Army Shakes Up Recruiting Office in Investigation Into Allegation of Fraud

The seven-person staff of the Long Beach Army recruiting station has been reassigned to other duties while the Army investigates an allegation that a potential enlistee used a fraudulent high school diploma provided by one of the recruiters.

The seven local recruiters were transferred to company headquarters in Long Beach two days after the diploma was called into question last week, while the applicant’s enlistment papers were being processed. In the meantime, the Pine Avenue recruiting station is being run by a replacement staff.

Maj. William Norton of the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion in Los Angeles said investigators are checking school credentials in other enlistment files in the Long Beach office, although allegations only center on the one diploma.

If it is found that a recruiter did falsify a diploma, he would be relieved of his duties and would be subject to possible demotion, Norton said. The applicant also maintains that he was punched by the recruiter as they left the Los Angeles processing station after the diploma was questioned, Norton said.

Although the Army does not require enlistees to have high school degrees, the service does set recruiting goals seeking a certain percentage of graduates.