Scary Quotes Time: Gangs In The Military

I want you to look at the picture below and be honest is your first reaction: 1) That is sort of funny or 2) My God the military has been overrun with gangbangers seeking to learn how to commit murder and mayhem.



There is also another misconception perpetuated in this report that I would like to dispel. YOU CAN NOT ENLIST IN THE MILITARY AS A DIVERSIONARY PROGRAM BECAUSE OF A JUDGE!

I am sort of the resident expert on this since I served as an Army recruiter in Alabama in the early 90's. Any applicant who walked in the door and either stated or it was discovered had come there with the intent to enlist to avoid jail was automatically disqualified. Permanently. I wish this urban legend would die because you do not want to know how many people I turned away for just that reason. Sometimes they came down there at the behest of their parents in an attempt to get junior off on some charge or a judge not really understanding that such a thing was not tolerated had given them the option. Think about this for a minute folks. If people could be enlisted in the military instead of going to jail why don't you see recruiters in every courtroom in America? So can we knock it off. And anybody who says they enlisted to avoid jail is lying to you.

Well according to some folks who have taken it upon themselves to interpret the recently released from the FBI it is a clear indication that members of the military are nothing but gangbangers looking to kill a little time in between their incarcerations in the penal system. Of course these are the same folks who wet their pants over pictures of "assault weapons" and the mention of high capacity magazines.

Folks here is the portion of the report dealing with the findings regarding the military. I will call your attention to the lack of specifics so I am not sure what sort of conclusions can really be drawn from this report. There has always been former members of gangs in the military and gang membership does not in itself indicate anything further in most cases then self preservation.

Gangs and the Military

Gang recruitment of active duty military personnel constitutes a significant criminal threat to the US military. Members of nearly every major street gang, as well as some prison gangs and OMGs, have been reported on both domestic and international military installations, according to NGIC analysis and multiple law enforcement reporting. Through transfers and deployments, military-affiliated gang members expand their culture and operations to new regions nationwide and worldwide, undermining security and law enforcement efforts to combat crime. Gang members with military training pose a unique threat to law enforcement personnel because of their distinctive weapons and combat training skills and their ability to transfer these skills to fellow gang members.

NGIC reporting indicates that law enforcement officials in at least 100 jurisdictions have come into contact with, detained, or arrested an active duty or former military gang member within the past three years.

Gang members have been reported in every branch of the US militarym, although a large proportion of these gang members and dependent gang members of military personnel are affiliated with the US Army, Army Reserves, and National Guard branches.

Many street gang members join the military to escape the gang lifestyle or as an alternative to incarceration, but often revert back to their gang associations once they encounter other gang members in the military. Other gangs target the US military and defense systems to expand their territory, facilitate criminal activity such as weapons and drug trafficking, or to receive weapons and combat training that they may transfer back to their gang. Incidents of weapons theft and trafficking may have a negative impact on public safety or pose a threat to law enforcement officials.

As of April 2011, the NGIC has identified members of at least 53 gangs whose members have served in or are affiliated with US military. Among the identified gangs with military-trained members are street gangs such as the Asian Boyz, Bloods, Crips, Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, MS-13, Sureños, Tiny Rascal Gangsters, and the Juggalos; the Aryan Brotherhood, Barrio Azteca, and Texas Syndicate prison gangs; and OMGs including the Bandidos, Hells Angels, Mongols, Outlaws, and Vagos. Some gangs, particularly OMGs, actively recruit members with military training or advise members without criminal records to join the military for necessary weapons and combat training.

Younger gang members without criminal records are attempting to join the military, as well as concealing tattoos and gang affiliation during the recruitment process, according to NGIC reporting.

Deployments have resulted in integrating gang members with service members and/or dependents on or near overseas military installations, including those in Afghanistan, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, and South Korea. US military officials have reported a rise in gang graffiti both on and off post in Afghanistan and Iraq (see Figure 14).

BTW I think that picture is funny as hell, I watch Sons of Anarchy on a regular basis and back in my youth was known to look at an issue or two of Easy Rider magazine.