Risky Recruits Can Pay Off For Army

Study: Applicants Who Need Special Waivers Because Of Bad Behavior Re-Enlist At Higher Rate

(AP)  U.S. soldiers who need special waivers to get into the Army because of bad behavior go absent without leave more often and face more courts-martial. But they also get promoted faster and re-enlist at a higher rate, according to an internal military study obtained by The Associated Press.

The Army study late last year concluded that taking a chance on a well-screened applicant with a criminal, bad driving or drug record usually pays off. And both the Army and the Marines have been bringing in more recruits with blemished records. Still, senior leaders have called for additional studies, to help determine the impact of the waivers on the Army.

"We believe that so far the return outweighs the risk," said Army Col. Kent M. Miller, who headed the team that conducted the study.

The information has not been released to the public, but the AP obtained a copy of the study.

The statistics show that recruits with criminal records or other drug and alcohol issues have more discipline problems than those without records. Those recruits also are a bit more likely to drop out of the Army because of alcohol.

On the brighter side, those with waivers earn more medals for valor and tend to stay in the Army longer.

In a key finding, the study said that nearly one in five - or 19.5 percent - of the soldiers who needed waivers to join the Army failed to complete the initial term of enlistment, which could be from two to six years. That percentage is just a bit higher than the 17 percent washout rate for those who didn't need a waiver to get in.

About 1 percent of those with waivers appeared before courts-martial, compared with about 0.7 percent of those without waivers.

Overall, soldiers with waivers appear more committed to their service once they get in. Statistics show they tend to stay in the Army longer and re-enlist at higher rates. Also, infantry soldiers with waivers were promoted to sergeant in an average of about 35 months, compared with 39 months for those without waivers.

The Army study compared the performance of soldiers who came in with conduct waivers against those who did not during the years 2003-2006.

In that time, 276,231 recruits enlisted in the Army with no prior military service. Of those 6.5 percent, or nearly 18,000 had waivers.

In a comparison of both groups the study found that soldiers who had received waivers for bad behavior:

• Had a higher desertion rate (4.26 percent vs. 3.59 percent).
  
• Had a higher misconduct rate (5.95 percent vs. 3.55 percent).
  
• Had a higher rate of appearances before courts-martial (1 percent vs. 0.71 percent).
  
• Had a higher dropout rate for alcohol rehabilitation failure (0.27 percent vs. 0.12 percent).

But they also:

• Were more likely to re-enlist (28.48 percent vs. 26.76 percent).
  
• Got promoted faster to sergeant (after 34.7 months vs. 39 months).
  
• Had a lower rate of dismissal for personality disorders (0.93 percent vs. 1.12 percent).
  
• Had a lower rate of dismissal for unsatisfactory performance (0.26 percent vs. 0.48 percent).

Waivers have been a controversial issue for the military in recent months, with the news that the Army and Marine Corps have increased their use of the exemptions to bring in more recruits with criminal records than ever before.

The Army and the Marine Corps are under pressure to attract recruits as they struggle to increase their size in order to meet the combat needs of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[frankbowers]

As a vet from the early 50''s I find this a disgrace what gw bush and dic cheney have done to our military. the Druggies will introduce the ones who do not/have not ever use to that. I have no faith in our militry anylonger. They are no more than mecernaries for gw and dic all for their greed and their love for the oil companies. THEY BOTH ARE NOW AND FOREVER MORE WILL BE A DISGRACE TO OUR COUNTRY, THE ONLY THING THAT WILL EVER BE REMEMBERED IS THE DAY THEY LEAVE OFFICE.
Put in motion by a deserter from Vietnam and a draft dodger, shame on the two despots.
The very best of good byes to our military as I knew it. SAD SAD SAD. Frank Bowers

[ianlou]

In the Dark ages, Rapists and Murderers could avoid the gallows if they joined the King in Battle.

My, how things have changed.

[ranger1948]

cornbiker and fedupredneck
I am retired military and after reading about this concept i am for it for nonviolent offenders. You poved it can be of value. Keep up the good work and glad things turned around for both of you. We had a kid in my class voted most likely to end up in prison. Shortly after graduation he got the choice of army or jail, he took the army, went to nam and was decorated many times for heroism. Then he became an FBI agent and served a faithful career until his death a few years ago. Just goes to show some people do deserve a second chance. I am glad he got his.

[billorights]

When I enlisted 34 years ago, the military had established standards which required waivers for enlistees with criminal records. This was toward the end of US military involvement in Vietnam, and the draft had just been discontinued. I was surprised to learn that after having been accepted to the training of my choice based on my qualifying test scores, there were also enlistees who had joined only as an alternative to incarceration, as directed by a criminal court. These enlistees had to meet the same qualifying criteria for specialty training based on aptitude as gauged by the testing process, but they were nonetheless compelled to enlist, rather than serve time in jail.

In later years, with a reduced military due to peacetime requirements and economic influences, the availability of waivers for criminal records became more limited, while related standards for enlistees began to rise. The military became a more selective employer, as the demand for new enlistees diminished.

In short, the process of allowing waivers for various offenses, along with changing standards for enlistment criteria, is not new. The pendulum continues to move back and forth, as our military needs and economic factors also continue to influence the number and types of career opportunities available at any given time.

[fedupredneck]

As an EX-Con I am glad to here they grant waivers. I think they should have a recruiter at the exit door of every prison. Not all people in prison are worthless, some just need a little boost in the right direction. I would have joined instantly but couldn''t.
Stole too many cars back in the day. :) I learned my lesson 18yrs ago but run into "Repeat Offenders" way too often. Kudos to our military for giving them a chance to "get right". Noone else wants too. I currently have 3 cons working for me-I''m hoping to help them stay clean and do the right thing.

[ranger1948]

Being retired military at first i was agaist this idea, but i am having a second opinion. If they want a second chance to have an honest life and they earn it thru the military maybe this could be a good thing. Hope it turns out to be a good decision for the military and for the people who are enlisting under this program.

[quetzal0666]

Sweet, soon on the way out of prison, theres going to be a Recruiting station..