Being a felon is a deal-breaker when it comes to getting a job, which is why joining the military would probably be the only choice most convicts will have. And it’s a great place to go. But does the marine corps hire felons or does it refuse them at the door? Keep reading to find the answer.
Why the Applicants Get Screened
When it comes to the military, having the physical qualification isn’t enough, your mental health and moral motives are also tested to see:
- If the applicants can handle what they’ll be facing
- If anyone might pose a threat to his comrades during a mission or could cause disciplinary issues
- If no one has any habits that could affect the morality of anyone in the unit during combat missions.
Anyone with no criminal conviction is fit to join the Marine corps, morally that is.
Felons, however, are obliged to sign a moral disqualification waiver as a requirement if they wish to join the Marin Corps.
See also: Can You Join The Navy With a Felony on Your Record?
Can you join the Marines Corps with a Felony?
The most important thing you must do if you’re a felon and you’re enlisting for the marine corps is, to be honest, don’t you dare to lie, lying on a military application is a serious felony, you’ll get prosecuted.
And don’t try to hide anything of your past no matter how bad it is, any record you have concerning your criminal life should be revealed as you apply, even if those records were sealed.
That same thing goes if you got caught committing criminal activity when you were a minor. Any attempt to hide anything of the above will be useless since military investigators have access to almost everything.
How Do Waivers Work?
For the Marine Corps, and other military branches, offenses are separated between tolerable and intolerable.no applicant can be approved if he has an intolerable offense in his record. But how does he know if he does have one?
Well, he can submit his waiver and wait for the waiver approval. Different waivers get approved in different ranks; applicants are qualified for enlistment only if their waiver is accepted and not before.
Therefore all applicants must prove that they turned a fresh page and no longer submit to their disqualification(s) and that they’ll be a valuable asset for the Marine Corps.
When Are Waivers Considered
To make it easy for the felon to know if he’s going to be accepted or not, the U.S Marine Corps have listed the type of offenses, and their number for the waiver to be necessary and they are as follows:
- One felony
- Two or more Class 1 minor non-traffic offenses
- Two to nine Class 2 minor non-traffic offenses
- Two to five serious traffic Offenses
- Five to nine minor Traffic Offenses
If an applicant has less than the minimum number of offenses or no felony, then a waiver isn’t needed, but if he surpasses the maximum number of crimes or has 2 or more felonies, then he shouldn’t bother because rejection awaits him.
Yet with this in mind, the day may come when the Army needs as many applicants as possible, especially during times of war, in this case, certain exceptions are made.
But if you have no less than two felonies, with one related to illegal drugs, getting accepted would require a miracle.
That’s why you need to be completely honest when you apply, and in case you have a felony, you should mention every detail you remember concerning it.
Basic Enlistment Requirements
Applicants must be older than 17 years or younger than 29 years old at the time of enlistment to be able to join the Marine corps. They must provide proof of legal residency and must have U.S citizenship. They also have to prove that they finished high school.
To apply, you must report to the MCRD San Diego or MCRD Parris Island for training.
