Expert: Rod Powers - 9/12/2006

Question
I have 8 juvenile misdomenors that I commited prior to the age of 16. Am I still eligable to join any form of military service? Am I eligable to recieve a waiver?

Answer
Hi Richard,

8 offenses is a lot. It will almost surely require a waiver (depending on the speficic offenses), no matter which military service you apply for.

For details, see my article at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/a/enlstandards.htm

What are the chances that a waiver will be approved? Good question, and one that nobody (even a recruiter) can accurately answer. Each and every waiver is evaluated, considered and approved/disapproved on their own individual merits. Factors taken into consideration are (1) type of offense(s) (2) circumstances surrounding the offense(s) (3) time since the offense(s) were committed (4) age when the offense(s) were committed, (5) other qualification factors (such as ASVAB Score or college credits), and (6) how bad that service needs new recruits.

Criminal history waivers can be very subjective. For details, see my article at: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/joiningthemilitary/l/blwaivers.htm That's the nature of the game. In other words, one recruiting squadron commander may have a problem with someone convicted of juvenile burglary, while a different recruiting squadron commander may not. With 8 juvenile convictions, however, you're probably going to have an uphill battle, regardless.

One of the biggest factors is how bad a particular branch needs new recruits. The more that branch needs new recruits, the more likely they are to waive juvenile offenses. You can probably forget about the active duty Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy. Your chances of getting an approved waiver for them are slim, as they currently have more applicants than they can use. Your chances for the Army or Marine Corps, or the National Guard or Reserve Forces might be better.

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com