo-Nazis and skinhead extremists have infiltrated the military so bad a task force has been requested. Balanced reporting is important if our nation is to advance, improve and survive. This link to the New York Times story covers more!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/07/washington/07recruit.html?ex=1309924800&en=1be0e7d4e2aac8d3&ei=5090&partner=rssuserlan

[toolmangler-2009]

If any military is infiltrated by outside groups, they make the military vulnerable and weak. Gangs, groups, cliques, brother or sisterhoods are guaranteed to weaken or destroy an army even an American Army. The "Chain of Command" has to be inviolable. THAT is the only thing that distinguishes an Army from a mob.

[rwassel]

"I am also Retired Army and proudly defended my country."

Posted by Cerbia at 08:08 PM : Jul 28, 2007

Defended our country from what? The last time I checked, WWII was the last time we were attacked by a another nation. Don't even try and use 9-11 as an excuse for the Iraq war either - this "war" we're in now is nothing more than a glorified occupation of a country that happens to have a hefty supply of oil. That's great your son is in the army, but don't expect me to kiss your azz because he is...

[robjk1-2009]

This story also highlights why race relations in the U.S. are so bad. The imbalanced reporting usually points the fingers at minorities when whites make up the majority and commit the majority of crimes, whites even outnumber minorities on public welfare rolls, but based on the way news is reported you don't come away with that impression! Even worst than this article is how hate groups have infiltrated the military are are using the military for real weapons training now instead on their traditional preference of Paint Ball. The neo-Nazis and skinhead extremists have infiltrated the military so bad a task force has been requested. Balanced reporting is important if our nation is to advance, improve and survive. This link to the New York Times story covers more!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/07/wa
shington/07recruit.html?ex=1309924800&en
=1be0e7d4e2aac8d3&ei=5090&partner=rssuse
rlan

Posted by tbweb at 08:35 PM : Jul 28, 2007


















Me: have any source to prove whites commit majority of the crimes?


and that "whites even outnumber minorities on public welfare rolls"

I'm curious on what is the percenatge of whites verses black on welfare. yabe there are more whites but what is the percenatge difference?

[rwassel]

"I'm curious on what is the percenatge of whites verses black on welfare. yabe there are more whites but what is the percenatge difference? "


Posted by ROBJK1 at 09:02 PM : Jul 28, 2007

Probably the same as the difference in percentage of white kids going to elite suburban schools vs. black kids going to poor inner-city schools where they have no chance at a good education or getting into college. What's your point?

[endofempire]

Cerbia: God bless you and your son, vestigial remains of what was once a proud nation with heros like you at home and like your son abroad. The intellectually challenged community-college-rejects who frequent this and other sites are blunt proof that unfortunately for all of us, what your son is doing may be in vain, because we, as a nation, don't deserve him. All the freedoms your son is protecting with his blood, will eventually go away when, because of our ignorance, we admit defeat and rather than fighting the enemy abroad, we start having to fight them here. Of course, the cowardice of their attacks on buildings and school buses (google Israel and terrorism) will allow them to hide behind the ACLU's lawyers and martial law may be the only defense. God save us all then!

[robjk1-2009]

Probably the same as the difference in percentage of white kids going to elite suburban schools vs. black kids going to poor inner-city schools where they have no chance at a good education or getting into college. What's your point?
Posted by rwassel at 09:08 PM : Jul 28, 2007




Me:

Like to say more whites are on welfare then balcks without considering percentages is misleading, plus I would like the source the person is using for his/her data.

[tuckerndfw]

Let me see, this guy was a non-commissioned officer (NCO) who was about to be discharged, so he decided to join a "street gang."

It appears to me the US Army needs to tighten up its promotion standards.

His superiors were derelict in their duties by nominating him to be promoted to a position of leadership given his demonstrated lack of judgment.

How would you like him and his homies breaking down your door and ordering you and your entire family to strip naked while they watched?

I wonder why Iraqis would resist being ordered to strip naked at the point of a gun by people like him?

The "war on terror" as being conducted by the Bush administration is a complete waste of lives, money and resources.

[oakishpines]

over a hundred years ago, most of the u.s. were self-employed farmeers, now all the farms have been fore-closed on and farmers afforded no marketshare ... and the nation built of the stuff that landfills are made of ... and folk stand in lines for free lunches while there s few free lunches to be had ... multi trillion dollar nuclear biological chemical stealth raype patrols dance get sick soon tax the world first strike on the trail songs while old folk sleep with guns afraid to leave the house and afraid to stay in it and paying televangelists to keep god on their side for the police are too over worked and under paid ... and kids chant 2 4 6 8 why do school kids dare and rape the u.s. troops they love to hate porn porn what a graceful tasteful fate

[tbweb]

Posted by ROBJK1 at 09:15 PM : Jul 28, 2007,,,

Source of data? My source of data and reference point is very old, I don't study such things, however when I came across it at that time I thought it was interesting. Percentages changes the perspective but it has no impact on the actually real numbers, I was talking real numbers. My point on balanced reporting in reference to this article is that this article is about gangs in the military, yet not all gangs are mentioned, you just see a black guy with a gun and the implication is that only black or minority gangs are in the military, its unbalanced, misleading reporting. For example over 65% percent of the U.S. prison population is black, numbers and percentage wise, and blacks are only 11% percent of the U.S. population, no way to twist that figure!

[tuckerndfw]

So we allow the hooligans, gang members join our military?
We must be so desperate - aren't we?
S-a-d!

Posted by Simplemind2 at 09:36 PM : Jul 28, 2007

This is nothing new.

I was a US Army MP Sergeant back in the early 1970's and it was people like him who kept us the busiest. When they weren't "protecting the American people" (stupidest term ever invented), they were stealing from or assaulting their fellow soldiers, or, in most cases, civilians.

But, back then, they weren't asked to join, many of them were ordered to join our ranks by a draft board or a judge (in lieu of jail/prison time).

Wars usually result in armies eventually relying on the dregs at the bottom of the barrel. Always have, always will.

[radiob-2009]

Military regulations disqualify members of hate groups from enlisting, but there is no specific ban on members of street gangs. Sgt. Juwan Johnson's family says such a prohibition is long overdue.


This regulation is a joke and always has been and will be. Hate groups have been in the military for a long time. The ones that you have to watch out for the most are the ones that are not as vocal or are at least more sublte.

[tbweb]

I once saw this very funny cartoon that tried to make light of why blacks making up only 11% percent of the U.S. population, made up 65% percent of the U.S. Prison population. The cartoonist used Cats and Dogs in a Court Room. Everyone in the Court Room was a Cat, all the witnesses, Lawyers, Judge, Jury, everyone except the Dog on the witness stand. The Dogs Lawyer was a Cat too, and the Dogs Lawyer was talking to the Jury of all Cats asking them, does this Dog look like the type that would be chasing Cats in an alley? The point of the cartoon was, what do you think this Dogs chances were of getting off? The cartoon was a play on blacks going in front of all white courtrooms, Judges and Jury's. The cartoon made its point!

[standlee5]

"Military regulations disqualify members of hate groups from enlisting, but there is no specific ban on members of street gangs."

If gangs aren't a hate group wht are they.

[radiob-2009]

Posted by tbweb at 10:25 PM


And our military is not full of KKK?

[standlee5]

The cartoon was a play on blacks going in front of all white courtrooms, Judges and Jury's. The cartoon made its point!
Posted by tbweb at 10:25 PM : Jul 28, 2007

BS, all BS.

[jetranger7]

Haa, Gangs are for Degenerate Punks !

[whisperoo]

Black/white, a total ruse to distract from the real issue. Why are people who served honorably, so ill-equipped to contend with society that upon discharge they seek to join such predatory gangs? The military is just another society albeit one who has far greater control (and one might expect influence) over its' members. Personally I suspect the goverments betrayal of it's military personnel set the examples for it's personnel; "look out for number one". Then there are also the lessons: "it s--ks to be collateral damage", "its better to be a winner than a loser" and "if you want to be a winner be on the winning team" whisper

[mrhoppy-2009]

Dear FBI,

There is a gang in the White House that is lied to start a war. Please arrest them and charge them with treason.

[mrhoppy-2009]

Maybe those gangs are really soldiers that are about to mutiny since there has been talk of it coming from the pentagon too.

It would not surprise me and quite frankly, I think Americans would be thrilled to see, the military drain that swamp of corruption we call Washington D.C.

[donnie900]

Betcha those guys were the ones who did the wtc.

[tnt1954]

america's greatest military heroes like
billy graham, franklin graham and pat robertson
and joel osteen feel this is a good development.
they feel gangs for christ are great.
just as long as they don't rob the big
monied classes at the top like them.
gangs do oftentimes turn on their leaders,
and steal from them. go watch a pirate movie.
army one, hurray as it sacks the town.
yay army two, going the other way that
sacks the town. yay army three that sacks
the same town and drives out the other
two armies. and here comes army four.
peasants exasperated, say what is it now,
arm themselves with pitchforks and attack back.

[barbaraf4]

Sgt. Johnson made a very bad choice. The military is also making a very bad choice. In the interest of meeting enlistment quotas they are allowing "former" gang members to enlist. How does the military hope to control these thugs?

[oakishpines]

if soldiers were infamous for mugging raping and killing more civilians per capita than the public at large, esp children, long before ancient egypt and ancient china, then why, in such a 'modern era', are soldiers still chasing 'naked kids' through 'gardens' for 'spankings'??

[tnt1954]

did you know all preachers have super powers
like superman, green lantern. why they
run the universe with their mind. they feel
that they are God Himself, a mortal sin.
but they forgive themselves for it.
they dispense all forgiveness unto themselves
but not to anyone else. others are condemend
to hell fire forever. cause preachers
love to preach, never do what they preach.

[tuckerndfw]

How does the military hope to control these thugs?

Posted by barbaraf4 at 11:13 PM : Jul 28, 2007

Thugs serving in the military is not new.

The military has very effective ways of dealing with thugs.

Ultimately, if a thug refuses to conform to military discipline, he gets to go to the US Military Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

BTW, the USDB is also referred to as a prison.

I had the opportunity to escort some guests to the old one and it was not a nice place. I suspect the new one may look nicer on the outside, but the inside is much the same.

[tnt1954]

we should all take this to the Lord in prayer.
cross and the switchblade by dave henderson
i think back in the 1960's was a response
to the 'west side story' mentality.
all the young people are out rolling in
their cars tonite. some will never come
back alive. really sad. with liquor
legal, you can kiss this country goodbye.
prohibition is the only way to stop it.
if you really and truly love your teens and
young people. there are kids out there
tonite who are living double lives, triple
lives, involved with married men, all kinds
of stuff their parents would consider an
absolute nightmare come true. that little
baby, my baby, like that? its pretty disgusting
actually. here in calipornia, its pretty bad.

[tnt1954]

most women out here in calipornia have gone
way off the deep end. go look at some
blue movies, for a real shocker.
chief justice harlan fiske stone's supreme
court allowed it under duress from the mafia
back in 1946. many women live three lives.
like in herbert philbrick's i led three lives.
tale of citizen undercover in communist party
for the f.b.i. they may seem totally bad,
but are not. underground work is going on.
and there are undercover agents within it.
for many govts. and some semblance of decency.
it was predicted communism would make a major
comeback. capitalism is an awful system.
its just piracy plain and simple. corporate
warfare. everybody trusting nobody.

[tnt1954]

why does china have one billion people?
and america only 300 million 20% of
which are illegal aliens or naturalized citizens.
because they have a much better system of
govt. our system has formed a rotten core
group. sad really. fdr came in in 1933,
so did stalin roughly and hirohito and hitler.
a switch to dictatorial powers after the
worst depression in world history. they don't
like to talk about the depression. they keep
it real quiet, hardly ever show real live
movies from that era. it was so bad, its
unimaginable today. keynesian economics
saved the day. lord maynard keynes. from
britain. if you knew how bad war was, you'd
never watch another war movie in your life.
oh, being in the plane above dropping bombs
is thinking quite the dude, wait until
they are dropped on you. do unto others
as you would have them do unto you?
go ahead war freaks. you ruined the world.
rothschilds finance all the wars forever.
a planet of morons. planet m. gene roddenberry
was a great bomber pilot in world war 2 and police officer
in los angeles, ca. he saw the light. winning
a war means nothing. you've lost when you
have won. you just delude yourselves. in the
next nuclear war, we all lose. who will be
first to play the ace card?
and made star trek, thanks gene.