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Case of Autistic Marine Sheds Light on Recruitment Ethics

Struggling to fill quotas, recruiters' practices called into question

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 6, 2009 8:58 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Operating in a war-weary America, military recruiters face a difficult task—and some are skirting ethics to fill their quotas, the Los Angeles Times reports. While substantiated cases against recruiters are relatively few—593 claims were verified in fiscal 2007, which saw 319,229 enlistees—the case of an autistic man who tried to leave the Marines has highlighted the problem.

At boot camp, Joshua Fry struggled with discipline, talking back to officers and stealing food. When he was barred in an attempt to leave, he told superiors he was autistic—but he wasn’t released. At infantry training weeks later, he was arrested for desertion and possession of child pornography; he's spent a year in the brig and is awaiting his next hearing. While autism doesn’t rule out a candidate for recruitment, had Navy doctors known about Fry’s condition—which, according to court documents, his recruiter knew about—he would probably have been rejected.

This Oct. 9, 2008 photo provided by the US Marines photos shows an Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle entering the water to execute test exercises off the coast of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.
This Oct. 9, 2008 photo provided by the US Marines photos shows an Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle entering the water to execute test exercises off the coast of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif.   (AP Photo/Pvt. Daniel Boothe, U.S. Marines)
In this June 21, 2006 file photo, military vehicles are brought through the main entrance to Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base in San Diego, Calif.
In this June 21, 2006 file photo, military vehicles are brought through the main entrance to Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base in San Diego, Calif.   (AP Photo/Chris Park, File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 6 comments
cyberscan
Jul 13, 2011 1:27 AM CDT
I'm autistic (not Aspergers), and I served in the Navy.  I never told my recruiter simply because I was never asked.  I've known I was autistic all of my life, but I didn't know that it was considered a disability until just a few years ago.  I'm sure this question is now asked since autism is such a big thing.
Guest
Jul 6, 2009 8:46 PM CDT
He should have fit right into siempa fie!
Fondue
Jul 6, 2009 2:10 AM CDT
Spot no DJM. Let me see if I understand this. You can tell a recruiter you're autistic and get in, but tell them you're gay and they show you the door.
US • Health

 
autism • recruits • recruitment • military recruits • Camp Pendleton • Marine Corps • Marines

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