Milwaukee Cannibal and convicted serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was once enlisted in the US Army. He served for two years from January 1979 to March 1981 and was eventually discharged after being deemed ineligible to serve owing to his alcoholism which grew over the years.
Dahmer, a confessed cannibal known for some of the most gruesome murders, began his killings before his enlistment. These crimes continued for a decade after his honorable discharge from the United States military. Law enforcement arrested the notorious killer in July 1991 for raping, murdering, and dismembering 17 men and boys.
According to reports such as CNN, Dahmer received 16 consecutive life sentences for his crimes. He was serving time at the Wisconsin-based Columbia Correctional Institution when a fellow inmate, Christopher Scraver, beat him to death on November 28, 1994.
Exploring Jeffrey Dahmer’s career and service in the US Army as a combat medic
Men’s Health Magazine reported that Jeffrey Dahmer dropped out of Ohio State University after one semester in 1978. Following this, he enlisted in the United States Army caving in to his father’s urges.
First, the killer received training as a medical specialist at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Following his training, Dahmer was stationed with the 2nd Battalion, 68th Armored Regiment, 8th Infantry Division in Baumholder, West Germany. Moreover, the service reports described him as an “average to slightly above soldier.” He served there from January 1979 to March 1981.
The outlet further reported that after police arrested the serial killer in July 1991, the news of his crimes became public knowledge. This prompted German authorities to investigate several unsolved killings that occurred during his time of service. They found no links between the murders and Dahmer.
Reportedly, two of Dahmer’s fellow servicemen reportedly accused him of sexual assault. One of them was 20-year-old Preston Davis, a Black medic who worked with him back in 1979. Davis alleged that he faced racism and that Dahmer frequently boasted about his crimes while intoxicated. He also claimed that the latter drugged and raped him during a training exercise in Belgium when the two men were alone together.
The second sexual assault victim was Dahmer’s 17-year-old roommate Billy J. Capshaw. The teen recalled multiple instances when the former imprisoned, beat, and raped him while drunk. Capshaw reportedly filed a complaint and even took a rape test. Sadly, law enforcement ignored his cries for help. The sex offender continued his abuse for a 17-month period, as per Military.com.
The outlet reported that in March 1981, Jeffrey Dahmer was honorably discharged from the army due to his growing alcohol abuse. Superiors determined that his performance deteriorated because of his alcoholism after which he ended up in Milwaukee. He committed his first murder before the army enlistment and continued killing after his discharge and return to Milwaukee.
