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Checking In On Military Records
November 01, 2011 posted by Steve Brownstein
by Peg McNichol
Raymond Schepansky's April 14 arrest made national news, which drew the attention of veterans from around the country who began looking into claims about his military record.
Records from the National Archives and Records Administration obtained by veterans, as well as Plymouth-Canton Community Schools' records obtained by Canton Patch, show that Schepansky made false claims. His job application package included a phony military letter.
Michael Pachuta, owner of the Troy-based Credential Check Corporation, said any employer would be wise to consider verifying any applicant's military claims. His 30-year-old firm has about 1,200 clients throughout North America, he said, "from small two-person trucking firms to larger Fortune 100 companies."
Military records should be checked, he said for two reasons: an employer's responsibility to provide a safe workplace and because "it is a previous employer, you have to validate that information," Pachuta said, recalling a case his company investigated about a man who claimed to be a chef for the state of Michigan ,and in fact, he was, but left out one small detail: He was in prison at the time. The truth came out, Pachuta said, when his company contacted the reference listed and it became clear that the job applicant had used a friend's cell phone number.
Pachuta said checking military records is easier than in years past because armed forces now provide former military personnel with a form, DD214. He said the employer should ask for the long form, and because that document can also be falsified, it is important to verify that it is authentic.
