Discharged from Army (ELS)

[Razr89a]

Last year I enlisted in the Army, best mistake of my life, but after I was shipped to Fort Jackson, I chickened out, so long story short, I set up a "suicide" to get out. I'm not proud of what I did, but I felt it was the only way to correct what I "impulsed" on. So I was in and out in about a month, it pains me to explain this every time and I did it with some of the best intentions (looking great on my resume for one) and it turns out that it's going to look bad on it now.

I was charged with a chapter 5-11 and given the chance to re-enlist if I wanted to. Of course I want to go back, but if I wanted out when I was in, the chances of me changing my mind are pretty slim. As to not make this a wall of text I'm going to keep this pretty short.

I plan on telling them about the discharge and what happened as soon as I start to apply, I don't want to hide anything. I know this will affect my hiring chances, but by how much? Is it even worth it? I live in Iowa and have several options open to the city or county. If one says no, will the other say yes?

Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, North Liberty, Johnson County, Washington County, and a few other surrounding cities and counties are my options.

[RoadDog1905]

For my department, anything but an Honorable Discharge looks very very bad. In fact, it may be an Auto-DQ....I'm going to have to look into that question.

And, if you jumped ship on the Army, why won't you jump ship on an Academy? That type of question is going to be hopping around in any Background Investigator's mind, assuming that discharge lets you get that far.

[Razr89a]

And, if you jumped ship on the Army, why won't you jump ship on an Academy?

Yeah, that is a good question. I wish I could say that I never wanted it to happen, but that month in the Army was one of the best moments in my entire life. There was just so many conflicting ideals. If you really know who I was and what I actually believed in (which would start a lot of arguments in this forum) you may or may not understand what I did.

To kind of shed a little light on just what I'm trying to say:
1. The war, I do not in any way condone ANYTHING that is going on over there. I want to protect the citizens of this country, not fight in a war that (from what I believe) makes absolutely no sense (let's not start a forum war over this please).
2. I can't be a mindless puppet and follow orders blindly, I just can't, I have to have a reason, a purpose for doing something.
3. I want to protect and help people, that's what I feel like doing, that's what I want to do, to ensure safety, make people at ease, and help the eventual strangler. It may sound corny and a little bit cliché, but that's what I feel.
4. If I'm here (in Iowa) on the streets, dealing with every day citizens, I feel like I'm making a bigger contribution to society than if I was over in some god-forsaken country.

There are reasons why I left... reasons which may not be apparent to lots of people, but I can say one thing for sure: this police officer career was the long term goal all along.

[Kimble]

I honestly don't see you living this situation down to become a cop, and if you try to hide this and lie about it, there's certainly documentation about it from the Army (that's too big of a deal for the command not to document, particularly in training).

Good luck to you, hope you find a career that fits you well, but this is too serious of a psychological issue to overcome (it could also be a felony federal offense if you ever did anything falsely to further the suicide story).

Last year I enlisted in the Army, best mistake of my life, but after I was shipped to Fort Jackson, I chickened out, so long story short, I set up a "suicide" to get out. I'm not proud of what I did, but I felt it was the only way to correct what I "impulsed" on. So I was in and out in about a month, it pains me to explain this every time and I did it with some of the best intentions (looking great on my resume for one) and it turns out that it's going to look bad on it now.

I was charged with a chapter 5-11 and given the chance to re-enlist if I wanted to. Of course I want to go back, but if I wanted out when I was in, the chances of me changing my mind are pretty slim. As to not make this a wall of text I'm going to keep this pretty short.

I plan on telling them about the discharge and what happened as soon as I start to apply, I don't want to hide anything. I know this will affect my hiring chances, but by how much? Is it even worth it? I live in Iowa and have several options open to the city or county. If one says no, will the other say yes?

Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, North Liberty, Johnson County, Washington County, and a few other surrounding cities and counties are my options.

[RoadDog1905]

2. I can't be a mindless puppet and follow orders blindly, I just can't, I have to have a reason, a purpose for doing something.

This happens in police work. It is the way that it is designed. Orders (and other things) flow down hill. Depending on the size department you operate, you may never get to meet your head honcho. You don't get to ask him why the department got this weapon or that weapon. It might make absolutely no sense to stand outside a nuclear reactor a year after 9/11 on a night when the snow is 7" deep and winds are 20mph. You've been working 12 hour days for a year and barely seen your family. Sure, the OT is good but for a year?

Guess what. In a department, like in the army, you are a cog in a machine. You have to follow orders. End of story.

You don't like that so you're going to have a hard time being a cop. It isn't like Dirty Harry or Lethal Weapon.

[Razr89a]

...and if you try to hide this and lie about it, there's certainly documentation about it from the Army (that's too big of a deal for the command not to document, particularly in training).

Did you read the whole thing?

I plan on telling them about the discharge and what happened as soon as I start to apply, I don't want to hide anything.

(it could also be a felony federal offense if you ever did anything falsely to further the suicide story).

I set up a "suicide" to get out.

While I'm not going to go into absolute details on it, I will say that it wasn't "fake" if that's what you're trying to get at.

[mcsap]

Enilsted in the Army and than threatened to kill yourself shortly thereafter so you got discharged.

You don't condone the war.

You can't be a mindless puppet and follow orders.

Your goal was to be a police officer all along.

1. You got a less than honorable discharge for threatening suicide. Doesn't matter if it was a ruse to get out or the real thing. We don't know and we don't care. You made a committment to join the US military and you backed out. Not only did you renig on your obligation , you made suicide threats in doing so.

You don't condone the war. So why exactly did you join the US Army ? Their job is WAR.

You can't be a mindless puppet. So whether a buck private in the Army or a rookie cop out of the acdemy....do you think you have the knowledge and experience to just go and do the job with no leadership ? Leadership that TELLS YOU WHAT TO DO ?!

And now you want us to believe that you wanted to be a cop all along ?

You failed your country , you failed yourself , you are a suicide threat and now you want us to hire you as a police officer ?

Whatever future you may have will not be in LE. GO and make a difference in another field. I am sure the Peace Corps could use you.

[Razr89a]

You don't condone the war. So why exactly did you join the US Army ? Their job is WAR.
You can't be a mindless puppet. So whether a buck private in the Army or a rookie cop out of the acdemy....do you think you have the knowledge and experience to just go and do the job with no leadership ? Leadership that TELLS YOU WHAT TO DO ?!

I joined the Army, because I needed money and thought this to be my only option, after the effects of realization of what I had done wrong and being placed in hold-over for an injury I started to flip. Have you ever been in hold-over? Do you have any idea how much hell it is?

You guys seem to stretch my "mindless puppet" statement a bit too far. Mindless puppet is a soldier who goes into a country and shoots people he's told to kill. Not a simple rookie cop being told to arrest some doped up wasteheads. They are two VERY different things. I have not failed my country and it's very bold of you to say so. If I failed myself I wouldn't be trying to help other people with a career that could kill me one day now would I? I'm a suicide threat if I'm placed in hold-over with too many questions floating in my head and forced to do the same mundane things over and over, yes, that much I'll give you.

[retdetsgt]

It's not as much being a mindless robot as displaying maturity and fulfilling obligations.

You have no business being in law enforcement and would never be hired by a department with any standards at all..

[Razr89a]

Well, I kind of thought this was a respectable forum with actual maturity here... silly me for misunderstanding that, I can clearly see that it's not. So ban me if you will. Since this is law enforcement and not the military an unbiased look and answer is and will always be the best.

Making puns and fun of someone is... well let's just say juvenile at best. This is supposed to be a forum for "real police", not paper pushers or mall ninjas. Now I'm name-calling, see what you've inspired me to do. Since this is good-bye, I hope you all a good-life.

[ChevySSP]

You know I think your like the 24th person whose posted the same situation and like the 23 before you you've gotten all defensive and think that just because your situation is "special" that people who have been doing this job for probably longer than you've been alive will make special decisions for you.

Grow up. Most police academies are military in nature, so imagine your great displeasure when your told what to do and not expected to question it. My academy had us march in the halls along the walls and stand in a certain manner whenever we filed out for food. Did we question it? Nope. Not a word.

You've single handedly called a lot of people overseas "mindless" and yet you take offense to somebody saying not so nice things about you? Pfft. I've been called things I've never even heard of....and thats from my FTO.

So please, take your easily hurt feelings elsewhere, perhaps someplace where they will coddle you and tell you how special you are. I gurantee you if you don't like whats said on this forum you won't last a MINUTE out on the roads.

Oh, and FWIW, grow some thicker skin and take responsibility for what you do in life. It'll help you out.

[Curt581]

Well, I kind of thought this was a respectable forum with actual maturity here...

It is a respectful forum. We don't lack maturity, you do. If wimping out on your contractual obligations because you chickened out, doesn't display immaturity, I don't know what does.

So ban me if you will. Since this is law enforcement and not the military an unbiased look and answer is and will always be the best.

That's exactly what you got. Just because you didn't like it, doesn't mean that it isn't the truth.

Making puns and fun of someone is... well let's just say juvenile at best. This is supposed to be a forum for "real police", not paper pushers or mall ninjas. Now I'm name-calling, see what you've inspired me to do. Since this is good-bye, I hope you all a good-life.

Don't let the door hit ya.

[Razr89a]

I have NEVER asked for a "special decision" from anyone I just simply wanted to converse about my mistake. I never had said I hated the military, only the war. You seem to still, not understand what I mean by mindless puppet. Now you're being condescending.

You still seem to have a difficulty in grasping what I had originally asked, which is do I stand a chance, because of my ELS. That's it. Thicker skin? I've been yelled at for no reason, I've been forced to clean up things outside--just because they say so, and you seem to judge me before you truly know me.

I come to this forum in search of respect from a police officer. This goes without saying that I've expected way too much. I never once asked for coddling when Drill Sergeants screamed in my ear for no reason. Your delusional outlooks are becoming ridiculous. I asked one simple question and look where this has ended up.

[Kimble]

Well, I kind of thought this was a respectable forum with actual maturity here... silly me for misunderstanding that, I can clearly see that it's not. So ban me if you will. Since this is law enforcement and not the military an unbiased look and answer is and will always be the best.

Making puns and fun of someone is... well let's just say juvenile at best. This is supposed to be a forum for "real police", not paper pushers or mall ninjas. Now I'm name-calling, see what you've inspired me to do. Since this is good-bye, I hope you all a good-life.

Since it seems obvious that you don't want this thread to continue (and choose to ignore the advice given), I'll oblige you and close this one. However, just because you don't want to hear the truth - or don't like it because it doesn't work to your favor - doesn't make it any less true.