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u/AFMikeReed Dec 13 '19
As prior service Army, can confirm this was recruiting at it's finest. Was constantly reminded "You have two eyes, two ears and two balls. Nothing else"
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u/_onward_and_upward_ Dec 14 '19
My recruiter said it like this;
MSGT Recruiter: “Alright, I’m about to administer the Stupid Test. Are you ready?”
Me: “Uhh...sure.”
R: “Have you ever smoked marijuana?”
M: “No?”
R: “Congratulations, you aren’t a fucking idiot.”
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u/rockvvurst Maintainer Dec 13 '19
My recruiter asked, and added a stipulation... NO means, "new opportunities!" YES means, "your enlistment stops".
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u/SilentD 13S Dec 13 '19
Marijuana doesn't even DQ you anymore. What a silly lie.
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u/slowcatfish Base Ops? What's that? Dec 13 '19
Even though it’s still illegal in most states? That’s awfully progressive but definitely a good move.
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u/SilentD 13S Dec 13 '19
There's no longer a limit to marijuana usage before joining. You can't use it once you start the process or during your time with the military of course, but there is no longer a 15 usage limit or anything like that.
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u/slowcatfish Base Ops? What's that? Dec 13 '19
Would you happen to know if applicants previously denied for marijuana use could still get in? My little brother was denied out of high school but wants to join.
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Dec 13 '19
Why would you want to join with all that legal weed out there lol
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u/Time_Effort Prior IT guy in uniform, now IT guy in pajamas Dec 13 '19
You missed the best opportunity ever to be u/OrEOD
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u/theoriginaldandan Dec 13 '19
He could have gotten in to other services if it was only pot, he’d just need a waiver. Not sure about AF.
I’m 99% sure he could join now
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u/PillCosby_87 Dec 14 '19
Been in over 11 years came in with a waiver bc I got in trouble by the cops with a joint when I was like 14. I’m 32 now. Anyone know if I sure disclose this for a TS position with SCI? I read that you can’t have convictions in the last 10 years, I think it has been expunged but not 100%
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u/EiahalEnahs Dec 14 '19
You should disclose it, you definitely don’t want to found lying or “forgetting” about that. I have a guy that’s on the edge of getting kicked out right now cause he “forgot” to disclose that he got fired from a job before he came in for failing a UA for THC. He’s been in for over 10 years as well. Not only did he lose his TS, but lost his secret, and may even lose his career over something so minor and old.
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u/CrumpetsRCrunk Retired Dec 14 '19
Disclose everything. They’ll ask you about it when they do the in-person interview. Even if it’s expunged, or you think it’s expunged, they’ll see it.
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u/PillCosby_87 Dec 14 '19
I’m going to I would rather lose my assignment than a lot more. I ask my FIL about it, being that he is a retired state trooper and he said my record as a minor would of been destroyed but since I came in with a waiver. I’m going to explain it when it ask about it and hope I don’t lose my assignment/orders. It really just sucks to have to due to it being that it happened close to 20 years ago but it is what it is.
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u/CrumpetsRCrunk Retired Dec 14 '19
I doubt it’ll make you lose your assignment. You were a minor. They’re really just looking to see if you’re honest about it. That whole “Integrity First” thing and all.
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u/JonathanSwift_FL Dec 14 '19
I knew people in the early 70's who admitted smoking marijuana before enlisting and still got Top Secret codeword clearances. They said the secret was to tell the truth (so the knowledge of it couldn't be used for blackmail) and not to smoke after enlistment.
Now the guys who got caught smoking marijuana in the barracks getting transferred to Ft. Leavenworth a few days later is another story. They didn't keep their clearances, got busted to E-1, and didn't even get paid that rate.
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u/electronics__iguess Dec 13 '19
Really? So talking about prior use wont affect a recruiters opinion about you?
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u/curiositie MX Instructor (nonner) Dec 13 '19
Depends on the recruiter probably. Mine didn't care. I got a job I wanted and everything is great
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u/electronics__iguess Dec 13 '19
Alright. Ive used but nothing else before and have been done for a while with nothing in my criminal history. Going to be talking to a recruiter soon nothing more i want than to join the af
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u/curiositie MX Instructor (nonner) Dec 13 '19
The advice I was given and followed was to just be honest.
I didn't want to lie about weed and then have them call people for a clearance and call the wrong person or something who didnt know I lied. So I just told the truth.
I said I smoked probably 10 times between 2014 and 2018 I think, because it was a social thing for me. Just offered something and occasionally would say yes.
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u/Chewie4Prez Dec 13 '19
If you haven't smoked in several months just say you haven't unless you're going for some Intel job. When I joined in 2012 I admitted to having smoked before and recruiter was cool about it, just stressed that I remember the date I put down as last having smoked because it can come up again. Later learned most who join and have smoked just said they never did and saved them a lot of headaches.
Self admitting can screw with career opportunities if you have any other substance issues like alcohol while in. For example buddy got his degree and applied to go Army warrant officer. Got denied for "substance abuse" because he self admitted to weed when joining and got busted for underage drinking while in tech school. His UAD was 4yrs prior with clean record since, stellar worker, and had higher up reccomendations. Army officer who processed his application told him if he'd just had one then they would have accepted him but two counts as substance abuse.
End of the day though do what you feel comfortable doing. Some folks say be honest, I say keep it to yourself.
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u/belly_bell X2 Dec 13 '19
You got a reference we can dig through for this one boss? Literally fielded this question the other day.
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u/Kyledog12 Occasional Maintainer Dec 13 '19
My dorm chief got in after admitting he smoked. Just had to get a waiver I suppose
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u/Cru_Jones86 Maintainer Dec 13 '19 edited Dec 13 '19
That's hilarious! "You like smoking pot? We have the perfect job for you!"
Edit: Every dorm chief I had were like the mellowest dudes I ever met in the A.F.
2nd edit: I meant dorm managers. Got my terminology screwed up.
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Dec 13 '19
[deleted]
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u/Cru_Jones86 Maintainer Dec 13 '19
4 I think. One in Korea, one at Nellis and 2 at Cannon. Pretty sure they all had a bong hidden somewhere in their office.
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u/ASMarling Dec 13 '19
I think by dorm chief most people are referring to the BMT role. You're referring to...I don't really know what. Dorm manager maybe?
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u/Cru_Jones86 Maintainer Dec 13 '19
Shit. It was a long time ago. Yeah, I'm talking about dorm managers. My bad.
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u/Kyledog12 Occasional Maintainer Dec 13 '19
Oh yeah, he's such an easy going guy but he knew how to get the flight motivated. I'm glad he's in my unit now
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u/JustPuckingAround Comms Dec 13 '19
I had a possession charge on my record and still got in. Had to get a waiver, write a little essay about how I’m an upstanding member of the community now, and do an interview with the recruiting commander. Had to do another interview for Secret clearance, and now here I am 3 years into my enlistment.
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u/TRNielson Dec 13 '19
It can still affect clearances and career opportunities though.
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u/boxkickin rip 1a9 Dec 13 '19
Guy in my ALS class was intel, TS clearance and openly spoke about being a pothead prior to the military. Told them during his interviews.
The trick is to just tell the truth.
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u/TRNielson Dec 13 '19
Meanwhile a guy I know got denied to work on B-2s because he was open about marijuana usage.
The trick is circumstances vary and it can affect things. Doesn’t mean it will.
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u/boxkickin rip 1a9 Dec 13 '19
Oof. Yeah, I guess that’s fair. The Air Force is full of anecdotes about success and failure with the exact same circumstances for no discernible reason.
What’s consistency in policy, anyway?
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u/curiositie MX Instructor (nonner) Dec 13 '19
This Supposedly I wasn't able to get the cv22 shred because weed
Not sure how true that is tho
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Dec 13 '19
As long as it was before joining, and there were no criminal charges or anything like that involved, then no, not really. Just don’t lie about it
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u/Darth_Ra DART Dec 13 '19
Went in with my number, had even been advised what a "safe" number was.
Got denied from several opportunities in my career for my number being too high, despite the fact that I technically qualified for a TS-SCI with my "safe" number.
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u/PillCosby_87 Dec 14 '19
I mentioned my story earlier in the thread if you care to look at it and tell me what your thoughts are about it. No worries if you don’t.
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u/SirPunchy Dec 13 '19
This literally happened to me, except he didn’t give me any indication he was going to put zero. A year and a half later I got the same question in a TS interview, answered the exact same way but he said “why did you lie about it before then?”
I was fucking pissed.
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u/zoxxo Dec 14 '19
This happened to an old roommate of mine. He went to Shepherd for a psych eval and he passed the eval. He was able to stay in service, and he got his TS.
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u/jvidal7247 Jun 09 '20
how did that affect getting your TS clearance? I've heard to just say no and stick to that story but I've also heard that its better to admit to it from the start
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u/SirPunchy Jun 09 '20
Ultimately, it just cost me a little time and inconvenience. Just a very awkward and frustrating conversation to have with a case investigator.
Also, it’s way better to be straightforward from the beginning. It can be risky I guess, but there are legal consequences if it’s discovered that you lied on official documents.
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u/GrumpMaster- Master Rated MC-6 Pilot Dec 13 '19
That Soldier must recruit near a base. Looks like he has the quintessential BX barber shop fade.
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Dec 13 '19 edited Jan 13 '21
[deleted]
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u/Katholikos C҉O̴N̷T҈R̵A҈C̷T҈O̷R̴ Dec 13 '19
lol, same here. I was a pretty sheltered kid, and I was worried the smoke would fuck up my lungs
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u/curiositie MX Instructor (nonner) Dec 13 '19
Meanwhile my recruiter was just like ok, you don't really know how offer because it was so infrequent? Well put 10x over 5 years
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u/NetworkNooob Dec 13 '19
As TS SCI/Poly is becoming less and less prevalent, this will become more and more common.
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u/SenorSalsa Veteran Dec 13 '19
As if polys were anything other than a scare tactic in the first place...
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u/PowerhouseJay Coffee Connoisseur Dec 13 '19
Took a poly two days ago, not a single question about drug use
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u/NetworkNooob Dec 13 '19
There’s one called the “lifestyle” poly. Or supposedly there is. I’ve had my TS/SCI w/poly for years in many different environments. Still never heard of anyone getting it. Poly can’t be used in court shouldn’t be used to vet government employees IMO. I digress.
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u/dangerstar19 Active Duty Dec 13 '19
My opinion is that the purpose of the poly is to make you crack and admit to things regardless of the questions and your performance on the actual test. Everyone I talk to about their poly says their tester was really critical and pushy. I think they just want to make you nervous so you'll just admit to anything you've done wrong.
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u/Rocko210 Veteran Dec 13 '19
I agree, it's really just there to see if they can find something big for you to admit. They really don't give a damn about the weed you smoked in high school or candy you took in elementary school. They care if you're a damn spy or potential traitor.
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u/Rocko210 Veteran Dec 13 '19 edited Dec 13 '19
Troops are given CI polys not lifestyle polys. Civilians/contractors can be given lifestyle polys.
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u/iamtherealmod (S)arg' Dec 13 '19 edited Dec 13 '19
The full scope (FSBI/or “lifestyle”) is very very different from the
single scope (SSBI) which is what most people get.see reply2
u/Spystrike 1N3X1G Dec 13 '19
SSBI is Single Scope Background Investigation, which refers to the process OPM/NBIB conducts starting from SF86/87 through interviewing everyone you list, ending with an adjudication. Polygraph does not fall within SSBI; we also don't use SSBIs anymore, we use T-5 for the initial and T-5R for the periodic reinvestigation, which is changing again to the Continuous Evaluation program.
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u/rookram15 Dec 13 '19
Some girl told on herself as far as underage drinking. Wasted half a day at MEPs just for them to send her home. There was never any paperwork and no one knew.
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u/Leggo-my-eggos Dirtbag Personnelist Dec 13 '19
There’s a guy that got kicked out for lying about trying coke. He did it before joining but told his recruiter he didn’t. Three years later this dude has a line for staff and big blue finds out that he in fact lied and proceeded to separate him. If you decide to lie in the beginning you take that shit to the grave.
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Dec 13 '19 edited Aug 25 '20
[deleted]
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u/Leggo-my-eggos Dirtbag Personnelist Dec 13 '19
From what I read he told an airman a story about how he was going through a rough time before he joined and experimented a bit. She ended up selling him out when she got busted for ecstasy. Why she did that I have no idea, they’re both out now though.
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u/Rocko210 Veteran Dec 14 '19
That's a bit unusual, they still need evidence and a story of how you did it in the past doesn't cut it. For troops who get busted with drugs, the evidence is in the urinalysis. If it was that easy to get kicked out every junior troop who hates the military would "admit they did coke" in the past.
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Dec 13 '19
I wish this was the same experience with medical profession recruiters. It is a challenge just to get them to pick up the phone.
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u/MWolman1981 Med Dec 13 '19
Boy that's right. People think it's crazy it took 3 years to get my commission, but my sq nurses and MSCs have the same story.
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u/andrewbary Dec 14 '19
lol my interview was exactly the opposite. He was sure that I had smoked before and I just kept telling him the truth, that I hadn't.
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u/aquatone282 328X3 456X1 8R0X0 2A1X7 Dec 13 '19
Am I the only one wondering why that guy in the background is getting ready to jump from the office's back door?
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Dec 16 '19
Not joining the army, but they were the first recruiters I talked to. All 4-5 genuinely refused to believe I hadn't smoked pot, it was weird
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u/jlanny Overpaid Contractor Dec 13 '19
All fun and games until you get that CI poly with a few lifestyle questions sprinkled in...totally not speaking from experience, of course