AP INVESTIGATION: Documents show Texas reservist faked his way into military service

AP INVESTIGATION: Texas man faked way into Army

FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas man with no military experience managed to trick the Army into letting him enter a reserve unit as a noncommissioned officer earlier this year, putting an untrained soldier in a leadership position in a time of war.

An Associated Press investigation found that Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, was given the rank of sergeant even though he wasn’t qualified to hold it. Records show Johnston’s only military experience was attending part of a 12-week Marine officer candidate course.

The matter is under investigation by the Army. It raises more questions about the Army’s ability to vet soldiers’ backgrounds months after it failed to flag the suspicious activities of the psychiatrist charged with killing 13 at Fort Hood.