Why doesn't the military accept people that once volunteered with the Peace Corps?

Question

Oh, well I am very sorry you guys. A friend of mine in the PC told me that but didn't explain why. So I was just wondering.. =]

Answer 1

Where did you hear that? You can serve in the military if you've been in the Peace Corps...

Answer 2

I'm pretty sure they do.

Answer 3

She is right. You can't join the military if you've been in the peace corps. I've seen it on one of the official branch websites. I think goarmy.com... I have no idea why they have that rule though, I was hoping someone would've answered right...

EDIT: I cannot find the link because I've been ALL over all of the branch sites in the past two weeks but I saw it somewhere... it could just be for certain jobs perhaps but there is SOME SORT of restriction

RE-EDIT: sterock... might be right because a few of the job descriptions I looked at were in top secret categories and that is probably where the restriction is.

Answer 4

Yes, I have heard of this! No one believes me when I tell them this! I think if you are seeking a commission as an officer, you cannot of been a Peace Corp volunteer. You can enlist but you will not be able to get a Top Secret, SSBI, clearance. Most Peace Corp volunteers have a bachelors. So, if they cannot be an officer, basically they can't join.

Answer 5

What is your basis for saying they don't?  I suspect that statement is wrong unless you can cite a credible source supporting it.

Answer 6

You can join the military with prior service in the PC in fact the military offers soldiers the JFK founded Corps to fulfill their military obligations.  

Answer 7

Do I understand your question is:  "Why can't a former Peace Corps volunteer be accepted by a group of individuals who kill people?"

Is that your question?

Answer 8

because of the connections they made while in the PC  that can be used against them.  especially in countries that the US does not have friendly relations with politically.  Often PC volunteers develop a fondness or sympathy for another country's plight and cannot be considered safe form undue influence.  

SOMETIMES, depending on the PC history they can get in, but they are absolutely denied a security clearance.  

Answer 9

The military does accept people who served in the Peace Corps.  Your friend is incorrect.

The Peace Corps won't accept anybody who worked for the CIA.  The CIA will accept somebody from Peace Corps 5 years after they have served in Peace Corps.

Answer 10

Actually - it's the other way around. The Peace Corps won't accept people who once served in the military - particularly in or around the intelligence field. The rest of the world thinks the Peace Corps is an arm of the federal government - think CIA - that inserts spies around the world. So to lessen that appearance, they won't take former soldiers who served in intelligence positions/units.

Answer 11

I have read on about.com that and goarmy.com that MOS's  requiring a TOP SECRET clearance can NOT have been a volunteer with the Peace Corps. As far as the secret level and below, I don't know.

Answer 12

They can serve but are not allowed in positions that would require a high level clearance; this is based on living in a foreign country where it is difficult to figure out who they worked with or had contact with so it is a risk.  Same reason foreign nationals are restricted and other groups of people who have lived over seas in the past as adults.

Answer 13

Military and peace. Two good words.

Answer 14

cause the peace corps is full of pansies who basically wouldn't fit in in the military.

if you are thinking about enlisting, don't.

someone will frag your rear-end