Recruiting Question

I wonder if anyone can help on this one as I think I'm not in possession of all the facts wrt recruiting. I have a civvy friend, 27 yo, bit of a muscle bosun so mature and fit, ideal for recruiting. He's been to the local careers office, done all the tests and want to be an AET.
After all of the checks, it transpires he had a drink driving conviction two years ago and has been told to come back in 3 yrs when the conviction is spent. In the same breath, the killick said to go to the Army desk as they'll take anyone and are desperate?
My first question is, does drink driving give you a criminal record? I was always under the impression that you got a day and day for your day in court, or thats how i've seen the idiots in the Andrew dealt with.
Also, surely in these days of jointery, the recruiting rules are all pretty similar. I would have thought that with all the gapping in the GS and WAFU worlds, to turn away a recruit is stupid and to turn him away for 3 years is incredulous. From what I've seen of some of the "yoof of today", I wouldn't trust most of them to sit the right way up on a toilet. Any advice would be greatly appreciated by someone in the know.

 

Drink driving does in fact give you a criminal record. Though many see drink driving as a motoring offence British law treats it for what it is.

 

Not knowing the recruiting rules at the moment it would be surprising to turn him away as i know plenty of serving matelots who are banned for drink driving.

 

Driving under the influence of alcohol is the height of irresponsibility, never mind whether it's a criminal or civil offence. Why on earth would either Service want anybody who'd been daft enough to do it and good for the recruiters IMHO!

 

There have been servicemen of all ranks found guilty of drink driving offences. However they are already serving. They do if found guilty then have a criminal record. I would imagine that the service chiefs do not see this crime as serious enough to warrant dismissal from the service.

 

G'day Peter.

I know that it's "Horses for Courses", and I'm way down here in the Colonies and it's different ships different cap tallies etc.

I do know that a couple of guys who joined the army in OZ with my son in law many years ago, were corporals passed for Sargent's, then had this happen to them and they were both thrown out, I don't know if they were habitual or anything about the circumstances but they were definitely SNLR

regards pingie

 

I believe the point here (and I stand to be corrected by a recruiter) is that the personnel who have commited the offence whilst serving have other records to support any application they put forward for retention in the service and to put forward their case that it was a 'one off' where as someone coming straight from civvy street does not have this back ground. For example a CPO with 19 years of service is unlikley to be kicked out, however he may be disrated and I doubt that if he has this on his S3300D and the associated downgrading in his report that he would make WO in a hurry.

If you commited this offence whilst serving you will still face service penalties, unless you manage to hide it from the pusser (an offence in its self), which can be up to discharge shore SNLR. I suspect if you where to commit this offence during Phase 1 or 2 training you would be discharged (not withstanding the wags who would doubt this due to our 'manpower crisis').

 

In short rehabilitation of offenders: Serious motoring offences- Drink Drive, No insurance, No licence, driving whilst banned. If you are over 18, the ban must be expired, the fine paid (proof of payment required) & it is possible to apply for a waiver after 1/2 of the rehab period has expired, providing there are less than two offences. Rehab period is 5 years from date of conviction (not date of offence). The waiver is by no means assured. If you are serving & your job entails driving you can be dismissed. If you are applying to join-tough, you have to wait. The Army may consider you worthy of a waiver early-the Navy won't. The most likelly reason the guy was told to "thin" was because he did not disclose his offence on his security questionnaire (1109) & this indicates he is dishonest. In short "Fraudulent Application" - do we want people proven to be dishonest working on aircraft?

 

If they kicked people out for drink driving im sure there would be a que of people in the navy comiting drink driving to get themselves back on civy street. I can think of a few of the top of my head who would do this, without a second thaught.
would be an easy way out. Deffinatly dangerous and irresponsable but easy non the less

 

I do know of guys who have been convicted of DD prior to joining up. I think doing this is the height of fcuking stupidity HOWEVER, people do make mistakes and so shouldn't suffer the consequences for no more than is necessary.

I'd be very surprised however if all 3 Services (Yes, I know I'm saying that the RAF are a branch of the military ) have differing views on this as it is a serious matter.

 

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act applies equally to everyone, not just the services. Different branches of the services may view it differently, because we do different jobs- infantry is a world away from an AET & only the Navy subject everyone to full security clearance. Again-Would you like to fly in a helo maintained by someone who, despite signing a declaration that all facts submitted are true, has proven not to be telling the truth? The Navy don't set the rules on Rehabilitation- drip all over your MP if you think it's unfair. And as for idiots who would use it as a method of leaving the service, words fail me- just how stupid are they? It took them more than 6 months to discover they didn't like the job & submit their PVR to obtain discharge as a right, obviously. Duhhh.

 

I understand what you are saying but six months dosent really let you decide wether you like the navy or not. it lets you decide wether you like raleigh, collingwood or sultan. That is a world away from living on a tin can bobing up and down.
Plus peoples circumstances at home change. Me i love it and woudnt personaly use it.

But i had a mate who joined the army at 16 loved it. got a bit older hated being away from home started taking drugs to try and get discharged. failed despite telling CO's etc what he was doing.
Some people are in desperate situations and would kill to get out. so dink driving wouldnt mean any thing to them.

 

If things really are that bad, the RN doesn't want to keep people like that in- they're an absolute liability & could be, if past their initial 6 months, Discharged Unsuitable During Training (DUDT)or medically discharged as Temperamentally Unsuitable. If you get discharged for disciplinary reasons, (Drugs,AWOL etc.,) civilian employers, worth their salt, will not employ. It is surprising how many leave the RN because of their partners, subsequently split up, or suddenly find it's no better "outside" decide to rejoin & then often get told to "go forth" because they were DUDT or TU. Moral of the story- if you want to leave, no matter how much you may currently loathe it, don't burn your bridges. Make sure your DO recommends you for further service- even if if it's the last thing on your mind at the time & you'd sooner eat your own kidneys than re-join. Trust me.