Expert: Rod Powers - 2/16/2006

Question
My 18 yr old daughter is going to enlist in the Coast Guard Reserves.  She wants to serve but does not want to fight.  She has a semi checkered past with one loitering arrest last summer and an arrest for shoplifting ($105) in 2003.  She also had to be hospitalized for depression in that same time frame.  She had also used marijuana a few times in the past six months.  She is a changed girl now, for real.  She gets it and wants to move on with her life.   The application contains a detailed questionnaire for a national security position and all this info will be revealed.  What impact does this have on entering the Coast Guard? Thanks


Answer
Hi Eric,

First and foremost, your daughter needs to understand, that if she joins any branch of the United States Armed Forces, she very well may be required to "fight" in combat zones, and that includes the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard has members deployed to Iraq, to assist in providing port security in this "combat zone."  Not alot, mind you, but if she is selected for such deployment, she cannot turn it down.  See:  http://usmilitary.about.com/od/coastguard/a/uscgwar.htm

Right now, there are about 800 Coast Guard members deployed in the Gulf Region.  Again, the numbers aren't great, but your daughter needs to understand, that if she joins, and is selected for deployment to a combat zone, she *does not* have the option to refuse.  She needs to understand this, "down to her bones."

The marijuana usage won't be much of a factor, as long as she hasn't used more than 15 or so times in her life.  Less than 15 times is usually consered "experimentation," and usually isn't much of a factor.

The loitering arrest and shoplifting charge would require a waiver.  These are relatively minor offenses, and the chances of waiver approval would probably be pretty good.

The biggest factor is the hospitalization for depression.  The chances for a waiver for this are *not* good.  For obvious reasons, the military services *rarely* waive past history of mental health problems, especially when they involve treatment, or medication from a doctor or mental health specialist for significant periods of time (longer than 3 months), or hospitalization.  Such waivers are rarely granted.

For more information about U.S. Military careers, feel free to visit my military information website at:  http://usmilitary.about.com

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com