I have a misdemeanor. can i join the army

Legal and financial events in your past can be waved, but you need to mention them to your recruiter. Remember, there is no penalty for talking about your past with a recruiter. Read on to find out more about how run-ins with the law can affect your joining the military. We can put you in touch with recruiters from the different military branches. Learn about the benefits of serving your country, paying for school, military career paths, and more: sign up now and hear from a recruiter near you.

Hobbies like BMX, motocross, skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding and others are now full-time sports for many young athletes. Get the scoop on discounts and latest award-winning military content. Right in your inbox. View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page. The Naval Sea Cadet Corps was established in and looks "to build leaders of character" through military instruction and Joining the military with issues in your past such as a criminal record is not impossible, but much depends on the age, nature, and severity of the issues that led to run-ins with the law.

What do you need to know about enlisting in the United States military with a criminal history? This issue comes up because the Department of Defense has a set of criteria it will consider for criminal record waivers, and a list of issues that can never be waived. There are both felonies and misdemeanors that are technically waivable, and certain crimes felonies or not that can never be waived. Any form of pretrial restraint generally renders the applicant ineligible for the military.

That includes being released on bond or parole. Certain violent offenses, drug trafficking, and certain financial misconduct may never be waived. All waivers are handled on a case-by-case basis and applicants should allow the recruiter to make the determination instead of counting themselves out of the running.

And in many cases that assumption might be absolutely correct, but not always. When the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps are not hurting for new recruits or having trouble getting people to reenlist, you may find that getting approved to join your chosen branch of military service harder to do with issues in your personal history such as arrests, drug use, convictions, etc.

It all depends on the circumstances present at application time. In either case it all comes down to the type of offense and how long ago it was. When you apply to the military you are required to tell the recruiting of any incidents that resulted in arrest or in charges being filed. It is a felony not to disclose this information. The military requires under federal law that such records be revealed on enlistment and security clearance paperwork.

Failure to do so is a felony. Congress and the courts have held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of , which ensures all individuals are treated equally before the law with respect to civilian employment, does not apply to the military profession.

When it comes to recruitment, the military branches have high standards. They are seeking more than just a physical athlete that can make it through basic training. Their process also seeks to weed out those they find to have poor moral character. Any criminal conviction could be enough to prevent you from joining the military. In fact, just admitting to previous drug use without a criminal record could be enough for a recruiter to pass on you.

Thankfully, a waiver process is available that could allow you to join the military even with a conviction for drug possession. Not every person convicted of a crime will be granted a waiver to join the military. This decision can be subjective, but there are certain factors that go into granting these waivers. Your criminal history is the first and foremost issue.

While a single conviction might lead to a waiver, a lengthy criminal history could cost you any chance of joining the military. The severity of the charges against you are also important. Each of the service branches are more likely to grant a waiver for a misdemeanor than a felony.

The process for obtaining these waivers differs from one branch to another. Likewise, the rank of officer with the power to sign off on a waiver also varies across the military.