Army Jag - Will drugs blow my chances?

Question

I am very interested in pursuing Army Jag. I think I have a good shot (order of the coif and clerkship), but a couple things in my past make me worry. The first is a DUI when I was 20, but that's not too big a deal. The real concern is drug use. I've tried a bunch. I've never had what I consider a problem - I just did it for fun when it was around. I started late in college, continued in law school, and (very) rarely afterwards. I can honestly say giving it up is no problem - I essentially have, and don't miss it.

So, what are my odds of getting shot down? Should I wait a couple more years so when I apply I can say its been X number of years 100% clean?

Answer 1

First off, there are no recruiters for the JAG Corps. You fill out the application (available online) and then you interview with a Field Screening Officer. The only time I ever talked to a recruiter was to get an appointment to go to MEPS.

You would need a waiver for both the DUI, a bigger deal than you think, and the drugs. The selection (acceptance) rate in the JAG Corps consistently hovers around 20%. You should go ahead and apply but unless you have prior service, I wouldn't count on getting picked up.

And, no, waiting a couple years won't improve your chances at all --unless you join the Reserves, where the selection rate is more like 90%. Do a couple years in the Reserves, do a deployment, get a couple COLs to write you letters of recommendation and then you'd be in business.

Answer 2

The worst thing is the DUI. That might bend your dog tags.

But as long as you never got busted for drugs, it just doesn't matter. They won't ask very hard, and you don't need to tell everything. Unless you have a record.

FWIW, I knew a 15th Infantry legal clerk (74D) back in the day that had a giant pot leaf tattooed on his left forearm. It was all sorts of fun to walk a chapter case through the various hearings and reviews with a pothead legal clerk at my side.

In the summer (sleeves up), he would get all sorts of odd looks. I once saw a brigade commander dress him down about it -- the little corporal shot right back that his tattoo was in no way evidence that he had ever used illegal substances and besides, wasn't he entitled to a presumption of innocence? Didn't he pass all of his random urinalysis screenings? The Colonel backed off -- it was freaky.

Think about it from this perspective -- all of the Army senior leadership was in college in the 60's and early 70's. Most of them did more and better drugs than you could ever imagine. All of the mid-level leadership was in college in the 70's and 80's -- when coke was considered a 'soft drug' and pot was pretty much smoked openly. In general, they will understand.

Just don't do any drugs going forward. And it's better if you just keep quiet and don't test their understanding.

(BTW, don't listen to that guy that says you can't join the Army if you ever ate Acid or PCP. If the Army nixed everyone that ever did that they would be smaller than the Marine Corps. They can't test for it, and they won't as too hard, cause they really don't want to know the answer...)

Answer 3

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RE:
Army Jag - Will drugs blow my chances?
I am very interested in pursuing Army Jag. I think I have a good shot (order of the coif and clerkship), but a couple things in my past make me worry. The first is a DUI when I was 20, but that's not too big a deal. The real concern is drug use. I've tried a bunch. I've never had...

Answer 4

Army Jag Internship

Answer 5

I'm retired military. The last thing I needed was a thief or a drunk. We got enough of them without taking people with a history of that behavior. If you can't function in normal society trust me, you won't be able to handle the discipline in the military. Do the best you can to get work. Then do it right, don't steal from the boss and stay sober. After a couple of years of proving yourself give the military another try. If you can make it through probation (I thought it was parole if you were in jail but I guess not), with all the cards stacked against you, I'd take you into one of my military organizations but not without you showing what you are made of. BTW, being in jail does me some good. While you are locked up, I don't have to worry about you robing me or killing me while you are driving drunk. If all a guy had to do was join the military to get felony charges dropped, can you imagine how unsafe a person in the military would be. Some guy commits a string of 50 murders and we put them in the military. I think that is a very bad idea. Good luck, I hope you can turn things around.

Answer 6

No matter what MOS you pick, you will be drug tested. Past drug use may not neccessarily keep you from entering the military, but it could keep you from getting certain security clearances.

Talk to a recruiter. And whatever they tell you, don't lie on your background check!! If you get caught, you will get a fraudulent enrollment discharge, ruining any chances of a job in the future in the legal career (or most careers for that matter).

Answer 7

If you have drug related charges on your record you will probably not be able ot get into JAG, because you need a security clearance and it will be hard to get with drug related offenses on your record.

Answer 8

If you piss hot, you're screwed. In the background checks, they're looking for honesty. As long as they don't find something about which you didn't tell them, you're fine. If you've ever done LSD or PCP, you can't join the Army.

Answer 9

try to prusue that MOS if that's what you really want to do. you won't know unless you try. you would be surprised what jobs the military will give to anyone these days.

Answer 10

you might want to try another MOS but they would also check you there too