WASHINGTON — Under pressure to meet combat needs, the Army and Marine Corps brought in significantly more recruits with felony convictions last year, including some with manslaughter and sex crime convictions.
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Data released by a congressional committee show the number of soldiers admitted to the Army with felony records jumped from 249 in 2006 to 511 in 2007. And the number of Marines brought in with felonies rose from 208 to 350.
Those numbers represent a fraction of the 180,000 recruits brought in by the active duty Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007. But they highlight a trend that has raised concerns within the military and on Capitol Hill.
The bulk of the felonies listed for last year's recruits were burglaries, other thefts and drug offenses, but nine involved sex crimes and six involved manslaughter or vehicular homicide convictions. The Army and Marine Corps have been struggling to increase their numbers to meet the combat needs of a military fighting wars on two fronts. As a result, the number of recruits needing waivers for crimes has grown in recent years, as has the number needing medical or aptitude waivers.
"We are growing the Army fast, and there are some waivers; we know that,” said Army Lt. Gen. James D. Thurman. "It hasn't alarmed us yet.”
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