Can academic dishonesty on a 1059 ruin your army career?

I was an Army CID agent from 1978-1994. In 1992, the commandant of the Defense Language Institute was found by me to have falsified his educational background, claiming he had a PhD when he had never been even a candidate for the degree, much less earn the degree. He had lived that lie since right after being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. I had reviewed his records to learn more about him. I ended up sending my counterparts in Washington D.C. to see his career manager and found that the claim of his PhD had kept him around the Army when his year group were part of reduction in force (RIF). Thus, some more deserving officer was subject to a RIF while the Army let this lying sad sack remain on active duty. A CID case was written on him, he was fingerprinted, his mug shots taken and he was eliminated from the Army in record time. He was offered retirement or a courts martial on Friday and he was gone from the Army. He had managed to disparage the commanding general of TRADOC, his boss, during his CID interrogation by me. When falsifying your credentials, ask yourself if it worth it. As soon as you apply for a national security clearance, the Army will find out. They verify each degree you claim to have.

dishonesty ruins military careers.

I’m going to say yes. But in my 22 years in the army I have battles who have done that same or worse and they are CSM’s now. It’s not what you did it’s your resilience that can pull you through.

Wow.