Is a military background check similar to a law enforcement agency background check?

[vanilla_chip]

Is a military background check similar to a law enforcement agency background check?
I enlisted in the army when i was 17 and dropped out of the program for personal reasons a couple months before I was going to leave. The background check they perform, is it similar to a law enforcement agency?

[retdetsgt]

The law enforcement is much more in depth and our standards are a lot higher.

[1depd]

It depends on your job in the military and the LE agency you are applying at. If you are going in as a cook in the military then yes local LE normally has a much more vigorous BI. If you are going in as an intel analyst then the military BI can be more in depth than the one you receive from the local LE agency. The BI I had working for the local sheriff in his jail consisted of little more than an NCIC check. The one I had for the local LE agency I worked for conducted NCIC and records checks, and sent out questionnaires, but didn't talk to anybody, except me. The same happened for the state police agency I applied to (received a job offer, but had moved on and turned the job down). The BI I had for my federal LE job was a little more in depth than a basic investigation for a top secret clearance. The SSBI (investigation for a top secret clearance) is very in depth and includes NCIC and records checks, neighbor and co-worker interviews, subject interviews, credit checks, and a myriad of other checks depending on the needs of the agency. So in short it depends on your job in the military, and the LE agency you are applying at.

[Citicop]

It's important for people to note the difference between a "background check" and "background investigation."

A "background check" consists of checking a person's records to get an idea if they have been convicted of a crime.

A "background investigation" is MUCH more thorough than that and involves interviewing people (neighbors, references, past employers, etc.) in person.

[Rlong1985]

Do you mean you dropped out of the Delayed Entry Program? When you said you joined the Army it made it sound as if you were actually active duty.

[retdetsgt]

Do you mean you dropped out of the Delayed Entry Program? When you said you joined the Army it made it sound as if you were actually active duty.

Yeah, I was wondering about all the long explanations. He doesn't sound like he ever got there.