[CharlesWayneCT]

Correction -- I believe the 180,000 is the total number of recruits for all services, but the 500 vs 250 number is the Army numbers. I think the total numbers of felons for all services is 900 vs 500 last year.

And these aren't really hardened criminals. They are kids who make bad choices. For example: "One recruit described in news reports as a “bomber” actually was a young person who blew up a mailbox using a soda bottle full of gunpowder".

Hey, I blew things up when I was young, but never anything that didn't belong to me, so I didn't get in trouble.

[dragnet2]

And these aren't really hardened criminals. They are kids who make bad choices.

You're joking?

They generally don't hand out serious felony convictions for minor little reasons or simply making, "bad choices".

To receive a felony charge, and be convicted of a felony, generally means you were involved in a serious crime.