Expert: Aaron Shifferly - 4/8/2010

Question
I was arrested in Oct of 2005 in Maryland for concealment/possession of a deadly weapon (6 inch blackjack/keyring). I was not convicted nor did I spend anytime in jail and I did not receive a felony on my record. I received a stet docket for one year from Dec 2005 to Dec 2006. The stet docket is currently closed as well as the case. This is the only arrest I have ever had. I am looking to join the Army and was wondering will this stop me from joining.

Answer
Ask the recruiter. If, as you say, you dont have anything drastic on your record it shouldn't be an issue. If some other charges made their way there you could have issues. It all depends on what your criminal background check actually says. As you state it you shouldnt have any issues. The biggest issue would be a domestic violence charge.. those are bad and will almost always stop you from joining.