Gangs in the military: A growing problem

Gangs in the U.S. military are happening more and more. Members of white, black and Latino street gangs are signing up to serve in the armed forces, and Thelma Gutierrez reports it's so serious that the FBI calls it a national security threat.

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I recently saw an episode of the show Gangland on this very topic. Recruiters are under pressure to provide more soldiers. They are lowering their standards for induction. More and more gang members, with questionable morals, and criminal records, are being inducted. These men are trained in the military skills, most of which are very useful when they return to their gangbanger life. The one returning veteran gang member can then train his fellow gangbangers and form a crack troop of street thugs. This will lead eventually to a situation where the gangs are better trained than law enforcement.

"This is where (recruiters) are allowed to break the rules of recruitment, and this happens mainly in the Army and the Marines," Valdemar commented.

Between 2003 and 2006, the Armed Forces permitted 4,230 convicted criminals into the Army, according to an investigation by the Michael D. Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Also admitted during that time were 58,561 people with drug use.

"As to recruiter impropriety, our practice is not to condone it," said Lt. Col. George Wright with the Army Public Affairs office in Washington, D.C. He went on to say that the number of known gang members is not a demographic group for which the Army keeps statistics.

Source

I believe this will come back on society just as Prohibition did. Prohibition empowers gangs by providing a ready source of easy income. This is empowering them by training them in weapons and explosives, to kill, infiltrate and evade. People think gangs are bad now. Wait until the gangbangers in Iraq get home and continue their criminal careers. The worst is yet to come.

Part 1 of 5 of the show Gangland:

Brig'em.

find a nice war that's really shoot'em up, claim that you can't go in the regular way, and send them in at the front.

Have I ever mentioned I'm not nice?

reply to post by TheComte


there was a report about this a few years ago

in a nutshell the gangs are using the military to get free training in a wide range of skills in order to employ those skills once released from the military

pretty creative

Makes you wonder about friendly fire. How many of these incidents are actually intentional but written off because the circumstances seem accidental.

Maybe someone didn't pay their extortion money and was in the middle of a firefight and was "ACCIDENTALLY" hit by friendly fire.

This is what happen when you turn America into a cesspool of races and religions. Nobody has the same cultural experiences or beliefs and everyone is fighting for themselves and not the well being of the country and it's citizens.

I'm not racist but pointing out an evident truth. All this dilution of this country has done nothing but cause more division and a power vaccuum in America.

I agree with Revealations and Aeon. Put these scum on the front lines and let the chips fall where they may. I don't want the gangbangers knowing the correct way to fire a gun(as oppossed to holding it sideways like they do in every movie)

reply to post by Revealation


I love your theory. Lets make us a single US cultural identity!

Now shall it have a background from:
English, Irish, German, French, Swiss, Dutch, Italian, Polish, Slavic, Russian, Finnish, Swedish, Arab, Persian, Chinese, Mongolian, African, South American....etc....etc...


Do you get the picture of how retarded it sounds to have a single identity when EVERYONE in our country can trace lineage to somewhere else on the globe??

I believe your frustration is better directed to the "Ghetofication" of our country and not where we came from.

This isn't a race issue. The video makes it clear that there are also white supremist gangs, as well as Hell's Angels in the army. It's not just about black or hispanic gangs.

It's about the military lowering it's standards and allowing people with criminal records and gang affiliations into the military. Gang members are loyal to their gangs even above their loyalty to the USA itself. This is the problem.

reply to post by bismarcksea


I think his point is that wherever your "roots" go you should be American first and foremost. Not some pasty white been here 6 generations suddenly discovered your great-great cousins roommate was friends with Puerto-Rican so now you go around wearing a hairnet, baggy jeans and have adopted some urban/illiterate slang variation.

Being fond of and embracing ones cultural heritage is one thing, using your cultural heritage as an excuse to behave like a jackass and use it to build a wall around you is another. If we're going to "embrace" to the point of division we may as well all secede into our own little mini-countries.

It's all evident in this hyphenated American crap. You're not African-America, you're not Mexican-American, you're not German-American, you're damn American plain and simple.

When the hell did peoples lives become so empty and boring they had to start living off of labels to make things "interesting" for themselves?





[edit on 12-6-2009 by thisguyrighthere]

complaining about gangs in teh biggest gang int he world is a little bit of a stretch. yeah, there are thugs and retards in the army.

this is... umm, surprising?

I saw this special I have a stand point where anyone one who are learning these training method to use out side of the military on the public cops what have you are committing treason and should be hung. However if someone who has some gang history did join and is trying to make their life better then all the power to them. Most of the time the check for affiliation like tattoos criminal record with gang association and even family members who have a criminal record can all deny a person from entry.

Originally posted by Revealation
Makes you wonder about friendly fire. How many of these incidents are actually intentional but written off because the circumstances seem accidental.

Maybe someone didn't pay their extortion money and was in the middle of a firefight and was "ACCIDENTALLY" hit by friendly fire.

If someone was trying to export money from other soldiers, then it is highly likley that they are the ones that will get killed in action.

But it wont be by friendly fire, it will be made to look like the enemy got them.



[edit on 12-6-2009 by MR BOB]

Just saying that this is really not "news," though it might be a followup. My guess it's just another recycled story...something I've noticed has been happening a LOT in recent years. I don't have any sources handy, but I know I posted this on another forum at LEAST two if not three or four years ago. Has it been covered here at ATS before?

Serving in another counrty might have actually set alot of criminals straight. Did they follow up and check to see the percentage of reoffeders after leaving the military?

I don't know. On one hand you have a group of scumbag bullies using gang like tactics. Outnumbering their opponent, overly equipped and taught how to manhandle other people.
And on the other you have scumbag gangsters learning how to do the same thing.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


Hail to the voice of wisdom, yes you are right at least on my own personal experience as a Caribbean Puertorican women I am not a Latino American women I am an American plain and simple.

It hurts me the stereotypes that has been born in this nation out of stupidity and lack of proper education.

You are born in the US you are a darn American no matter where your grandmother came from.

Get it?

The problem isn't just state side either, the Canadian armed forces has it's gang issues as well and the RCMP swamped with cases. Although it never makes news it doesn't mean it's not happening.

Originally posted by Revealation
This is what happen when you turn America into a cesspool of races and religions. Nobody has the same cultural experiences or beliefs and everyone is fighting for themselves and not the well being of the country and it's citizens.

I'm not racist but pointing out an evident truth. All this dilution of this country has done nothing but cause more division and a power vaccuum in America.

We are talking about gangs, not religions and cultures. Gangs particularly those that deal with drugs operate on a core outside of a religious or cultural beliefs. They are generally armed and dangerous.

I think the problem with gangs has to do with MTV, and media in general, in brainwashing these poor kids that gang banging is cool and money and power is God!!! The media should actually be doing the opposite to counter their aggressive recruitment!!

The problem is not gang members trying to get into the military, the problem is the recruiters letting them in and lowering their standards.

It's not a racial issue, as has already been stated here.

Anyway, I have always felt that the military anywhere, tends to draw people with a violent streak.

Gang members, or non-gang members will be coming home with PTSD and other problems. It's karma. Spread violence and it'll come back and kick you in the butt.