History Main / FromCamouflageToCriminal

A companion trope to LawmanGoneBad. Contrast BadgesAndDogTags, when ''policemen'' have an ex-military background. Compare and contrast the {{Privateer}}, who was essentially paid by his nation to become a pirate against another nation's shipping, and the BoxedCrook. The inversions are RecruitingTheCriminal and TradingBarsForStripes, where a character facing prison time or in prison is given the choice of serving in the military instead. May sometimes overlap with FormerRegimePersonnel and RogueAgent.

** Similarly, there is significant concern about the radicalization of US military personnel, with fears that some leaving enlistment can become [[RightWingMilitiaFanatic right-wing extremists]] and use their military training in crime, domestic terrorism, or direct attacks on the government. For instance, a number of those arrested for participating in the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_United_States_Capitol_attack 2021 attack on the US Capitol]] were former military members, such as Jake “[=QShaman=]” Angeli and Ashli Babbitt, who served in the Navy and Air Force respectively.

* In ''Series/SonsOfAnarchy'' most of the founding "First 9" were {{Vietnam Veteran}}s, and several current members are implied or explicitly stated to have served in the military. In the spinoff ''Series/MayansMC'', a lot of the Mayans are veterans of the WarOnTerror.

* ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber'':
** This game reveals that Jacket, the protagonist of the first ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'', served in the Hawaiian conflict as part of the Special Unit called Ghost Wolves alongside with Beard before becoming a hitman for the 50 Blessing terrorist organization attacking Russian Mob associated with Russo-American coalition.
** The Fans also served in the Hawaiian conflict as separate unit and pose as homicidal vigilante group [[GlorySeeker seeking fame]], inspired by Jacket's vigilante actions in the first game.

* In ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyModernWarfareII'', Colonel Alejandro Vargas was once mentioned that Las Almas Cartel are often recruited soldiers into their ranks due to their combat training. [[spoiler: One of such recruits is none other than the ''El Sin Nombre'' [[SamusIsAGirl herself]], Valeria Salgado. Which upon her reveal, turned out to be a former member of the same Mexican Special Forces unit as Alejandro's (albeit in a different squad) before deciding to join Las Almas Cartel as their top sicaria, and eventually taking up the mantle of the Cartel's leadership herself.]]

* The true identity of the BigBad of ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth'' is that of [[spoiler: Ambassador Quercus Alba. Formerly a decorated veteran of the Principality of Cohdopia, Alba was recognized as a war hero who was crucial to many of the principality's military victories. However, during his time as an ambassador for one of Cohdopia's two successor states, the Kingdom of Allebahst, he had begun to use his position to head a sizeable international smuggling ring, and had personally comitted at least two murders.]]

A companion trope to LawmanGoneBad. Contrast BadgesAndDogTags, when ''policemen'' have an ex-military background. Compare and contrast the {{Privateer}}, who was essentially paid by his nation to become a pirate against another nation's shipping, the RogueAgent, and the BoxedCrook. The inversions are RecruitingTheCriminal and TradingBarsForStripes, where a character facing prison time or in prison is given the choice of serving in the military instead. May sometimes overlap with FormerRegimePersonnel and RogueAgent.

A companion trope to LawmanGoneBad. Contrast BadgesAndDogTags, when ''policemen'' have an ex-military background. Compare and contrast the {{Privateer}}, who was essentially paid by his nation to become a pirate against another nation's shipping, the RogueAgent, and the BoxedCrook. The inversions are TradingBarsForStripes, where a character facing prison time or in prison is given the choice of serving in the military instead and RecruitingTheCriminal. May sometimes overlap with FormerRegimePersonnel and RogueAgent.

** ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'': In the backstory of ''ComicBook/TheThirdKryptonian'', Karsta and many of her friends in the Kryptonian Stellar Navy became pirates and mercenaries after the navy was disbanded. Returning home would have cost them the powers they gained under yellow suns, as well as their cherished lifestyles as soldiers. However, many of them eventually returned to Krypton or retired to more peaceful lives.

* ''Literature/TakeshiKovacs'': Kovacs ran with street gangs before enlisting with the UN Protectorate [[SuperSoldier Envoy]] corps, and after mustering out found that the civilian job market for sociopathic killing machines was somewhat limited. With the result that most of the time he worked as a mercenary for criminal syndicates.

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'' - much like its TTRPG predecessor - features many war veterans turned criminals. The game's protagonist and deuteragonist V and Johnny Silverhand (respectively) were both soldiers before they became outlaws. Nearly every member of the Aldecaldo Clan that V runs into was a Militech soldier before becoming mercenaries and smugglers. Then, of course, there are the members of the 6th Street Gang - all of whom are ruthless street criminals who are fanatically loyal to the NUSA and the idea of Reunification.

* Malcolm Reynolds and Zoe Washburne from ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' were a sergeant and a corporal in the Independent Faction army during the Unification War, and are now captain and first mate of a SpacePirate[=/=]smuggling crew. Mal likes to insist that "the war's long done; we're all just folk now," but he's still bitter that the Independents lost and will sometimes do things he normally wouldn't (like sheltering River and Simon), just so he can flip the bird to the [[NicknamingTheEnemy purple-bellies]].

* ''Film/{{Juggernaut}}''. While defusing the bombs planted by Juggernaut, the BombDisposal officer realises they resemble a particular German TimeBomb used during World War 2, and tells the police to consult a man he served with during the war who has experience with such devices. He turns out to be Juggernaut.

** Sonny Wortzik in ''Film/DogDayAfternoon'' tries to keep the police from storming the bank by saying that he and his cohort were in the Army in [[UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar Vietnam]], and have no problem getting violent with the hostages. While at the time it seems like a desperate bluff, later on, he is seen showing some of the hostages how he learned to march and handle a gun during training. His relationship with the hostages makes it pretty clear he doesn't intend to hurt them, however.

* Mike Ehrmantraut from ''Series/BreakingBad'' and ''Series/BetterCallSaul'' is strongly implied to be this trope in the latter show, which was later confirmed by WordOfGod. He served as a [[SemperFi US Marine]] during the UsefulNotes/VietnamWar, [[BadgesAndDogTags before he joined the Philadelphia Police Department]]. Mike (who was already a fairly [[DirtyCop corrupt policeman]]) eventually [[LawmanGoneBad went rogue]] after his son (who was also a cop) was murdered by his own treacherous partners in the police force, whom Mike then killed for revenge before fleeing to Albuquerque. He eventually found new work as a security guard, enforcer and [[ProfessionalKiller hitman]] for local fast-food tycoon / meth kingpin [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Gustavo Fring]], and always conducts his duties as Gus' [[TheDragon right-hand henchman]] with unflinching professionalism. Mike's military/police training can explain all his various fighting skills such as stealth, hand-to-hand combat, and marksmanship with firearms ([[ColdSniper including sniper rifles]]); all of which he frequently uses to successfully take down enemy gangsters in most confrontations, even when he's outnumbered and outgunned by them.

* Mike Ehrmantraut from ''Series/BreakingBad'' and ''Series/BetterCallSaul'' is strongly implied to be this trope in the latter show, which was later confirmed by WordOfGod. He served as a [[SemperFi US Marine]] during the UsefulNotes/VietnamWar, [[BadgesAndDogTags before he joined the Philadelphia Police Department]]. Mike (who was already a fairly [[DirtyCop corrupt policeman]]) eventually [[LawmanGoneBad went rogue]] after his son (who was also a cop) was murdered by his own treacherous partners in the police force, whom Mike then killed for revenge before fleeing to Albuquerque. He eventually found new work as a security guard, enforcer and [[ProfessionalKiller hitman]] for local fast-food tycoon / meth kingpin [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Gustavo Fring]], and always conducts his duties as Gus' [[TheDragon right-hand henchman]] with unflinching professionalism. Mike's military/police training can explain both his skills with using firearms ([[ColdSniper including sniper rifles]]) and close-quarters combat, often taking down rival gangsters even when he's outnumbered and outgunned by them.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanGothamByGaslight'', [[spoiler:the {{serial killer}} "UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper" (AKA {{Commissioner|Gordon}} [[AdaptationalVillainy James Gordon]]) is a [[BadgesAndDogTags soldier-turned-cop]]-[[LawmanGoneBad turned-homicidal-vigilante]]. He served as a [[CombatMedic battlefield surgeon]] in the Union Army during the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar. Though he was [[ShellShockedVeteran broken by his combat experiences]], seeing fellow soldiers dying from venereal diseases spread by the {{camp follower}}s drove him further off the edge, instilling him with a violent hatred of prostitutes. After the war, he joined the Gotham City Police Department and eventually rose to the rank of Commissioner, but his [[KnightTemplar extremist views on enforcing law and order]] led him to begin secretly murdering [[DisposableSexWorker prostitutes]], along with other types of people whom he blamed for Gotham's moral corruption. The fact that Gordon is a war veteran with plenty of fighting experience, in addition to being a tall and muscular [[GoodOldFisticuffs boxing champion]], allows him to seriously challenge {{Franchise/Batman}} and give him a lot of trouble during their final duel.]]

* Mike Ehrmantraut from ''Series/BreakingBad'' and ''Series/BetterCallSaul'' is strongly implied to be this trope in the latter show, which was later confirmed by WordOfGod. He served as a [[SemperFi US Marine]] during the UsefulNotes/VietnamWar, [[BadgesAndDogTags before he joined the Philadelphia Police Department]]. Mike (who was already a fairly [[DirtyCop corrupt policeman]]) eventually [[LawmanGoneBad went rogue]] after his son (who was also a cop) was murdered by his own treacherous partners in the police force, whom Mike then killed for revenge before fleeing to Albuquerque. He eventually found new work as a security guard, enforcer and [[ProfessionalKiller hitman]] for local fast-food tycoon / meth kingpin [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Gustavo Fring]], and always conducts his duties as Gus' [[TheDragon right-hand henchman]] with unflinching professionalism. Mike's military/police training can explain both his skills with using firearms ([[ColdSniper including sniper rifles]]) and close-quarters combat, often taking down rival gangsters even when outnumbered and outgunned by them.