fraudulent enlisment

[mikes mom]

Hi all - My son enlisted last summer  and went to boot camp.  He has just finished A school as a medical corpsman. In the past few weeks they discovered that he has low thyroid, and have said that they will do a routine line of command investigation to see if he has everbeen diagnosed withthisbefore.  Well he had been and he told his recruiter that, and was told to simply say nothing and let the navy diagnose the problem.  Well now that they have they have asked him if he ever was treated and he said no, because the recruiter hadsaid not to.  Nowhe is feeling sick about it, and has gone to the chaplain and explained his situation. He will alsogo to the legal services tomorrow to disclosed.  It looks to me like they usually treat this as fraudulent enlistedment.  Is that going to show as other than honorable?  Theironic part is that this is they only time he has everlied, and it was at his recruiters direction.  If it had been up to hime he would have just disclosed it up front. He has always been such a straight arrow kid, and it is killing him to know this may ruin everything.

[Arwen]

It's a tough situation. The Navy really doesn't care if he lied at his recruiter's direction, or on his own. Recruits are expected to be honest enough to not lie, even (or especially) when directed to do so. They are expected to know a "legal" order from an "illegal" order. As we always told our kids, if you were told to go jump off a bridge, would you do it?

 

Many of our kids enter the Navy straight out of high school, and are still accustomed to doing exactly what they are told, by parents, by teachers, and rarely get a chance to think for themselves and figure out the black, white and grey of life. They're naive, and when recruiters tell them to lie, they do it.

 

It's a harsh lesson for young adults who get caught in this trap.

 

There are those who lie about medical conditions and get through entire careers without being caught. I know several. But there are just as many, if not more, who don't get away with it. Most are caught in boot camp, when the stress makes conditions flare up, or they are freaked out enough at the "moment of truth" to confess at that time.

 

If he had disclosed his thyroid condition early at MEPS, or insisted on being honest, he *might* have received a waiver, but there is no guarantee. I'm guessing your son's recruiter didn't want to do the paperwork. There is a LOT of paperwork involved in waivers and it's disturbingly common for recruiters to do this.

 

It's a really unfair situation, and recruiters are rarely (if ever) punished. It's the recruit's word against the recruiter's, and even if the recruit does have proof the recruiter did something wrong, that won't get him/her out of the fact that s/he lied. Your sailor is going to pay the price. I've never heard of a sailor allowed to stay in the Navy under these circumstances.

 

If he had been discovered in boot camp, he would have received an administrative discharge, but since he got all the way to completion of A-school, they will treat this as a larger offense, since they invested all of this money into him. His punishment could include brig (jail) time, and, depending on those who will make the decisions, he could receive an "other than honorable" or "dishonorable" discharge. He will *not* get an honorable discharge. The worst thing about this is that he will not be eligible for federal education grants and loans - if he wants to go to college, you or he will have to pay out of your own pocket.

[Angie]

BCNR

 

If he does get kicked out, he can put in a request with the BCNR (Board for Correction of Naval Records) and try to plead his case to them to get his discharge changed.

 

Recommend in the mean time, he writes down everything that happened.  Who said what, when, if anyone else was there when he was told what by his recruiter.  Also he should let his Chief know what happened so that s/he can try and help out.

 

Lieing no matter what on official paper work is a big no-no!  I know this first hand (long story, but if someone wants to know I have nothing to hid).  Lieing on official paper work can be grounds for CO's mast, and discharge (OTH)

 

He needs to come clean now and let the chips fall where they may.

[mikes mom]

He has already made the decision to come clean. He decided he wouldn't have been able to live with himself even if there were a way to "get away with it".  The chaplain he talked to said he thought it may be a general discharge, but could also be other than honorable. A very hard lesson. He intends to talk to legal services office first thing in the morning.