Ok. Thank you for the reply.

quote:

Originally posted by eaglehcky4:
How will they find out if he has nothing on his police or school record?

Did you not read my post? Are you willing to bet your entire life. That they won't talk to your old school buddies? Now you can either listen to us "Old dogs" who have seen time and again people try to out smart the system, AND get caught. OR you can continue on this course and roll the dice. DO YOU FEEL LUCKY PUNK? WELL DO YA?

Alright heres my story. When I enlisted, I had to get a waiver for a heart murmur. I was told by my recruiter and the recruiters above him that my chances of getting in were very small. Being a Marine has always been my dream, and I did't want to hurt my chances even more by saying that I smoked pot once. I tried it once when i was in 9th grade, and havent tried it since. So I figured it wouldnt be a big deal, and thought "How could they know?" But now i am reading how I could face false enlistment charges and getting discharged because I tried pot once and did't say anything. So now I'm thinking i should just tell my recruiter and see what he says about it. But what is going to happen if i come clean and already in the DEP? I know I am an idiot by keeping it a secret, but until now, i didn't think anything of it. Thanks for the replies.

Smoking pot is not the end of the world. Own up to it and get whatever waiver you need to get, then move on.

People always focus ONLY on the goal at hand - in this case, getting into the Marine Corps. So they'll do just about anything they can think of to get in there because it's "always been a dream." Thing is, you're going to have OTHER "dreams" in your life, and it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to do something unethical (lie) just to make THIS one come true, only to lessen your chances at anything else that might be on the horizon in the future.

And for everyone who thinks "but I ONLY want to be a Marine...", remember that most of us didn't know shi% about what we wanted out of life at age 17 or 18, so chances are you probably don't either, whether you THINK you do or not. Stay flexible and keep your options open, because life is long and full of opportunities to do different things.

"And for everyone who thinks "but I ONLY want to be a Marine...", remember that most of us didn't know shi% about what we wanted out of life at age 17 or 18, so chances are you probably don't either, whether you THINK you do or not. Stay flexible and keep your options open, because life is long and full of opportunities to do different things."

There is nothing more important to me than becoming a Marine, Even at 18 years old I can say that with 100% confidence.

So as a high school senior, if I have done drugs at any point in my life I would need a waiver from my recruiting officer?

quote:

There is nothing more important to me than becoming a Marine, Even at 18 years old I can say that with 100% confidence.

Not selling the Corps. short, but you will do EQUALLY important things in your life - get married, have children, achieve other milestones. Nothing is more important to you right now, and that's because you're only 18 and the other stuff isn't even on your radar yet.

Alright I see what your saying. Thanks for the reply!

Tell the truth.
You will be investigated for a security clearance. They may send someone to talk to some of the references that you provided on your clearance paperwork. They might not, but are you willing to get caught in a lie if someone says the wrong thing?

I came in with a drug waiver for pot and have a TS clearance. Being honest about it will not hurt you, but lying can.

Sorry to bump an old thread, but this piqued my interest.

So, according to what I'm reading, the Marines have some group that go out and investigate each recruits background? Theres around 40,000 recruits that graduate Boot annually, correct?

So this group of "investigators" go all around the country for each individual recruit, somehow track down their friends/ex crack-dealer, whatever, and then interview each friend to determine if the recruit had used drugs? They then base their decision on whether or not to enlist that recruit just on some "he said-she said" allegation?

There just seems like an amazing amount of man-hours and money spent on this whole process, and to be honest, I really don't buy it. I think if theres no paper-trail, one would be pretty much safe.

quote:

Sorry to bump an old thread, but this piqued my interest.

So, according to what I'm reading, the Marines have some group that go out and investigate each recruits background? Theres around 40,000 recruits that graduate Boot annually, correct?

So this group of "investigators" go all around the country for each individual recruit, somehow track down their friends/ex crack-dealer, whatever, and then interview each friend to determine if the recruit had used drugs? They then base their decision on whether or not to enlist that recruit just on some "he said-she said" allegation?

There just seems like an amazing amount of man-hours and money spent on this whole process, and to be honest, I really don't buy it. I think if theres no paper-trail, one would be pretty much safe.

If you're focusing only on the steps that someone else has to take to look at your background - instead of simply keeping that background clean and/or telling the truth, you didn't get the point of this entire thread. It doesn't matter what you "buy" or not. The world is a very small place, these days, and technology has made it even smaller. Anonymity has shrunk to an amazingly-small size.

As I said back in October (and as I say again and again) there's a lot more that will happen in your life than just Marine Corps. enlistment, and if you're ever applying for a gov't job, a position that requires a security clearance, a public safety or law enforcement job, etc. "they" can find out just about anything they want. But hey, if you think you're "safe" and only want to be a Marine, say whatever you need to get in the door. Just plan on being limited in the future by whatever you tell (or don't tell) a military recuiter, today.

Many things can be waived or overcome, especially if committed as a juvenile. Becoming an adult is a unique point in your life in which you are afforded the opportunity to start over - to admit to dumb things you might have done as a "kid" and effectively get a chance to start adulthood on equal footing with your peers. You probably won't get a chance like this again - where you can "blame" mistakes on something other than your own judgement (like "youth", "inexpereince", etc.). To take advantage of it or not is your decision.

quote:

Originally posted by thorin001:
Tell the truth.
You will be investigated for a security clearance. They may send someone to talk to some of the references that you provided on your clearance paperwork. They might not, but are you willing to get caught in a lie if someone says the wrong thing?

I came in with a drug waiver for pot and have a TS clearance. Being honest about it will not hurt you, but lying can.

This was just about what to put. I tried for the 0321 MOS back in boot and do to its TS clearance I had a full background check including the military talking to friends and family back home. They knew things about me that even members of my immediate family did not know.

Bottom line, be honest with the military and you wont get in trouble. Hide it and they usually find out and you will get bounced out usually a few days before graduation if your lucky. If you not you get jailtime, either way its not worth it.

Almost every poolee that I have talked to has smoked pot sometime in their life and did not mention it. I just find it very hard to believe that the government is going to trust the words of one of a Marine's old high school buddies, especially for something like smoking pot, and then discharge that Marine for not mentioning it. Not to mention, after all the money spent training that Marine, They are going to kick him out for not admitting to experimenting with pot. I just think that sounds a little off the wall considering there have been reports of gang members in the military and everything else that goes on under their radar. I did however mention to my recruiter that i have tried pot and did not admit it. His response was to put that behind me, not mention it at the moment of truth, and to go to Boot with the attitude of, I'm here to train thats it. Obviously there is a risk involved with lying, but there is much much worse that goes on in the military. Also if all that was 100% true than there would be dishonorable discharges left and right. Can the military really afford that during a time of war. Maybe I am just trying to make myself more at ease with the fact that i lied, but I can't imagine getting a dishonorable discharge for something 9 out of 10 people have done, years ago.

Also I have seen kids go into the Marines who looked as though they would never get anywhere in life. Barely graduating, doing drugs, too much partying, getting in trouble, etc...They went in to be Marines and also get the oppertunity to turn thier lives around, and came out not only as Marines, but much more decent human beings.

quote:

Originally posted by eaglehcky4:
Maybe I am just trying to make myself more at ease with the fact that i lied, but I can't imagine getting a dishonorable discharge for something 9 out of 10 people have done, years ago.

Yes people have made mistakes and used illegal drugs. People with integrity and courage will admit to their shortcomings. You may lie now, in order to get in the Marine Corps, but what happens later? You start filling out a SF-86 and you forgot what story you told, do you keep up the lie? Or do you tell the truth on the SF-86, and they find out you lied in order to enlist.

I would much rather have a guy who told the truth and lived with the consequences, than have a person with no integrity, and gets what he wants.

Think long and hard about what you do. It's Karma.

quote:

Originally posted by eaglehcky4:
Almost every poolee that I have talked to has smoked pot sometime in their life and did not mention it. I just find it very hard to believe that the government is going to trust the words of one of a Marine's old high school buddies, especially for something like smoking pot, and then discharge that Marine for not mentioning it. Not to mention, after all the money spent training that Marine, They are going to kick him out for not admitting to experimenting with pot. I just think that sounds a little off the wall considering there have been reports of gang members in the military and everything else that goes on under their radar. I did however mention to my recruiter that i have tried pot and did not admit it. His response was to put that behind me, not mention it at the moment of truth, and to go to Boot with the attitude of, I'm here to train thats it. Obviously there is a risk involved with lying, but there is much much worse that goes on in the military. Also if all that was 100% true than there would be dishonorable discharges left and right. Can the military really afford that during a time of war. Maybe I am just trying to make myself more at ease with the fact that i lied, but I can't imagine getting a dishonorable discharge for something 9 out of 10 people have done, years ago.

Just man up. Lying shows dishonor and honor is one of the three core values the Marines are built upon. So instead of making excuses and saying "well everyone else does it" maybe try doing the right thing. The Marines are called the few and the proud for a reason, all Marines mess up but we take responsibility for our actions and face the music, not try to hide in the shadows. If you want to be a Marine you have a lot to learn.

quote:

Orignally posted by eaglehcky4:
Maybe I am just trying to make myself more at ease with the fact that i lied, but I can't imagine getting a dishonorable discharge for something 9 out of 10 people have done, years ago.

Excuses are like a**holes: everyone has them and they all stink!

quote:

Also I have seen kids go into the Marines who looked as though they would never get anywhere in life. Barely graduating, doing drugs, too much partying, getting in trouble, etc...They went in to be Marines and also get the oppertunity to turn thier lives around, and came out not only as Marines, but much more decent human beings.

These are people who took a good look at themselves and saw what they had to do to improve themselves. Oh, and don't say they all lied to get in, because that's not the case.

It takes a lot to owe up to what you did [wrong] in the past. If you do, you're a better human being than those who are so fearful and just lie to get through.

quote:

I just find it very hard to believe that the government is going to trust the words of one of a Marine's old high school buddies, especially for something like smoking pot, and then discharge that Marine for not mentioning it.

Serving in the military is a PRIVILEGE not a right. When you are a part of unit, it's built on TRUST. I don't know about you, but I would be very afraid if I knew someone in my unit lied his/her way to get where they are.

I don't know about the Gov't going the words of a Marine's HS buddies, but prior to the Corps, that's the Marine's life! Where else are they going to investigate? So your life prior is has a lot of substance.

The problem with a couple of BG investigations is you don't know who they'll talk to and or how far they will go. Yeah, you list references on your SF-86, but they won't stop there when they conduct their investigation.

If you want to be a man and a Marine, you'll be true to yourself first and owe up to your shortcomings and not just try to bury it.

15 years ago, I looked at going in the military - either the Army or Marine reserves. Well, I was up-front with both recruiters about having smoked pot a couple times in high school (5 years prior to considering enlistment). The army recruiter convinced me that it was ok to say I never did because it was only a couple times, and not documented (I never was busted for it), and got me as far as MEPS. Well, I had a panic moment about it, and didn't know anything at the time about the moment of truth, coming clean, and what not, so I walked away from MEPS and the military (I was still young and stupid). Over the years since, I've thought about enlisting, but was always afraid the document I signed back at MEPS would come back and keep me from ever going in, or get me booted once I got in, even if I was now honest about it.

Well, by the time I discovered that it was something that could be waivered, it was too late to follow my dream due to age, health, & family. It is my greatest regret in life.

So, the moral is, yes, you want to be in Recon, but if you go through the process and get disqualified because you lied about drug use, you'll not only lose Recon, but lose being a Marine in any sense. If you are disqualified from Recon for being honest, you will probably still be able to be a Marine in some other capacity. But, no matter what, the lie will haunt you for the rest of your life.

Is any of this different for someone wanting to go into the PLC? Or is it more strict?

quote:

Originally posted by 17616187:
Is any of this different for someone wanting to go into the PLC? Or is it more strict?

There's nothing "different" about having to be honest.