I’ve read through some of the postings on the internet to try and find information as to whether one would be able to join the military with a DUI charge.
Here’s a situation that Im looking for a bit more clarity on.
I was stopped for speeding, and was taken in for DUI over the 4th of July weekend (BAC: .09). I hired a lawyer. I know a DUI on my record reduces my chance at becoming an officer in the Army. However, I am trying to get a heads up as to how a dismissal of the charge, or reduction of the charge such as reckless driving, or any other reduction of the initial offense is looked upon.
At the moment, my license is NOT officially suspended, and a hearing date has not been determined yet. I know that I must wait until the pending issue is resolved, but this is a HUGE concern for me because this is not indicative of my behavior at all. Because of my age, (late 30′s)
I must go through a PT test, AND AN INTERVIEW WITH A BOARD OF OFFICERS TO SEE IF I AM OFFICER MATERIAL. I was told by my recruiter that OCS slots are filled for this fiscal year. The fiscal year would end in October 2010.
My legal history:
- Rolling through a stop sign
- Not paying a subway fare (2 times, did community service)
Education: B.A.
Work history: Advanced & promoted quickly in almost every position I had…especially as of the past few years
Question:
1. Again, how would a reduced charge from a DUI look on my record?
2. During my interview process with the board of officers, I would be asked about this reduced charged (IF I GET A REDUCED CHARGED). Obviously, I tell the truth. How COULD it effect the possibilities of attending OCS?
Thank you in advance
First off, don’t worry. Second, reducing your charge won’t help. Like the previous posts said, it won’t matter and they’ll look at the original charge. But with one DUI and nothing else (the rolling through and not paying subway are fine) you’ll be able to get in.
You’ll have to get a waiver which shouldn’t be a problem.
I have an OWI (from 7 years ago) and i’m joining the army. I also have a receiving stolen property (10 years ago) and a minor consumption (9 years ago). I got a waiver for all of those and am still "okay to join" Granted though, all my legal issues happened 7 years ago plus, you still should be fine.
The military doesn’t care what the charge is or what punishment you got, they care whether you committed the crime. If you were driving under influence, then that is what they will consider, not what the charge was.
Depends on the jurisdiction, but first offense… should not be a problem. You’re not going to "dismiss"the charges. You fu&ked up, so man up. The military takes just about anyone with a pulse, so if you have a BA, you’re fine. AS long as you’re not retarded, you should be able to raise to the secretary of defense.
1: worse than a DUI.. they look at the ORIIGINAL charge not what it was pled down to
2: ZERO chance.. period, end of subject. if it was from 4 or 5 years ago,.. MAYBE.. something that recent.. dude you won’t even get to the interview stage.
they are currently taking less than 60% of all fully qualfiied Officer candidates who do NOT have legal issues to contend with.
I have been in the process of getting into Army OCS for the past year and have a DUI from six years ago that was pleaded down and did not result in a conviction.
As you already know by the fact that OCS slots are closed for the fiscal year, OCS is currently very selective. The question of reduced charge is irrelevant as they will have access to the original charges and when it comes to DUI’s are not concerned with legal hair splitting. Everything short of a full exoneration is considered guilty of a DUI.
The most current point is this: I was just informed by my recruiter that OCS will not be accepting any DUI waivers for the indefinite future. According to the recruiter this will be two years. It’s impossible to know whether or not they will change this policy soon but as of right now, anyone with a DUI (assuming they were not acquitted) is ineligible.