how hard, how long for acceptance, and what if I was arrested as a teenager?

[plumadore11]

I am currently a junior at Saint Leo University in Florida, where I am a management major. I am a member of the men's basketball team as well. I have recently come across the BDCP and it has really sparked my interest. I recently had a baby girl, well about eight months ago, and I cannot think of a better way to secure the future for her and myself then this program and the military.

I have some questions regarding the program. I will mention that I have not talked to a recruiter yet, becuase I wanted to be somewhat informed myself before talking to someone. I want to know the competitiveness of the program, how hard is it to be accepted? I checked the requirements on various website and I meet/exceed all the mentioned criterion; however, is there anything hidden that I should be aware of that is used in the selection process?

I'd also like to ask if being arrested would affect my chances? I was arrested at the age of thirteen and was sent to a Juvenile Detention Center, but have not been in trouble since. Just wondering if I would be turned away for my mistakes in my youth.

Also, how long does it take to get accepted? From there, how long once accepted to start receiving pay and benefits?

Any information is appreciated, becuase I really don't know too much about anything to do with any of this. I would be the first one in my family to become a soldier if all goes through. Thanks in advance!

 

[OUSOONER]

Start here...find an officer recruiter near you. They will give you the honest truth.

http://www.navy.com/findarecruiter/

Get some basic information from them....then come on here and peruse the forums. There is a ton of information. After you have waded through all of it. Ask anything that you cannot find an answer to.

Good luck.

 

[Tom]

It is competitive. The "hardness" of being accepted depends on your application. There is nothing truly hidden in the process. Talking to your recruiter should cover most questions. Be sure to read the threads in the BDCP section. Being arrested when you were 13 may have some implications. Tell your recruiter, don't lie about it and you should be fine. It truly depends on what happened. Since you don't have a recurrent history it should not be a big deal.

Timelines differ. It took me about 4 months from starting the application to final select. I have known people where it took them over a year. Once you swear in it could take a month or two for the paycheck to show up.

The correct term would be sailor.

 

[m0tbaillie]

First, if you do a search for 'BDCP' you'll see a billion and one threads that have already covered all of this information. BDCP is a very competitive program due to the fact that you're getting paid full military pay and benefits as an active duty member (and all of the privileges that that entails) to simply keep your grades up.

There are no "hidden" factors to be aware of in the selection process as it is largely dynamic and depends on quite a few things, to include the number of people the boards are looking to put into a program at the moment. However, they tend to focus on the "whole person concept", meaning they are going to look at a combination of your GPA, your major, your extracurricular activities, your references/letters of recommendation, personal statement, and your ASTB test scores, to name a few.

I'm not entirely sure what effect getting arrested would have but given that you were pretty young, I doubt it will matter much as long as it was for nothing extremely serious. That would be something that you would probably want to comment on and explain in your personal statement (emphasize that it was youthful stupidity and not a trend).

The process is somewhat variables, but for me, I started the actual process in January (testing, PRT, paperwork, MEPS, etc.), went to the March boards, was PRO-REC'ed in March, got my final select at the end of April, and signed on the dotted line on 6 May. However, again, your process could be slightly longer or shorter depending on a multitude of other factors. Just know that it will take several months and there is a lot of "hurry up and wait" built into this process. It will also take about a month or so AFTER you sign the papers to see any money, but you would get back pay for that.

Also, you would be a sailor, not a soldier

Let me know if you have any questions...try and post a little bit about yourself (school, grades, major, extracurriculars, what you were arrested for, what you're interested in (program-wise), etc).

 

[plumadore11]

Thanks for the information guys. I actually called to speak to a recruiter this morning, but it wasn't an officer recruiter. I was told someone would call me back sometime throughout today.

I will be honest with them and explain to them the situation. I have to admit that I have come a long way since then in who I am and who I want to be. Nevertheless, I can't escape my past.

Thanks again. Oh, and sailor. [note to self]

 

[m0tbaillie]

Thanks for the information guys. I actually called to speak to a recruiter this morning, but it wasn't an officer recruiter. I was told someone would call me back sometime throughout today.

I will be honest with them and explain to them the situation. I have to admit that I have come a long way since then in who I am and who I want to be. Nevertheless, I can't escape my past.

Thanks again. Oh, and sailor. [note to self]

I wouldn't worry too much about the getting arrested bit. It's in the past, you were young, and we all do stupid shit when we're teenagers. As long as you're 100% upfront about it, the boards will take this into account.

Good luck.

 

[plumadore11]

Major: Management

GPA: 3.1 (intend to get this up)

Extracurricular:
Men's basketball
Vice President and Co-founder of the Philosophy club

Volunteer Work:
Working concessions at Raymond James Stadium
Reading to children at a local elementary school

I was arrested for the placing of a destructive device. I know that sounds crazy, but it was a mixture of chlorine and rubbing alcohol that we put in a two liter bottle and exploded; therefore a destructive device, technically. I haven't been arrested since, a couple of speeding tickets, but nothing serious. I lost my father shortly after I got arrested and it really woke me up.

As far as my interests, I really am not sure.

 

[OUSOONER]

Major: Management

GPA: 3.1 (intend to get this up)

Extracurricular:
Men's basketball
Vice President and Co-founder of the Philosophy club

Volunteer Work:
Working concessions at Raymond James Stadium
Reading to children at a local elementary school

I was arrested for the placing of a destructive device. I know that sounds crazy, but it was a mixture of chlorine and rubbing alcohol that we put in a two liter bottle and exploded; therefore a destructive device, technically. I haven't been arrested since, a couple of speeding tickets, but nothing serious. I lost my father shortly after I got arrested and it really woke me up.

As far as my interests, I really am not sure.

Well man, it sounds like you're a sound individual. Even though you're a ghetto version of the Uni-Bomber Honesty is good. Your officer recruiter will have the answers you seek and some good advice. He/she will help with directing you on a path of your interest. They get paid to find qualified candidates off the street with no prior knowledge of the military.

One of the first things they will do, is have you take the ASTB test. Ask about that and when you get information, PM me and I will send you some links to great study material.

Also, peruse "Paths to a commission" , "Questions on becoming a Naval Officer, and the "ASTB" forums on here.

 

[getmeinaf18]

I wouldn't worry at all about what happened when you were 13. I apreciate your honesty, but honestly I doubt there is even any record of the incident. A lot of times when you do something like that as a child the police and your parents will sort of make it seem like you are in bigger trouble and facing bigger consequences than you actually are. But officially there is no actual arrest or criminal record, you just get detained for a little while. I think any misdemeanor when you are under 18 is not recorded, by law.

Because of this, you can honestly say you have no criminal record, and even that you were never arrested. Its kinda like if they ask if you ever had a head injury, you dont want to go on talking about how you hit you got hit by a basketball and got lump. It's not the kind of information they are interested in, and may just be destracting from the good stuff.

 

[HeyJoe]

But officially there is no actual arrest or criminal record, you just get detained for a little while. I think any misdemeanor when you are under 18 is not recorded, by law.

Because of this, you can honestly say you have no criminal record, and even that you were never arrested. Its kinda like if they ask if you ever had a head injury, you dont want to go on talking about how you hit you got hit by a basketball and got lump. It's not the kind of information they are interested in, and may just be destracting from the good stuff.

Disregard this advice as it is DEAD WRONG and will get you in trouble, if not disqualified. If they ask you if you have been arrested, you answer truthfully. It's been stated over and over and over yet again as recently as this week* that even though there is no "record" publicly, there is a record that government inquiries on security checks will reveal.

getmeinaf18, unless you know what you're talking about, you need to stand aside as you are giving out bad advice.

Because of this, you can honestly say you have no criminal record, and even that you were never arrested.

You answer the question whether you have been arrested, you don't try to rationalize how to avoid answering truthfully.

*Unlike getmeinaf18 who has yet to be accepted into a program, this post is from a former Recruiter who is one of our Resident Experts on this issue of what to reveal. This is his most recent post and it's GOOD Gouge:

Please tell me you are joking.

LCDR Mitchell's (yea, I made the dark side in the Reserves, I can't wait to task JOs) Formula for success that he learned as an Officer Recruiter.

1. Don't enlist unless you want to be enlisted.

2. Apply early and often. If you want it, apply till you are in or are too old.

3. Don't get arrested, because the powers that be are spooky and powerful and will find out about any trouble you get into.

4. Don't lie about your arrest record. They will ask, and if it ever comes out that you lied, life sucks for you.

5. Keep it in your pants if it keeps getting you in trouble. Dude, you are not the first. (For her, or to have this problem)

6. Don't whine if your recruiter doesn't act like you are the second coming, they don't make any points for recruiter aviators.

I can't wait for the next post: "I may have spent some time in Iran when I was considering converting to radical fundamentalist, Islam, but I don't have anything to do with them anymore. I didn't actually make any car bombs, just saw one guy make a model one time."

Have you ever been on anti-depressants? Taken meds for ADD/ADHD? Used Coke, X, LSD, Heroine? Anything other than pot. Had asthma? There is a long list of things that will keep you out and I am trying to save you the heartache of false hopes.

R/

Steve

I think part of confusion is over what a judge or lawyer tells you about whether you have a "record" or not. They are talking about the court system, not what government sees when a security clearance background investigation is conducted and that is what matters and can bounce you out of the approval process if you conceal information.

That said, follow the link to the entire thread and you'll see plenty of folks revealing what they had in their pasts and how they still got selected. In fact, don't miss folks teasing DSL because her "record" is so squeaky clean. if you strayed into trouble, board understands things happen and want to hear honestly what transpired (no whining). They're looking for a mature response of what you learned from it and a clean record afterwards (and indirectly how that mischief isn't going to reoccur in the future).

 

[Flying Low]

Just thought I would post some things about records/sealed/expunge from the FDLE web page. Here is the link http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content...6/01_31Frequently-20Asked-20Questions-1-.aspx and below are just a few items.

2. Why do I have a criminal history record when the charges against me were dropped/dismissed?
​

A criminal history record is created when a person is arrested and fingerprinted, and includes the disposition of that arrest, whether it is a conviction, acquittal, dismissal of charges before trial, or other disposition.


4. What is the difference between having a criminal history record sealed vs. expunged?
​

When a criminal history record is sealed, the public will not have access to it. Certain governmental or related entities, primarily those listed in s. 943.059(4)(a), Florida Statutes, have access to sealed record information in its entirety.
When a record has been expunged, those entities which would have access to a sealed record will be informed that the subject of the record has had a record expunged, but would not have access to the record itself without a court order. All they would receive is a caveat statement indicating that "Criminal Information has been Expunged from this Record".​

 

[GroundPounder]

Flying Low is absolutly correct, when you run a criminal history on a person expunged items are noted, and if you have a reason they can be viewed after getting a court order. It's not automatic, and I can't speak with any authority on how long it would take for a recruiter to access them but it can be done. My knowledge is based on Georgia, how your state works might be a little different in the small points, but overall I'd be willing to bet that its not that different.

I would go by what people like HeyJoe are telling you, and if this in conflict with advice that they give, do what they say not me. I would try to obtain a copy of the report from the agency that completed the investigation so that you can have it when you explain the circumstances of the arrest. Getting juvenile reports varies from state to state, but you being the subject of the report should make it much easier for you.

 

[plumadore11]

Thank you to everyone who put their insight into the situation. To clear things up, the crime I was charged with was a felony, unfortunately. I checked with the courts clerks office and it is still on my record, haven't had it expunged (I got the paper work to have it done though). Nevertheless, I have a meeting tomorrow morning with an officer recruiter and am a little nervous about explaining the whole situation. Reality is a felony is a felony and no matter what the circumstances are it is serious.

Hopefully, my life post-criminal will be enough. I have learned invaluable life lessons from my experience and I made a promise to myself that I would never end up in this situation again, and I haven't for whatever that's worth.

Here's a small detail, when the recruiter asked if I had been arrested I decided not to trust my instinct and be honest and I told him only for a misdameanor criminal mischief charge. In my defense, I didn't tell him about the felony 1) because it happend when I was 13 and I thought at 21 it would be off my record and 2) becuase I thought it had been expunged when I was younger. Come to find out neither of these are the case.

How should I bring it up? I was thinking of making it known before we even began with our meeting, letting him know that I want to be honest about who I am and the things you have asked me, then explaining it. Hopefully I didn't disqualify myself with my actions at the age of 13.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[navy09]

Here's a small detail, when the recruiter asked if I had been arrested I decided not to trust my instinct and be honest and I told him only for a misdameanor criminal mischief charge. In my defense, I didn't tell him about the felony 1) because it happend when I was 13 and I thought at 21 it would be off my record and 2) becuase I thought it had been expunged when I was younger. Come to find out neither of these are the case.

Lying about your criminal history is a small detail? If I were you I'd really be hoping he forgot what you said or didn't jot it down. You're not helping your case...

 

[plumadore11]

Lying about your criminal history is a small detail? If I were you I'd really be hoping he forgot what you said or didn't jot it down. You're not helping your case...

Yes, I understand the implications. I recognize now the importance of this; although, I wasn't asked if I had any expunged charges. I was asked if I had ever been arrested and since I thought my mom and dad had it expunged I said 'no'. I am with you, it's not helping my case to not be honest, which is exactly why the first thing I am going to do after the handshake is to get this out there.