Taking a poly on Friday....stealing?

[tonyben]

I have a feeling I will be asked about employer theft on my polygraph. If asked to taking items valuing X amount of dollars, I will probably have to answer yes to that question. Here's why; I am a former Marine and upon my discharge and checkout in 2001 (I served for 9 years) I was given a list of things to return. The rest, I did not. I have 2 M16 ammo pouches, about 10 or 12 M16 magazines I use for my personal AR-15, my old ALICE pack, my flight suit, field utility belt, GI compass, extension cord from my old electronics shop, humvee airlifting straps that I got from the DRMO pile with permission from my OIC etc....

Add the value of all the above items, and the dollar amount would add up to a couple of hundred dollars. Did they ask for it back...no. Did I pay for it...no.

Will I be allowed to explain these things to a BI? Do I explain it to the poly examiner? Would this be considered an undetected crime? What do I answer for that question? Yes or no questions suck and are subject to interpretation.

Just thinking about my answers makes me feel like a criminal which I am not.

[Ispbear]

You will be asked if you have ever taken anything without permission or have stolen from your employer. Just be honest. You will have a chance to explain it the the polygraph examiner prior to actually taking the polygraph exam. A lot of former military guys I know have a few items I'm sure they were probably suppose to return. Doesn't make it right but still not uncommon.

[mobrien316]

Your state of mind is an important part of whether you committed theft. If, like me, when you were discharged you kept a number of valuable items because that is the established procedure, that's fine.

When I was discharged I kept all of my uniforms and boots, even though the cost of such items was, at a minimum, several hundred dollars. However, everyone else discharged from the army keeps all of those things as well because the army considers it yours. It is not stealing when you keep all of those things.

When I went to turn in all of my other gear I sometimes found myself with "extras". When they told me to turn in five tent stakes and I found that I had six, they told me they didn't want the extra one, so I kept it. When they asked for my two canteens and I found that I had three, they told me to keep the other one. Actually, that all made sense because, over the years, I had gone to the clothing sales store a number of times to buy extras of certain items, or replacements for items I thought I had lost but later found.

Anyway, if instead of anything I've described above you stuffed certain items in boxes, shipped it home, and then reported to your CO that it had been "lost in combat", then you are a thief. But your post doesn't read as though that is what happened.

Like ISP Bear already suggested, describe what happened and don't obscess over it.