US army screening process found wanting as untrained Texan claiming to be a former Marine joins Army Reserve as sergeant
Associated Press
A Texas man with no military experience managed to trick the US army into letting him enter a reserve unit as a noncommissioned officer earlier this year, putting an untrained soldier in a leadership position in a time of war.
The revelation comes just months after the army drew criticism for failing to raise the suspicious activities of Major Nidal Hasan, the army psychiatrist now charged with killing 13 and wounding dozens of others at a military base in Fort Hood.
The case, detailed in court records and other documents examined by the Associated Press, raises more questions about the army's ability to vet soldiers' backgrounds as it faces continued pressure from Congress over its screening and records system. While the soldier never deployed overseas, the case demonstrates how easily someone could pose as a member of the US military.
Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, joined the army reserve in February as a sergeant and was assigned to the Corps Support Airplane Company based at the Fort Worth naval air station. But he was not qualified to hold that rank, according to military records obtained by the AP. The records show that Johnston's only military experience was attending part of a 12-week Marine officer candidate course for college students in 2004.
Major Shawn Haney, spokeswoman for Marine Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said Johnston didn't complete the course's final six weeks. "He was never considered a Marine," she said. Link
