Doing the best I can

DutyFirst · 12-16-2007, 19:09

QPs,

I want to share my story with you and request your guidance as men I respect and wish to serve with.

When I first enlisted a few years ago in the CAARNG, I was younger (read: naive) and less mature and allowed myself to be persuaded by my recruiter to not disclose my medical records (as well as to why I should go NG over active, when active is what I wanted originally). When I was in the middle of signing my contract my recruiter called the GC and had my SF86 changed to omit a juvenile offense I had disclosed because the court wasn't disclosing and he handn't a waiver for me. They squezed me and said if I didn't keep quiet about the offense they wouldn't enlist me..it felt horrible but I relented so I could serve my country. I still have both printed EPSQs from the MEPS GC so hopefully It will help show that I did the right thing initially until I was coerced and caved in. When I got to my unit, I learned that I was lied to about what I would be doing and my training opportunities, was not enlisted as a REP-63, had a bad enlistment to contend with and if I continued to pursue SF I would be toast because I was almost gauranteed to get a fraudulent enlistment discharge when the clearance was worked on. My unit wasn't the unit specified on the contract, they were in a real bad way in every aspect, wouldn't let me transfer because they were already a skeleton crew and needed troops....I was miserable about it all and stopped going to drill so I could get a General Discharge under Honorable conditions rather than OTH, and re-do the whole thing THE RIGHT WAY this time.

I realize that despite being led along by a shitbag person in a position of trust and whatever else I may have in my defense, it was I who signed the paperwork and made the choice, period. I am smarter and better than that but caught up in the emotion of it as a young hard charger wanting to serve I did the wrong thing. I am not looking for sympathy or to pass the buck.

I did all that I could to be an exemplary soldier in basic, was a PT stud, and I truly love the Army and my fellow soldiers, but finding out what a sham and dishonorable situation I was in I felt I had to take what action I could for the best interests of myself and the Army.

Moving forward, I am older, wiser, more mature, and I am not going to give up in going after what I want: a career in SF. I am scared of "NO" but having done everything I can and being thrown out on my face will be better than cowering in the corner and never going after it. I realize that you men may well be skeptical of my account here due to your intellect and training.

I ask for only two things with this post: suspension of your disbelief and any guidance towards setting things right and getting what I am after. I am an open book. What type of proactivity is recommended to satisfy clearance and administrative selection requirements and get past this? Im going to MEPS in 2-3 days in pursuit of my 18x contract.

**The Reaper** · 12-16-2007, 19:28

DF:

First, this topic has been flogged to death here, to the point that I have already incorporated advice to those being advised to lie on their enlistment paperwork. Short version: Never do it.

Second, while your candor and desire to do the right thing now is admirable, our actions have consequences. Your lying on your med records and criminal history mean that the SF door is in all probability closed to you permanently.

Those who want to be SF need to follow the advice given, be good kids, stay healthy, tell the truth when enlisting, and realize that sometimes, we have made a bad bed for ourselves and we just have to accept it.

Best of luck.

TR

DutyFirst · 12-17-2007, 18:15

Sir,

I wish I had a resource like this, or even a proper mentor back in those days and things would have went down differently. It was dumb dumb dumb.

I feel like Jim Carey in that scene from dumb and dumber....
"so you're saying there's a chance?!"

So would it be primarily an issue of the cadre immediately DQing me out of SFPC or SFAS upon review of pertinent records, or difficulties obtaining a clearance?

**The Reaper** · 12-17-2007, 20:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by DutyFirst

Sir,

I wish I had a resource like this, or even a proper mentor back in those days and things would have went down differently. It was dumb dumb dumb.

I feel like Jim Carey in that scene from dumb and dumber....
"so you're saying there's a chance?!"

So would it be primarily an issue of the cadre immediately DQing me out of SFPC or SFAS upon review of pertinent records, or difficulties obtaining a clearance?

So you would compound unethical conduct with more unethical conduct? I think you are telling us all we needed to know.

FWIW, I did not have a mentor either, but I did have parents.

TR

DutyFirst · 12-17-2007, 23:26

No, Sir, there is a miscommunication here, let me un-fuck my previous question.

I am in no way implying that I would continue to conceal anything at all.

What I was trying to ask is: after having fully disclosed and been enlisted with integrity, and being candid when any time comes to speak for my past mistake I have shared here, and having the mistake confirmed by review of my pertinent records by the cadre and/ or security investigors; would the primary issue be that no cadre member would allow me to continue through SFPC or SFAS despite any other merits and DQing me, or would it be more of an innability to obtain a clearance?

I appreciate your willingness to offer your wisdom to me, and I did not mean to imply any further bad conduct.

DF

**The Reaper** · 12-18-2007, 05:46

I am not busting you, but consider that you have medical issues that would probably require a waiver, a criminal record that may not even be waiverable, and an OTH discharge.

I am not a recruiter, but I do not see any way that you are getting in.

TR

DutyFirst · 12-20-2007, 13:51

FWIW, it is a General Under Honorable.....OTH didn't apply to me.

This isn't the place for me to go over all the exact details of my life, but I see where you are coming from- im not the guy you must be picturing. I guess one would figure if concealing something it must be pretty nasty

If I get the contract, I'm priveledged, I'll post it in the applicable place. If I get selected, I'm honored, obviously folks with more experience/ responsibility than me saw it prudent. Thanks again for your insight, good persepective for me.

DF