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Recruiters armed with drug-test kits

Marine recruiters are stocking low-tech drug testing kits and conducting preliminary screenings on potential recruits before taking them to a Military Entrance Processing Station, where they get their official drug test.

Officials say the new test is to prevent busy recruiters from wasting time taking a prospect up for processing only to see him kicked out of the MEPS because of a failed drug test.

“It allows recruiters to better screen applicants for possible drug use, thereby reducing wasted time on applicants who would be disqualified,” said Staff Sgt. Brian Griffin, a spokesman at Marine Corps Recruiting Command. “We want to make sure we are weeding out those who are not eligible.”

There are 65 MEPS nationwide. The process of preparing the necessary paperwork, along with driving a prospective recruit to the nearest facility, can be costly and time consuming for individual recruiters.

The new Non-Instrumental Drug Tests were tried out in some recruiting locations early last year, and the program was extended to recruiting stations nationwide in July, Griffin said.

The body breaks down drugs, creating metabolites. Urine testing is based on an analysis of metabolites; therefore, it shows prior drug exposure, not whether a person is “high” at the time of testing.

While both use urine samples, the preliminary drug test differs from the official MEPS test in several ways.

The preliminary test allows the recruit to step into a restroom and provide a urine sample in private, Griffin said.

At the MEPS, recruits are observed while they provide a sample, said Gaylan Johnson, a spokesman for the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command headquarters in Illinois.

The preliminary test uses a hand-held device that changes color when it comes into contact with urine and provides an immediate result, Griffin said.

Official drug tests at the MEPS are more formal. Officials record the chain of custody for individual samples and send them to a Navy lab — a longer process, but one with more legally binding results, Johnson said.

The preliminary test is “intended to identify usage prior to shipping, not to prevent disclosure of prior drug use by the applicant,” according to a recent study of recruiters from the Inspector General of the Marine Corps.

Most restrictive policy

The Corps has the most restrictive drug policy compared with the other services, requiring a formal waiver for recruits who have used marijuana just one time.

If a preliminary test turns up positive for marijuana, the applicant is placed on hold for at least 15 days while recruiters and their commanders decide how to handle the case, Griffin said.

If a MEPS test reveals evidence of marijuana use, the candidate cannot be processed for military service for at least 45 days, Johnson said.

Both tests also screen for other types of drugs; the implications of positive results vary depending on the drug.

After MEPS, there are no more drug screens for prospective Marines, even if the recruit is placed into the delayed-entry program and waits up to a year before shipping, Griffin said.

The number of drug waivers issued by the Corps has held steady in recent years. Among the 38,685 accessions in 2003, the Corps issued 13,284 waivers. Similarly, in 2006, 13,786 drug waivers were issued for the 38,217 new Marines accessed, according to Defense Department data.

Some advocates who support more lenient drug policies and drug laws see the Corps’ new drug policy as a positive sign.