You\u2019ve completed your sentence, and now, you wish to apply for military service in the US Armed Forces. It could be because you just want to serve your country, or maybe because you didn\u2019t find much success in other fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But researching, you may have discovered that felony convictions automatically disqualify you from serving in the US military. And while this indeed is true, you may apply for a waiver<\/a> in order to get enlisted nonetheless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How is it done and will it even work for you? Read on to find out.<\/p>\n\n\n
Enlistment moral standards deal with the acceptability of individuals with court records, convictions, or adverse juvenile judgments. Moral screening thus is the process during which the applicants\u2019 credit and criminal backgrounds are reviewed by recruiters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The standards screen out individuals who are deemed inappropriate for the military due to possible serious disciplinary cases and harm to the military mission. Aside from initial screening, interviews are conducted with applicants who have criminal backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The screening procedures in the US military are extensive and in-depth. The eligibility of the applicants for recruitment is based on the severity of the offense they have committed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Applicants are required to disclose all incidents that resulted in an arrest or charges, including all sealed, expunged, or juvenile records. Under the law, applicants with a pardon, expungement, or dismissal have no records of conviction, but a felony waiver will nonetheless be required to authorize their enlistment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Failing to disclose information or provision of false information is considered a federal offense, so you as a felon should be honest and clear about all the convictions you\u2019ve had. Your background is going to be thoroughly checked, and if you lie about something, it will be found out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recommended: Can You Join The National Guard with a Felony?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n
Strictly speaking, felons are not eligible to serve in any of the US Armed Forces\u2019 branches. However, this doesn\u2019t mean that felons will not be enlisted in the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is done via a felony waiver. A felony waiver is a special permission granted to applicants with a criminal record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some offenses can be waived, while others cannot. Recruiting officers themselves do not have the authority for waiving. Some waivers may be approved or disapproved by the Recruiting Battalion Commander. Others need to be reviewed by the Commanding General of the Army Recruiting Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, if your criminal offense can be waived, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that you will be accepted into the US military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As an applicant and a felon, it would be your responsibility to prove to the authorities that you\u2019ve overcome the disqualifications for enlistment and that you\u2019ve been able to reintegrate with society. In addition, you would need to prove that your acceptance is in the best interests of the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities will consider the so-called whole person concept when making a decision. That is, available and reliable information about the applicant, be it favorable or unfavorable, past or present, is going to be considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, if your offense can be waived, it doesn\u2019t mean that it will be waived. Among the factors that may be considered during the review of your application are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Generally, if you have expunged, vacated, set-aside, or sealed convictions, you are more likely of receiving a waiver. Having a cleared conviction will demonstrate that the court has considered you rehabilitated. So by disclosing cleared convictions, not only will you avoid the risk of legal actions, but the cleared records will serve as a plus for you in the application process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is very important for you to do everything possible to clear your record and make sure that you present all the information on your criminal records. There is no appeal for disapproved waivers since a waiver is an appeal in itself. That\u2019s because you are not qualified to be enlisted in the army in the first place, and you are actually appealing to recruiting authorities to make an exception for you.<\/p>\n\n\n
Offenses that need to and can be waved will depend on the military branch you are going to apply to. However, as a general rule, the following offenses need to be waived:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It should be mentioned that the probability of you receiving a felony waiver is going to strongly depend on the needs of the Armed Forces. If the demand for personnel in the army is increased and if you don\u2019t have disqualifying convictions, you are more likely to be accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n
There are some offenses as well which will prevent you from being enlisted in the US Armed Forces. Some general disqualifying offenses are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do keep in mind that there are plenty of factors that may come into play while the reviewing officials are deciding whether or not to accept your application. You may have committed just a minor felony, but certain factors may make you ineligible for military service in the US Armed Forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should also realize that you are not going to find information specific to your case online. There are plenty of variables in play, and no one can provide you with accurate information but a recruiter. Only after speaking to a recruiter will you be able to learn whether or not you are eligible for army service, so if you are still wondering, the best thing to do would be to go and chat with a recruiter in your area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get started, pay a visit to the websites of US military branches:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
And speaking of branches, what military branch accepts felons<\/em> exactly? Well, you have chances of getting enlisted into any of the US military branches, but some accept felons more readily than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All military branches consider felony as a disqualification, but they do make some exceptions. In recent years, it appears<\/a> that the US Army has issued more waivers when we talk about percentages. Bad conduct and drug waivers in the US Army accounted for 19% of waivers issued in 2016, 25% in 2017, and over 30% in the first half of 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In contrast, the Marine Corps<\/a> and Air Force have issued significantly less bad conduct and drug waivers, generally hovering from 2% to 13% of the total number of waivers. The Navy has slightly increased its waivers for bad conduct in recent years, bringing their share up to 13% of the total waiver number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recommended: Can A Felon Join The Military?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
So in the near future, you may have more success with the US Army and the Navy<\/a> than with other military branches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read Also: What Does a Military Background Check Entail?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You\u2019ve completed your sentence, and now, you wish to apply for military service in the US Armed Forces. It could be because you just want to serve your country, or maybe because you didn\u2019t find much success in other fields. But researching, you may have discovered that felony convictions automatically disqualify you from serving in … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n