Bad Reference

[SpaceCadet]

While filing out my SF-86 I put my roommate's boyfriend, whom lived there but wasn't on the lease, as the person who knew me at my current address. He just got out of the Army and I figured he'd be a decent reference. Well he and his girlfriend just moved out and stiffed me on the last month's rent and bills. So it looks like I'm going to have to take them to small claims court for $1200.

So my question is should I (can I?) change my SF-86 and put a different reference? I'm worried that he may be vengeful and tell anyone that calls unfavorable things. I KNOW that she would if they get a hold of her, because she is that evil, spiteful kind of person.

Is there any recourse if someone from your past tells lies about you to the person doing a background on you? I have had some shady "friends" in the past and didn't always part on the best of terms. I didn't put them as references, but if I go for a Top Secret, if they ask friends for the names of other people who knew me it might come around to some of these people. In my younger days I had a habit of saying strange things and making up stories just to get a rise out of people and a laugh for myself. So now I'm worried about people sharing these lies or half truths.

[PJones64]

There's an old saying about someone making his own bed, now he has to lie in it.
You might just have to realize that your past cannot be changed. So all the times you made up strange things and told stories may just come back to haunt you.
Your username shows that you still have not outgrown a somewhat immature way of looking at the world. I don't think the background check people will like what they see and hear.
I don't think you can divorce yourself from your past that easily, and figure someone won't notice that there's something unusual there.
Good luck to you, though.

[SpaceCadet]

There's an old saying about someone making his own bed, now he has to lie in it.
You might just have to realize that your past cannot be changed. So all the times you made up strange things and told stories may just come back to haunt you.
Your username shows that you still have not outgrown a somewhat immature way of looking at the world. I don't think the background check people will like what they see and hear.
I don't think you can divorce yourself from your past that easily, and figure someone won't notice that there's something unusual there.
Good luck to you, though.

I fully realize that I can not chance the past nor divorce myself from the things I've said and done. All I can do is strive to be a better more mature person in the present and the future.

And my user name is a reference to Starship Troopers, one of my favorite books and a big influence on why I decided to enlist and not try for OCS, as well as the book SpaceCadet also by Robert Heinlein. I tried to make it SpaceMarine but I can't use the word marine in my username.

Believe me, my divorce after 4 months of marriage killed any immature views I have of the world.

[joseywales]

By all means see if you can possibly change that paper you filled out, that would be a good first step.

[SpaceCadet]

Do the background check people come to you with what they find and ask you to explain or do they just take what they are told as fact?

[SpaceCadet]

I fully realize that I can not chance the past nor divorce myself from the things I've said and done.

That should read "change the past"

[SpaceCadet]

I don't think they talk about anything with the applicant, if I remember correctly. I got a top secret clearance when I was in, and I found out from the folks they contacted much later about what was asked, said etc.
If they find anything, good or bad, they don't share it with you.
Similar to applying for a job, the rejection letter states that you did not get the job, it hardly ever says why.

Have you spoken with your recruiter about this or do you think it would hurt you to do so?
There are three or four recruiters on here, why don't you PM them and see what their take is on this thread.

Let me PM them for you, right now, and when they come in here, they will respond and give you their evaluation of this whole thing.

I just found out yesterday about the stiffing me on rent and bills, so no I have not had a chance to talk to my recruiter about it. I most certainly will and ask him if I can change my reference. I only brought it here first because it was 5am. I haven't discussed my immature past with my recruiter, I hadn't really thought about it till I was making this thread. I added it to my post because it is a similar issues. I will discuss that with my recruiter as well.

[SpaceCadet]

I talked to my recruiter and his answer was "it's already been submitted." Next step is to see if I can talk the the boyfriend and make sure there aren't any hard feelings. I wonder if she'll let him answer the phone.

[SSgt Lamie]

Up until the time that you ship to Recruit Training you can make any changes necessary on your SF86. Although once you enlist the MEPS Liaison's will export your paperwork to the appropriate authority that handles all the necessary investigations, they can re-upload and export those files at any time.

Another thing to keep in mind is the type of Program that you are enlisting for. If you are enlisting for Infantry or a Program that doesn't require a very high level Security Clearance then you shouldn't worry about it too much. The investigators will not call people to get character references for those Programs. If you are trying to get a Program like Intel where you require a Top Secret Clearance then they will probably call everyone on there.