This is common practice, like doing community service in return for no jail time. This is not something done lightly, you have to have it approved through the courts.

Not that I know of, but they do go to high schools and talk in private with groups of troubled teenagers. The conversation usually starts with “what kind of career are you interested in?”, then they talk about how the Army can help achieve those goals. I know because I was one of those in the group who got called by the inercom to visit the library. When i looked around, I recognized that the other 4 guys were also “trouble makers”. It didn’t seem weird at the time, but now I think it was completely inappropriate to have a recruiter talking to us in private while we were supposed to be in class and with out parents’ permission.

No allot of teens that have gotten into minor trouble realize that they need to turn there life around for some teens that means joining the military especially if you come from a hard life and hard family sometimes the military is the only way out.

The military doesnt really want or need criminals but is simpathetic towards americas troubled they are helping troubled teens out .

Actually, for anything more than the most minor offenses, it’s unlikely the Army will accept them without a waiver. Waivers–when they are available–require one to basically convince someone they aren’t a behavior risk currently and are only available for a limited number of crimes with drug use being pretty much a no-win-situation.

Also, the Army will not even consider signing anyone up who has a pending court case. All court cases must be final before they’ll even start the enlistment process. So, there can’t really be a deal like that at this point unless it’s between a judge and the teenager and–even then–it would still be up to the Army to decide whether or not to accept them.

Additionally, teenagers are actually somewhat less competitive than adults for Army slots. They typically can not try for officer positions (no college degree) and are less competitive for many enlisted slots when the adult is a high school grad or has more than 15 college credits.

So, no, the Army doesn’t play that anymore, if they ever did.

Good luck, eh?

No. They already have to many folks in the brig & military prisons. In fact they have to turn away the crooks & druggie trying to join.

This is an urban myth. And in fact – if the mlitary even suspects that any kind of legal games is being played by the courts in order to make somebody eligible to join – that person will be given a lifetime bar against joining the armed services.

What makes you think that the military even wants those losers?