Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard/Criminal Traffic Violations

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Expert: - 5/10/2010


Question
Hello John,

 My name is Thomas, I am 25 years old and have unfortunately made some poor choices. I have been reading a lot about possible DQs for Military service and just had a few questions. First I will explain the current circumstances.

 I have had a few run ins with the law and have been convicted once with driving on a suspended license in the third degree and made the mistake of missing my judgment date and now have a bench warrant. I also have another driving on suspended third degree charge pending which I will be pleading guilty to as soon as I wrap this up (I was moving and had no choice but to move my car to the new location).

 Herein lies my question, would I be disqualified from military service in the Navy or Air Force based on the above information under the assumption that I turn myself in and have some kind of jail in-processing record and no probationary actions as well as complete MEPS medical with no issues? I have never had drug charges of any kind or prior convictions. I have just made a couple of mistakes and made some immature choices.

I appreciate your time and await your response.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Thomas

Answer
Once all have been cleared up, you should still be eligible with little issues. Missing a court date for something that small is not an issue. Turn yourself in, pay your fines and get going with your life.  You probably wont even get probabtion for this.

Careers: Military--Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard

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John L

Expertise

I am a National Guard recruiter , been doing it for seven years and am a subject matter expert on qualifications for National Guard and I keep up to date on Regular Army regs and programs. I was in the Navy for 4 years and have 13 years in the Guard. I will not sugar coat my answers to you. They are usually short and to the point. If you need more in depth, ask me. Because each situation is different, alot of times you need to actually talk to a recruiter and let them evaluate your situation in person, by looking at your documents, issues etc. If I suggest this, it would be in your best interest to do so. Finally...thank you for your interest in serving this great nation of ours. Very few people can actually make the cut to serve let alone choose to do so. So thank you for wanting to and hopefully you will get a chance. Whatever branch you choose, thank you and good luck.

Experience

13 years Guard experince, combat missions and homeland missions. 7 years recruiting. I have been a platoon sergeant and squad leader. Mentor to new recruiters and recruits.

Education/Credentials
Recruiters course and advanced courses in recruiting

Awards and Honors
Top recruiter in district for FY 2008. Nominated for recruiter of the year for 2010.

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