Expert: Aaron Shifferly - 10/18/2010

Question
Hello sir, I am 19 years of age and I want to join army rotc to become an officer but I am unsure if I will be able to due to the fact that I had a posseion of marijuana charge 0-2 grams due to the fact the person riding in my car dished it under my seat when we were stopped but I did own up to it. if possible can you tell me if I will be able to get this wavied or not.

Answer
You will need to apply for the waiver. It's not the most serious offense on the books so, if you're an otherwise qualified candidate you stand a shot.  Just remember, the slots are competitive, particularly if you are applying for a scholarship too, and this means you need to work that much harder to ensure your packet is the one chosen.  Discuss it with the ROTC teacher/advisor at the university you're attending and see how to proceed from here. Good luck!