Marijuana Question AFROTC

I was filling out my AFROTC scholarship app and the question came up about Marijuana experimentation. I originally said no but as I was checking over the application I didn't want to deal with the consequences of lying so I changed my answer to yes. It gave me the space to explain so I did. It was once my freshman year of high school, I took one bite of a weed brownie felt nothing and I have never and will never try it again. I feel stupid for admitting such a trivial thing, I don't even think that constitutes as trying it but its too late for me to change the application. I'm worried that I have destroyed my chance of any kind of ROTC. It sounds like if it was 5 years ago they would've appreciated te honesty and everything would be fine and dandy but today it sounds like they might just see I said yes and not even look at the circumstances. Does anyone know if this will also disqualify me from just joining ROTC in college?

Probably not.

I don't think one time experimentation would disqualify you from being a college programmer at all.

CGBrat14 said:

I was filling out my AFROTC scholarship app and the question came up about Marijuana experimentation. I originally said no but as I was checking over the application I didn't want to deal with the consequences of lying so I changed my answer to yes. It gave me the space to explain so I did. It was once my freshman year of high school, I took one bite of a weed brownie felt nothing and I have never and will never try it again. I feel stupid for admitting such a trivial thing, I don't even think that constitutes as trying it but its too late for me to change the application. I'm worried that I have destroyed my chance of any kind of ROTC. It sounds like if it was 5 years ago they would've appreciated te honesty and everything would be fine and dandy but today it sounds like they might just see I said yes and not even look at the circumstances. Does anyone know if this will also disqualify me from just joining ROTC in college?

Click to expand...

Personal opinion, you should be fine with both the Scholarship application and ROTC, as long as it was a one time thing and you make that point perfectly clear. If you have done this more then once then it will be a larger issue.

Much better that you answered yes on the initial application then changing your answer later when to fill out your clearance application.

You did the right thing.

Honestly, they are not naive, they are pretty sure many candidates have experimented with marijuana and underage drinking.

What they looking for is the amount of times they experimented. They will never tell you the magic number for a red flag, but 1x is not something to worry about.

There is a thread here, or maybe it was another AF forum that discussed how a candidate lied at your age. Came clean as a rising jr in college and was dis-enrolled.

Nobody knows for sure if it was lying about it or the amount of times he "experimented".

I would not worry.

I think the biggest thing is to be consistent when asked, and don't do it anymore.

+1 to Moosestache. No big deal. Always best to be honest regardless.

Be honest. And be consistent. You'll will be asked this question a lot in your career. When you contract, when you commission, when you initiate your security clearance, and every time you re-do your security clearance. If your story changes at any point, itll come back to bite you.

As long as you stay honest and consistent, you don't need to worry.

nick4060 said:

Be honest. And be consistent. You'll will be asked this question a lot in your career. When you contract, when you commission, when you initiate your security clearance, and every time you re-do your security clearance. If your story changes at any point, itll come back to bite you.

As long as you stay honest and consistent, you don't need to worry.

Click to expand...

In the two years I have been on this site, it is always the people who have already checked the box who post, and they should remain consistent and not do it anymore.

While I agree honesty usually is the best policy, if you smoked dope more than a couple of times before you got in ROTC, don't be honest if you want to join. Some people will come on here and complain about this answer, but if you did smoke don't admit it.

I may be grasping at straws but here goes. My son is a new college freshman who signed up for AFROTC. During orientation he checked the box indicating he had tried pot and later admitted to the CCC he did it a handful of times, but that was the past and would gladly submit to daily testing if necessary. The CCC told him he would not be admitted to the program. He is devastated but understands he screwed up. He has worked extremely hard his senior year bringing his class rank from 33 to 14 in a very competitive class even though he had already been accepted to prestigious university during his junior year. Captain of his high school track & cross country teams. A unwieghted GPA of 3.9 and a perfect score in his AP exam. My point being he is not a screw up simply a youth who had a serious lapse in judgement. My question is, does he have any options left for AFROTC or is this a closed case?
Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Taken from the other thread.

Moosestache said:

While I agree honesty usually is the best policy, if you smoked dope more than a couple of times before you got in ROTC, don't be honest if you want to join. Some people will come on here and complain about this answer, but if you did smoke don't admit it.

Click to expand...

Your right, people will most likely complain about this answer.

During a security clearance, they just don't ask the applicant if they ever used drugs, they ask their friends. If a person lies and tries to hide it, there is a good chance they will find out, at that point things will go south quickly.

The problem with having two versions of the "truth" is it gets complicated figuring out which version to use and when. Only having one version will put you ahead in the long run.

Moosestache said:

While I agree honesty usually is the best policy, if you smoked dope more than a couple of times before you got in ROTC, don't be honest if you want to join.

Click to expand...

There seems to be three parts to this question.
1. Should you be honest with ALL your answers on your AFROTC application?
2. Will you be accepted into AFROTC if you have smoked pot more than once?
3. Will the Air Force eventually find out the truth?

I'm fairly confident that the answer to question #2 is NO.
Good Luck!

Jcleppe said:

During a security clearance, they just don't ask the applicant if they ever used drugs, they ask their friends. If a person lies and tries to hide it, there is a good chance they will find out, at that point things will go south quickly.

Click to expand...

This is very true.

Typically, they flat out ask the question to everyone you have listed as a reference. Typically, that is when they do find out, and when it goes south, it can go very bad, esp. if you are a scholarship recipient.
~~~ You may not only not commission, but if you don't the likelihood of paying back the entire scholarship is very high.


JMPO, it is best to be honest now, and don't do it anymore. If they don't allow you in the program at least you know now, not 4 yrs from now.

Kind of also goes along with, never use people for references who aren't going to give you a good reference.

I guess I can't be any more straight forward.
1. Don't smoke pot.
2. If you did smoke more than once, don't check the box that says you did.
3. If you checked no, then don't ever change it.
4. Don't list people as references that know you smoked pot and are too dumb, or don't like you enough to answer,; No sir, I never saw him do any drugs.
5. If you did smoke pot in the past, stop it, don't do it again.

If you aren't able to comprehend this, probably you shouldn't be in the USAF.

Or we can use math if logic doesn't work.

If you check yes I smoked dope 95% chance you don't get in the USAF
If you check no, and don't change your answer, and are intelligent with your references, and stop doing it, odds of getting caught 15%??? Probably less.

If you follow the above advice you shouldn't be in the USAF either.

Have you ever been through a TS Clearance before for the military? The investigators don't just talk to the people you list as references, they get other names from those they talk to. I had people call me that were interviewed who I never listed anywhere as a reference. These people have been around the block a few times and know how to get the information they are looking for.

When the interviewer starts out telling the person that they must answer truthfully or face criminal charges, that friendship goes right out the window and they sing like a canary.

I've been through too many of these to know you don't mess around or check boxes No when you know it should be Yes. I've had them ask me about things that I had literally forgotten about, they are very thorough in their job.

+1, 1000% to Jcleppe's post.

The minute someone is shown a govt badge and informed that if they perjure their self it is a criminal offense; friendship went out the front door the agent walked in.

When DS went for his TS clearance, I was interviewed too. They stated OBTW we have missing dates in his records. Jan 1993-June 1993 (he was 3, and we lived at my Mom's home while Bullet was at SOS). June 1995- Dec. 1995 (again lived with Mom when Bullet was at XTU---he was 5). May 2002-Aug 2002 (again at Moms when Bullet was TDY---he was 12).

The TS clearance is that deep. Any empty spots from a time frame and they will investigate deeper.

When I was not even engaged to Bullet, he was an AFROTC cadet, giot engaged 9 months later. I was not a reference, but one day my college adviser called me into his office. Pima, I received a phone call about a guy named Cadet Bullet, do you know him?

Yes, we've been dating for 3 yrs.

Just wanted you to know they were asking about you, and if I knew him. We didn't attend the same college, but somehow, through the interviews my name was given.

Bullet just finished his TS clearance for the 6th time a few months ago. Guess what they still did a sit down with his references that lasted 30-45 minutes.

You don't screw around with this crap, because a TS clearance lasts only 5 yrs. DS got his clearance in college as a Sr. Most AFROTC cadets do not go ADAF right out the gate, it can take 6-9 months. That means they will have another one even if they want to leave at the 4 and door marker.

That makes them close to 26, hope they can remember what they put on that DoDMERB back when they were 18.

Moose,

I get what you are saying. However, I would say IMPO 1x is considered experimental and they most likely will be cleared. I don't think it is a 95% chance of goodbye. 3X is no longer experimental. By 3x you have to know whether you like it or not, or you are doing it because of peer pressure, either way I am with Moose on that...95% chance it is the door.

I just don't agree that you are implying they should shade the facts.

Moosestache said:

In the two years I have been on this site, it is always the people who have already checked the box who post, and they should remain consistent and not do it anymore.

While I agree honesty usually is the best policy, if you smoked dope more than a couple of times before you got in ROTC, don't be honest if you want to join. Some people will come on here and complain about this answer, but if you did smoke don't admit it.

Click to expand...

If someone wants to roll the dice with their career on this issue, that's their business. But they should be prepared to man up and accept the consequences when it comes back to bite them. I've seen plenty of people play that game and lose. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone posting or lurking on this site.

But in the end, its their careers.

nick4060 said:

If someone wants to roll the dice with their career on this issue, that's their business. But they should be prepared to man up and accept the consequences when it comes back to bite them. I've seen plenty of people play that game and lose. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone posting or lurking on this site.

But in the end, its their careers.

Click to expand...

Sorry, but this makes no sense. If you did it and you put it down you aren't going to be joining the military. Why bother wasting everyone's time, they don't want you and won't take you. If you were dumb enough to smoke pot, and aren't going to hide the fact, then you can't join the military. They rolled the dice on their career when they smoked that first joint.

Of course what % of active duty officers do you think actually did smoke pot and didn't write it down on their questionnaire.