Recruiter Told Me to Lie – Advice on How Not to Get DQ’d?
Question by Elle: Recruiter told me to lie – advice on how not to get DQ’d?
So to explain this whole situation may take a bit, bear with me.
I’m a 24 yo female, active, bachelor’s degree with a 2.8 gpa (I know it’s terrible, I worked full time while going to school full time and wound up doing mediocre in both). I come from career Army parents, mom’s remarried to career Navy, with someone from every generation serving. So, I understand the process and the lifestyle. Joining the military has been something I’ve continually visited, but disregarded for one reason or another. Having graduated with no other plans I decided to try to enlist in the Air Force, I’m very interested in the Crypto Linguist or Intelligence career path (requires TS clearance).
However, I did go through a dark stage in my life, I came from a rough family life and wound up in counseling for several years. Unfortunately, some psychiatrist insisted she though I was bipolar despite no family history or behavioral evidence and doped me up on a ton of meds. Eventually I broke off contact after she refused to dose me down enough to get off the meds and switched to another Dr who gave me a declining dosage prescription. This was over four years ago. I have done some stupid things growing up, including less than 10 doses of weed and did seek out counseling over a year ago just to get a check up. In the last three years, though, I’ve completely straightened out and would love to be part of a larger mission than what civilians find. My desire to be part of the military is not in question for me.
Talking to an Air Force recruiter I was 100% up front, because researching I found out a lot of the DQ issues and was thinking I wouldn’t qualify. He stressed several times including the info above on my application would lessen my chances of being accepted, and suggested I not include the info. I asked about the MEPs station and what I should do there, and he said if I had no physical marks on me, they wouldn’t be able to tell. Then I went home and googled and found countless stories of what happens when you lie to the govt. Even my parents said to lie, that it was very unlikely they would find any evidence of it and if I have any issues in the future I can tell them they are ‘new’. I refused, and tomorrow I’m asking the recruiter to send the application with all my issues on it to MEPs and hope it isn’t initially DQ’d.
My question is this: regarding all aspects of this situation, what is my best option for putting together info to send for a waiver, and any similar situations where the applicant managed to get a waiver where I could learn new tips would be amazing. I have considered seeing the Dr (who I believe gave me the wrong diagnosis in the first place) and asking her to write an update current to my situation now. Or I have considered seeing another psychiatrist and asking her to look at records from the previous psych and writing a recommendation to the person in charge of the waiver regarding it. Do any of these actions sound like they could help me get a waiver? Any input to resolving this situation for me to get in would be amazing, I have spend nearly all my time considering my options on this.
Clarification: I am not vilifying the recruiter. He is a good guy who’s just trying to do his job, but ultimately he will not be responsible for my actions. I’ve left no valid traceable info on this post or with my fake profile, so concerns about it somehow being traced back to him can be laid to rest. This is not an attack on the recruiting system, but an attempt at problem solving. What I feel I have to offer the Armed Forces is my own business, personal attacks with no constructive merit are not welcome.
Best answer:
Answer by Jon
I will not say to lie or not to lie. But I will say this. There is no universal database of med records. There is no way anyone could find out your med history if you do not tell them. Everything they tell you there about the FBI getting your med records is total B.S. And it is pretty much a universal known fact that the majority of applicants “forget” to put something on their application.
Answer by Baldric
Which is all well and good- except that YOU aren’t the one writing up the waiver request…..
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