There are mobsters in the US - 1.4 million of them.

[SpaceMarine93]

From the Business Insider:

The FBI has released a new gang assessment announcing that there are 1.4 million gang members in the US, a 40 percent increase since 2009, and that many of these members are getting inside the military (via Stars and Stripes).

The report says the military has seen members from 53 gangs and 100 regions in the U.S. enlist in every branch of the armed forces. Members of every major street gang, some prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs) have been reported on both U.S. and international military installations.

From the report:

Through transfers and deployments, military-affiliated gang members expand their culture and operations to new regions nationwide and worldwide, undermining security and law enforcement efforts to combat crime. Gang members with military training pose a unique threat to law enforcement personnel because of their distinctive weapons and combat training skills and their ability to transfer these skills to fellow gang members.

The report notes that while gang members have been reported in every branch of service, they are concentrated in the U.S. Army, Army Reserves, and the Army National Guard.

Many street gang members join the military to escape the gang lifestyle or as an alternative to incarceration, but often revert back to their gang associations once they encounter other gang members in the military. Other gangs target the U.S. military and defense systems to expand their territory, facilitate criminal activity such as weapons and drug trafficking, or to receive weapons and combat training that they may transfer back to their gang. Incidents of weapons theft and trafficking may have a negative impact on public safety or pose a threat to law enforcement officials.

The FBI points out that many gangs, especially the bikers, actively recruit members with military training and advise young members with no criminal record to join the service for weapon access and combat experience.

The full assessment is definitely worth checking out, if only for the pictures.

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/201 ... z1fTiNYnOr

Uh Oh

[Shroom Man 777]

This isn't new. Wasn't the whole Golden Triangle connection due to gang connections in the US military during the Vietnam War? Didn't gangsters train on Thompsons and BARs while serving in the military back in the 30s and such? Of course, I'm getting this from Hollywood movies, but I think American films would be least likely to get their own nation's history wrong (this is not saying much).

At least organized criminals will make better soldiers than the mentally ill.

[Beowulf]

Your title is incredibly misleading. There are ~1.4 million personnel in all uniformed services combined.

[Knife]

Your title is incredibly misleading. There are ~1.4 million personnel in all uniformed services combined.

And... "The FBI has released a new gang assessment announcing that there are 1.4 million gang members in the US"; not 1.4 million in the US military.

[Shroom Man 777]

Oh Jesus, yeah. SpessMareen's feared secret US army gangstas could rival the PLA in sheer manpower.

[Raxmei]

Yeah, when I saw the title I expected some whacked out rant calling the US military itself a gang. That some servicemen are current, former, and future gang members has been known and reported on for some time now.

[Spoonist]

This isn't new. Wasn't the whole Golden Triangle connection due to gang connections in the US military during the Vietnam War? Didn't gangsters train on Thompsons and BARs while serving in the military back in the 30s and such? Of course, I'm getting this from Hollywood movies, but I think American films would be least likely to get their own nation's history wrong (this is not saying much).

At least organized criminals will make better soldiers than the mentally ill.

Yes, yes and yes. Although not as straightforward as that. War breeds corruption and opportunity so some were not criminal before joining but went into criminal careers after getting out.

Also the OSS and then CIA organizing crime and/or catering to organized crime in other countries is a longstanding tradition since WWII. The american-italian mob's sicilian connections helped against the italian fascists. They reinstalled mobsters in italy that the fascists had wiped out to fight against anti-fascist communist guerillas. The jakuza got a real jumpstart after WWII due to them being considered a right wing movement and thus was funneled huge amounts of gold etc stolen from chinese which the US didn't want to go back to china. Contras had to get their funding from somewhere and since congress didn't allocate those funds it was easier to do illicit drug smuggling etc to fund them. Better opium growing processes for the mujahediin and thus what later became talibans as well. Heck when some decades later the taliban had tired on being reliant on opium trade and reduced it significantly, it was time for another war when the US kicked their but, thus the Northern Alliance consisting of warlords funded by opium got the upper hand almost everywhere, thus opium trade has been steadily increasing ever since.

But it isn't american only, although they seem to be overrepresented since they do it deliberately, almost any UN intervention has lead to military camps that attract trafficking and drug smuggling.
Which of course is a long standing tradition of armies, but it used to be in the open. Like napoleon requesting more liesure ladies when he was increasing the army size. Same thing with directly recruiting criminal elements.

[Thanas]

Title edited for accuracy.

[Connor MacLeod]

Frankly I was disappoitned. I was expecting Al Capone and some tommygun wielding mugs like you'd see in Dick Tracy fighting terrorists abroad or something. Man, wouldn't that be cool.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Frankly I was disappoitned. I was expecting Al Capone and some tommygun wielding mugs like you'd see in Dick Tracy fighting terrorists abroad or something. Man, wouldn't that be cool.

Yeah, when I read 'mobster' I'm thinking of the mob, not West Coast-style gangsters, biker clubs, and skinhead paramilitaries.

[SpaceMarine93]

Sorry, I read it wrong

[ChaserGrey]

This isn't new. Wasn't the whole Golden Triangle connection due to gang connections in the US military during the Vietnam War? Didn't gangsters train on Thompsons and BARs while serving in the military back in the 30s and such? Of course, I'm getting this from Hollywood movies, but I think American films would be least likely to get their own nation's history wrong (this is not saying much).

That's a very dangerous assumption to make. I think what's new here is the phenomenon of gang members joining the military to get weapons training, with the expectation of using those skills in the criminal world after they get out. The Golden Triangle gang activity was mostly people who were already soldiers turning to crime overseas because there was a chance to make a lot of money.

Gangsters in the 30s actually tended not to have served- they were mostly from immigrant families that viewed any official body with suspicion and were usually too young for the WWI draft, which only went down to age 21 until very late in the game. It was easier to get weapons training in those days, because fully automatic weapons were legal for private ownership in the U.S. until the National Firearms Act of 1934. (Yes, really.)

[Spoonist]

Gangsters in the 30s actually tended not to have served- they were mostly from immigrant families that viewed any official body with suspicion and were usually too young for the WWI draft, which only went down to age 21 until very late in the game. It was easier to get weapons training in those days, because fully automatic weapons were legal for private ownership in the U.S. until the National Firearms Act of 1934. (Yes, really.)

But gangs sending men into the military isn't new? The American-Italian mobs, while missing most of the draft for WWI, did specifically send family members into the WWII drafts. With one reason being getting military skills just like today. The KKK did the same, etc. This is why the service did try to have a wetting process.
Also the new york side had lots of associates that had done military service like their irish branch.

Funfact the eldest capone brother did military service in WWI becoming expert with guns then during prohibition he became a prohibition agent and sheriff. So the eldest and the younger brothers ended up on different sides although in completely different precincts.

[ChaserGrey]

Huh. Didn't know about that during the WWII draft, you learn something new every day. Thanks!

[starslayer]

because fully automatic weapons were legal for private ownership in the U.S. until the National Firearms Act of 1934.

They still are. The 1934 NFA just regulated their sale and transfer much more tightly. It wasn't until 1968 that the import ban on automatic weapons was established, and the domestic manufacturing ban went into effect in 1986. Any automatic weapon registered before then is still perfectly legal, depending on state and local laws. Because no new ones are being made for private use, however, their prices have skyrocketed: new M16s for law enforcement and military use cost up to $1000 or so, while a civilian legal one is going to run you something like 10 to 20 times that much. Before 1986, you could get one for the same $1000 or so the military paid.

[Ritterin Sophia]

because fully automatic weapons were legal for private ownership in the U.S. until the National Firearms Act of 1934. (Yes, really.)

Uh no. Up until 1934 it was legal to purchase and own a fully automatic weapon without registering and paying a transfer tax. Private ownership of fully automatic weapons has always been legal and still is.

Edit: I really should read the later responses first.