Gangs in the military.

Worth the read is Gustav Eyler, Gangs in the Military, 118 Yale L. J. 696 (2009).

Gang activity in the U.S. military is increasing. Gang members undermine good order and discipline in the armed services and pose a serious threat to military and civilian communities. Congress recently responded to this threat by directing the Secretary of Defense to promulgate regulations forbidding the active participation of service personnel in criminal street gangs. This Note reviews the threat posed by military gangs and analyzes existing military policies addressing gang affiliation. This Note concludes with recommendations for the military to consider when it drafts the new regulations demanded by Congress.

Rod Powers, Gang Activity in the U.S. Military, About.com, 12 February 2008.

According to a recently released FBI report, Gang-related activity in the US military is increasing and poses a threat to law enforcement officials and national security.

Gang Members in the Military, Nat'l Gang Intelligence Center, Nat'l Gang Threat Assessment 2009, Department of Justice.

Stars & Stripes ran a four part series on gangs in the military in February 2007.

Comments

[Dreadnaught]

Yes, we do not want active gang members in the military. Not so easy to do. This will hurt a number of people. Many of our servicemembers come from areas where gang membership is a necessity. These young people look to escape this situation and better themselves by joining the military. If there is too much of a crackdown on recruiting potential servicemembers who were in gangs, these people will be ineligible for service.

Any problems with gang affiliation can be handled by the UCMJ. If military members are committing crimes prosecute them. But to pass new orders about gang membership will not be helpful.

Just a thought.

[Carter F Smith]

Many do successfully escape the gang environment, but the military uses a hope-so mindset rather than an insurance plan. It's not enough to take a gang member's word that he has changed. Using the UCMJ to handle gang affiliation is like using the law to handle terrorism -- it could be (or have been) done, but it doesn't fix the problem. I tend to agree that new rules are not necessary, but when crimes aren't investigated because we are afraid a can of worms will be open we have gone too far into the denial mode.

Positions in the military who are trained to fight in battle are not the only positions in which the loyalty of a gang member would be an issue. Those who control the finances and personnel assignments, as well as those who oversee logistics shipments can exploit their positions for the gang's benefit.

The real concern should not be the "regular" street gang members -- we should focus on those who may infiltrate the military - http://gangfighters.blogspot.com/2009/01/evolutions-of-gangs.html