Starting to realize I may have a bit of a problem

[NeedSomePT]

Ok so I just remembered a little issue I have that I kind of forgot about until I read this thread http://leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67478

I am in a similar situation, except I am already in the DEP so it sort of complicates things. Three or four years ago I agreed to go to a psychiatrist becaues according to my family I wasn't happy enough since I was on the computer all the time (even though being on the computer was what made me happy and I chose to do, whatever.) and I also was not doing too great in school. The psychiatrist prescribed me some anti depressants and we would use my school work as a gauge to see if it is working.

The treatment was ended within a few months as I had noticeably improved, whether that be because I was motivated to do better in order to not go through that bull**** or the drug actually worked I don't know but the point remains that the psychiatrist ended it and said I was good to go.

Let's go back to February/March of this year when I started talking to my recruiter. He asked me all the screening questions and when asked if I had been diagnosed with depression (or some question like that) I told him the story and he made me go see the SNCOIC. I told him the story, and like the guy in the thread I linked to, he said that since it was over two years ago and everything turned out fine that I don't mention it when I would eventually visit MEPS. I went through with what he said and didn't mention it at MEPS all the while I felt it in my gut that it wasn't right. (I know, thats a mistake on my part for not disclosing it)

Over the course of me being in the DEP I must of brought up the issue with him several times, especially since the jobs I am requesting potentially require a TS clearance. It never lead anywhere, he always repeted the same thing "it was so long ago it doesn't matter now, blablabla" "trust me thousands of people do it" "TS clearance only cares about police involvement.."
Him being the SNCOIC means I couldn't just go next door to his superior and complain after repeated attempts of bringing it up. It also isn't like I can go and drive back down to MEPS and show up by myself to tell them.

I am now 35 days from my planned ship date and even though I know it is late and I should have never gotten into it in the first place and I should have taken care of it before and yadayada I decided that I WILL get the issue settled before leaving recruit training. I do not want to jeopardize my Marine Corps career over something like this and if I did go slip through and nothing came out of it, how could I expect others to have integrity if I don't have it myself.

So now I ask you all, what would you reccomend that I do? Should I just go back to the SNCOIC (who if you read my last thread you will know is now my main recruiter) and tell him that I want to have this issue settled? I know what he is going to say, he will tell me not to worry about it, no one will care, it's too old so it doesn't matter, etc. What do I say then? I don't want to quit the DEP and not be able to reinlist again. Should I contact the main recruiting station?

Any thoughts or ideas?

[fjmas1976]

Honesty. Getting a waiver is better than getting shipped back from Recruit Training with a fraudulent enlistment.:usmc:

[benw2200]

I've been in the same boat..

My former recruiter (who is now no longer a recruiter or a Marine) advised me to just "not mention" that I had lasik surgery. I thought it would work out, but I finally decided it definitely wasn't worth it compromising my honor and my future over something stupid. I told another recruiter, he called his SNCOIC, and got it taken care of. Annoying 6 month wait, simple waiver, problem solved.

It's YOUR future and YOUR life. Not his. I'm sure when they find about your issue when they do a TS clearance check, your recruiter/SNCOIC will deny everything and it'll be on you. My advice would be to do what's right. Honesty is always the right policy. If your SNCOIC won't do the right thing, find out whoever he reports to and take your problem to them.

That's my 2 cents. I'm not a Marine yet.. just a lowly poolee, so take it for what it's worth.

[DGardner]

TELL MEPS

Fraudulent Enlistment is no fun... trust me.

[jrhd97]

Honesty. Getting a waiver is better than getting shipped back from Recruit Training with a fraudulent enlistment.:usmc:
Good advice. Better to have it squared away than come back and bite you later.

[NeedSomePT]

Good advice. Better to have it squared away than come back and bite you later.

That's what I want to do, but I'm not sure how.
Should I tell my recruiter that I'm not shipping if I can't get it sorted out? Should I somehow contact MEPS or the main recruiting station of the area?

[DGardner]

Tell your recruiter your going to tell MEPS when you ship.

And then you tell them...

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

I'm glad you've decided to come clean about the situation. It seems as if your recruiter will probably tell you not to worry about it. Just tell him that when you go to MEPS you're going to tell them about it, that you don't feel comfortable being dishonest. That should be more than enough to get him to see the desire you have to not hide anything and he can get to work on the waiver.

[NeedSomePT]

I'm glad you've decided to come clean about the situation. It seems as if your recruiter will probably tell you not to worry about it. Just tell him that when you go to MEPS you're going to tell them about it, that you don't feel comfortable being dishonest. That should be more than enough to get him to see the desire you have to not hide anything and he can get to work on the waiver.
Thank you for the advice, I will do that tomorrow at the weekly PT meet. Hopefully he won't try giving me a hard time. I need to be firm but at the same time I don't want to seem rude or like a whiney b1tch.

Tell your recruiter your going to tell MEPS when you ship.

And then you tell them...

Assuming for whatever reason it doesn't get squared away between now and when I ship. What would happen if I told MEPS when I ship? Would I still be able to ship that day? Would I get disqualified?

[benw2200]

Assuming for whatever reason it doesn't get squared away between now and when I ship. What would happen if I told MEPS when I ship? Would I still be able to ship that day? Would I get disqualified?

If it's a DQ, I don't see how waiting till the last minute would help anything out. I've heard of "emergency waivers" being put through for people who admit to stuff at MEPS or during the moment of truth at boot camp.. however I definitely wouldn't count on it. Get it taken care of now. It'll save time and trouble to everyone involved.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

If you tell your recruiter that you're going to tell them and he still doesn't do anything, be ready for a delay. They'll have to make sure you're OK, and that will probably take time.

I didn't have any delay from my surgery. But my recruiter had all of my medical records and the docs at MEPS had them when they examined me. A few extra minutes and I was good to go. You may have a similar experience, or you may have to jump through some hoops. That's why getting it taken care of quickly is the best path.

[GunzNutz87]

Well, this opened my eyes a bit. Similar situation as needsomept, had some issues with my former stepmom, and got forced to go to family counseling. Its been out of my memory the last few years til I saw this post. Never brought it up with my recruiter because, like I said, it's been out my memory. I leave 10112008 and I'd hate to postpone it to get a waiver, but I'd hate even more for it to come back later and bite me. I'll be seeing him on saturday so I'll tell him then. Not sure what he's going to say, but hopefully it works out.

[NaguYen]

Well what are your opinions on my situation? I was on probation, but I finished it clean and the judge said as long as I finished it without getting in trouble then It would be off my record for good and I would never have to disclose it again. Do you think that that refers to a situation like this?

[coffeejoejava]

Come clean, get the waiver. Then stick to the story with all your guns. There is a time in your first week of Boot Camp called "The Moment of Truth". DO NOT TELL THEM ANYTHING!!! You should have come completely clean already with your Recruiter.

[Moules]

Come clean, get the waiver. Then stick to the story with all your guns. There is a time in your first week of Boot Camp called "The Moment of Truth". DO NOT TELL THEM ANYTHING!!! You should have come completely clean already with your Recruiter.

Very True, Just come clean and do it the right way dont start your Marine Corps career with baggage.

[jinelson]

If you honor the core values that we do you will know exactly what to do and fast.

Jim

[NeedSomePT]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
I'm going to weekly PT in a few hours so I will do what I have to do then.
I'lll report back on how it worked out.

[NeedSomePT]

Well I went to the recruiter's office today for the weekly PT (which didn't take place since only 5 people showed up) and my recruiter wasn't there. I guess I'll have to go back tomorrow then, I was hoping to get everything taken care of or at least get hte process started today to get this off my chest, it's bothering me.

[DGardner]

Go talk to the SNCOIC of the Station if your recruiter isn't there.

[NeedSomePT]

My recruiter IS the SNCOIC of the station after my previous recruiter, as another recruiter put it, "dissapeared off the face of the earth"

[Mikewebe]

Look I won't tell you not to disclose it but your career may already be finished depending on what you say and do. If you don't believe that you have a problem now why create one for yourself, not to mention that if you **** this guy off he may screw you over himself.

[Echo_Four_Bravo]

Why? Because not telling is showing a lack of integrity, not to mention being a crime.

[Mikewebe]

Not at all but sometimes things are over diagnosed and not really a problem but a phase. If he's not on meds now and DOESN"T need meds then it would be the same as reporting a cold that you had 3 years ago, no point in it is what I'm saying, but if he gets in and then says at some point he has a disorder then he sunk his own ship, so my question would be do you have a problem or not. I lied to get back in and I won't change my story because the thing I lied about was a temporary thing that would have DQ'ed me . So why pay long term for nothing

[Hologram]

Thank you for the advice, I will do that tomorrow at the weekly PT meet. Hopefully he won't try giving me a hard time. I need to be firm but at the same time I don't want to seem rude or like a whiney b1tch.


Assuming for whatever reason it doesn't get squared away between now and when I ship. What would happen if I told MEPS when I ship? Would I still be able to ship that day? Would I get disqualified?You're not being rude or whiney, you're making sure you don't break the law. You already screwed up by not telling them something you should have. Don't make it worse by not telling them at all and then have it possibly come back to bite you in the butt and not only screwing up your career, but quite possibly getting a court martial for fraudulent enlistment. Look up the articles on fraudulent enlistment in the UCMJ, especially the potential punishments, and see if you really want to take that chance.

[Mikewebe]

You don't get punished by UCMJ for that you get discharged. And as I stated above if its minor leave it at that or go be a clerk at the GD'ing grocery store.

[NeedSomePT]

update.
Just got back from my recruiter's office and was finally able to talk to him. I didn't know that all of last week he was at some training at MEPS, so I went three times to find out he wasn't there. I didn't want to bring it up with the other recruiters since he is the SNCOIC there and I didn't think it would be too appropriate to go and talk to everyone about it except him while he's gone. So today I decided to call before going to make sure he would be there, he was out but I was told he would be there in about an hour and a half so I waited a while and then went to the office.
I talked to him about it, and to my surprise he did not make a big deal out of it at all. He just said to get any documentation I can about it and bring it to PT this weekend.
Now I'm partly relieved. I can't wait until this is taken care of it will be a load off my chest.

[DGardner]

You did the right thing. Good job.