Posted by John on March 14, 2003 at 01:43:13:
Hello ...
I've read a lot of messages here in regards of cleaning your felony record to join the military. Some people say no, others say it is possible. I've been researching this for about a month now. Talking with a friend that was in the navy, he told me that when he was in boot camp, there were lots of people that were in trouble with the law before. I call a recruiter, they don't even want to talk to me after I tell them about my situation. At the moment I am currently waiting to hear on a couple attorneys that my family has used for awhile.
I am still wanting to hear other peoples' views on it. I was 17yrs, in Michigan, charged for 5 felonies aiding & embedding larsony over $5, then violated it selling controlled substance to undercover police officer. They dropped that cause of the probation violation punishment was much greater. However that charge did show up on a recent background check from a job. I'm 23 now, living in Florida, haven't been in trouble since. I'm not even the same person as before. I did the crime, I did my time. I was 17 when I was arrested, so I was technically a juvenile, but I was charged as an adult.
The bad side of everything is that I can't even get a decent job cause of my past. I had to move back with my mom. My parents are not rich and can not afford to send me through school. I try to get loans and grants, which I do, but it is nowhere near enough to pay for the rest. I thought the military would be my best bet, now I hit another wall. Cleaning my record up would help a lot.
Lets say somehow I do get my record expunged... would the military still consider me a felon so which I can not join? If it does end up happening, I will definately post a message here, nice and clear on what is up.
Thanks for your time,
John