I’ve recently heard stories of people lying at MEPs all the time and heard only some are caught.
One story was that there was someone who lied on their MEPs process and signed the papers. They were told to lie from the start from the 3recruiters (one of which is the commanding officer). There was no mention of waivers what so ever and did not know they existed until after MEPs. The recruit was told to check “no” for everything.
However the main worry now is thinking about coming clean. The lie was on minor alcohol use (for occasions only) and a concussion received 4 years ago that was a result of hospitalization for 5 days. There is a scar to prove some sort of incidence happened but was also told to make up a story about it by the recruiters. There is no issues with the injury and doctors deemed it fine a long time ago. The recruit is now in DEP. Any advice as to how to come clean and still get into the service? how/when? or should they keep quiet?
What’s the downside to coming clean now?
What’s the downside to coming clean five years from now?
What’s the downside to somebody else finding out about this?
It’s the MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) where they do tests, medical evaluations, and contracts for the military for future servicemen/women.
Yes, it is a sticky wicket. One shouldn’t lie to the Army. Had you reported the minor alcohol use (I assume there were no criminal charges associated with it), they likely wouldn’t have cared. Regarding the concussion, they would have asked for documentation that you were fine and then processed it as normal.
Admitting, especially before BCT, that you have not been completely forthright with them may lead them to think about whether they want a service member who has already shown an unwillingness to be completely honest in order to make life a little easier for himself/herself. Self-serving deception, as you can imagine, is not an Army value.
But, you were seen clinically at MEPS and cleared for service, which is better quality evidence than a review of your remote medical documentation. And they’ve more important things to do than make you feel better about your crisis of conscience over your lack of candor.
So: Don’t bring it up; renew your commitment to being honest with the military in all your dealings here on out; and don’t give them any cause to think you don’t have what it takes (physically or morally) to be an excellent soldier.
Kimmy_Gibbler has put away all your sins. Abide in peace.
After my years in Recruiting, I promised myself I would fully retire from giving advice to new applicants to the Army. So, I am not going to offer any more than this:
Be fully honest with your Recruiter. Tell him everything that you think may disqualify you. Tell her everything you have had that you think shouldn’t disqualify you. Your Recruiter will have had experience with people with the same conditions and know the chances of you getting a waiver. A lot of people seem to think that waivers are a given, but they are not. The MEPS guidance counselors and doctors can only process a certain number a month.
If you have a condition that you did not disclose to your Recruiter and you choose to disclose it to the MEPS doc or the guidance counselor, you may be sent home.
There are some things that the Recruiter knows will get an otherwise qualified applicant DQ’d. Abuse of alcohol, for example, may keep an applicant out of the Military. No shit, I had a guy charged with underage possession when he got pulled over for a bad taillight and a case of beer his sister put in his car when he left for college.
If you told your Recruiter everything, and he says don’t worry about it, then don’t bring it up in MEPS. Listen, Recruiters know the stuff that will get you a waiver and things that will get you DQ’d. Most Recruiters are honest and only want the best for an applicant. Especially now that that enlistment numbers are down. So if you had asthma at ten years old and never needed medication, there is no need to bring it up at MEPS. If you got drunk at a party and someone offered you pot to calm down, there is no need to bring that up. If a doctor one time told you that you don’t have eczema, keep that to yourself.
If you have a heart murmur, epilepsy, one lung, or felony charges, regardless of what your Recruiter says, tell the MEPS guys.