Navy SEAL Impostor

[jimmydeanno]

I don't know, to each their own, I suppose.  I'm just more concerned about who I currently am than who I used to be.

[Stonewall]

I don't know, to each their own, I suppose.  I'm just more concerned about who I currently am than who I used to be.

Again, it's hard to describe, so I won't attempt to.  So yeah, to each their own.

And it's not as if we're concerned or dwell on it, it's just the memories are so fond, that they're hard to forget.  Most military experiences, especially in a "tough" career field or one that has you deployed, has a deep impact on your life.  What truly is amazing, is that we can all remember there were some crappy times.  You're lying if you say it was all roses.  But in time, you actually forget about the BS (picking up cigarettes, digging a hole so you can fill it up, or carrying a ruck for 20 miles just to be picked up and brought back to the barracks) and only remember the good parts.  The parts that involved hours of laughter over things that no one else understands; the different rites of passage that are unwritten but carried on for generations.  And of course, those moments where "it" snapped and finally understood something.

I love my military experiences because I shared them with a lot of good people, and some bad.  Many of my non-military experiences, as cool and memorable as they were, really don't define me.  Today I am a father and a husband more than any one thing.  I still wear a uniform today, but a "Defender" is not who I am.  I'm a 40 year old parent and spouse and my focus is my family.  But nothing beats having a drink with some old friends and talking about the time you buddy slipped and fell down the side of a cliff or you forgot to unlock the steering wheel as you drove off in the HMMWV.

[Duke Dillio]

I don't get how an individual who does this is allowed to remain in CAP (in the case of the phony 'Ranger').  It's not some sort of 'mistake', it's deliberately lying to mislead others, which is a violation of CAP's first Core Value, Integrity.  What exactly are we teaching Cadets and other Senior Members by doing so?  I really don't care how great a job they might have been (or are) doing in their assigned position within CAP.  Is CAP that worried about lawsuits, with an FOIA request for service records so easy to come by these days?  I even think that allowing someone who has done this to resign is ridiculous, CAPR 39-2 should revised so that a 2B would be automatic in these cases.  Make an example of these people, and let others know just how seriously CAP (as the Auxiliary of the USAF, for cripes sake!) views this issue.  But that's just me.  If it were really up to me, I'd be heating up the tar, collecting the feathers and looking for a suitable rail.

Thanks, I probably deserved that...

[MSG Mac]

Most the Time the MoH is Posthumous. I do think, IMO, that Chesty Puller should have got a MoH, but he could not keep his mouth shut. Also, I beleive the MoH has to do with Popularity more than Heroism.

Maybe for the first or second one which were for his combat action. The 3rd, 4th and 5th were for leadership.

Up until 1918, it was the MOH or Nothing,  until WWII it was MOH, Service Cross, or Silver Star (Army). 

[Critical AOA]

I don't know, to each their own, I suppose.  I'm just more concerned about who I currently am than who I used to be.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Garibaldi]

I don't know, to each their own, I suppose.  I'm just more concerned about who I currently am than who I used to be.

But aren't we all who we were, and who we are currently? Does not the past shape your present and future?

/sarcasm

[stillamarine]

I wear a small globe and anchor on my uniform at work.  Its actually a pretty good conversation starter.  But I wear it just so people know that Im even more awesome than they initially perceived.   

Me too. I actually wear my MCL pin on my pocket uniform pocket. My ticket book had a EGA sticker until I put an old trauma plate on it. I use my CAP tie pin in the rare times I wear a tie.

[Devil Doc]

So my round red EGA Sticker, Corpsman Sticker, Iraq Veteran Sticker, Round VET sticker, and my PH License Plate is too Much?

[Stonewall]

I have an OEF plate and an American flag sticker on my back window.



I thought about getting this, though...



But they're an extra $20 a year for some reason.

[Flying Pig]

I don't know, to each their own, I suppose.  I'm just more concerned about who I currently am than who I used to be.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

I think we are starting to confuse the discussion of impostors or people unable to let go of the past with solid successful people who credit their military service to being successful today.   In my case, I am still that Marine who walked out of the gates of Camp Lejuene for the last time 15 years ago.  And not because I couldnt move on with life.

I graduated High School on a Thursday evening, and Saturday morning I was at MCRD San Diego.  When I got out of the Marines, my very first job was driving armored cars.  I was on 5 weeks terminal leave and was really thinking about going back in because I wasnt sure what I was going to do.   I got that job one day standing in line in an AMPM store when an armored car courier came in.  He had a very small Globe and Anchor on his lapel.  I had on a "USMC" t-shirt.  We made eye contact and I said "Semper Fi"  He nodded and walked to the truck.  I didnt think anything of it.  He then immediately jumped back out after he had secured the cash and walked back in to the store and walked up to me in line.  He says "Hey Devil Dog.  You looking for a job by any chance?" I say, "As a matter of fact, Im on terminal leave right now looking for a job,"  He gives me his managers number and says "My shop only hires Marines.  Give the office a call."   
I call and set up an interview.   Needless to say, there were about 20 couriers in that office.  Everyone of them were former Marines.  Even the two chicks!!  AWESOME place to work.   While I was working there, two guys were hired on to the very large Sheriffs Office.  I say to myself..... "Hmmmmm.....maybe I should apply too."  So I did.

In my case, without my military background I may not have ever been hired as a cop.  My vet preference points were huge in a time where there were few agencies hiring, but thousands were applying.  I know that about 3000 people tested total.  After about 1 1/2yrs of a hiring process, 44 recruits started the academy.  Six months later, 21 of us stood on a stage having our badges pinned on.  Without the unique experiences of the military, I may not have passed FTO as a new cop.  I had two FTOs where were brutal on trainees.  As a 23yr old former Marine Infantry Sgt, and current Army Reserve Infantry Sgt at the time, neither one of those guys ever gave me any hassle as I watched them intimidate two other trainees into rolling up and resigning.  Neither one of the FTOs had ever been in the military and neither had the trainees.  So for whatever reason, they didnt feel the need to make the 23yr old, baby faced former Marine/Soldier prove himself by playing stupid games.   I talked to them about it a few years later.  They just laughed and said "What were we going to do to you?  Probably nothing you hadnt done before, so we thought lets focus on the other two rookies."

Without my time on a Marine Special Response Team and attending a couple higher end Marine CQB schools, I probably would not be alive today.  I got in a face to face gun fight about two weeks after getting off of FTO.  I was successful in that battle because of the firearms skill I had been taught as a Marine, not as a cop.  LE firearms training is generally pretty weak at the initial stages of a career. Without that, I wouldnt have beat out the 12 other guys who tested for the one SWAT position that came open.  Without being on SWAT I would not have meet a couple cops who encouraged me to go after LE aviation.   Without the military, I would not have had the GI Bill that helped pay for my dual CFI ratings.   Without that entire package, I do not believe I would be doing what I am today. 

So sure, there are people who do their time in the military, end their honorable service and have no real reason to ever think about the military or reflect on their service for anything other than memories.  Then there are others who served who now have lives that are direct continuations of their time in the military and have very real reasons, sometimes life or death reasons, to reflect on, talk about, and directly apply lessons and experiences learned from their military service. 

If you are one of those people whos service was honorable and you have moved on, you have earned that right just as myself and others have earned the right continue to still draw from our service and put stickers on everything we own

[Critical AOA]

If you arent one of those people whos service was honorable and you have moved on, you have earned that right just as myself and others have earned the right continue to still draw from my service.

It is ridiculous how you equate moving on with not being one whose service was honorable.  That shows a complete lack of understanding and intellect.   One can have served honorably and moved on as well.

Besides, no one said you can't draw from your service.  No one said that being prior military does not contribute to who you are.  All of ones experiences contribute to who they are.  What is being said by me and others is that it should not be the whole or main definition of who you are.  The exception might possibly be the person who joined right out of high school and just recently got out or the person whose military time was more than 50% of their life.  Then it might be understandable that it is a very large part of how you define yourself.  As time goes by however and one gains other experiences, their military time and its significance as a contribution to the whole man do diminish.  If not, you are not growing. 

[Flying Pig]

Ill add another post instead of modifying the other one to add this:

My wife spent 6 yrs in the Army as an Intel Analyst.  After her time, she got out, spent about 12 yrs as a house wife and mother and is now a sign language interpreter.  She hardly even remembers that she was in the Army and never talks about it and aside from a single picture on the wall of her basic training grad photo, there is nothing in our house that even suggests she was ever in.  So I see the other side of it as well.  For some its just a season.  No problem.

[Flying Pig]

If you arent one of those people whos service was honorable and you have moved on, you have earned that right just as myself and others have earned the right continue to still draw from my service.

It is ridiculous how you equate moving on with not being one whose service was honorable.  That shows a complete lack of understanding and intellect.   One can have served honorably and moved on as well.

Besides, no one said you can't draw from your service.  No one said that being prior military does not contribute to who you are.  All of ones experiences contribute to who they are.  What is being said by me and others is that it should not be the whole or main definition of who you are.  The exception might possibly be the person who joined right out of high school and just recently got out or the person whose military time was more than 50% of their life.  Then it might be understandable that it is a very large part of how you define yourself.  As time goes by however and one gains other experiences, their military time and its significance as a contribution to the whole man do diminish.  If not, you are not growing.

That was a typo..... I changed "arent" to "are" several minutes ago.  Sorry about the confusion.  If you read the sentence with "arent" it actually doesnt make much sense.  Crazy how a letter can change the entire context of a paragraph.

[Critical AOA]

If you arent one of those people whos service was honorable and you have moved on, you have earned that right just as myself and others have earned the right continue to still draw from my service.

It is ridiculous how you equate moving on with not being one whose service was honorable.  That shows a complete lack of understanding and intellect.   One can have served honorably and moved on as well.

Besides, no one said you can't draw from your service.  No one said that being prior military does not contribute to who you are.  All of ones experiences contribute to who they are.  What is being said by me and others is that it should not be the whole or main definition of who you are.  The exception might possibly be the person who joined right out of high school and just recently got out or the person whose military time was more than 50% of their life.  Then it might be understandable that it is a very large part of how you define yourself.  As time goes by however and one gains other experiences, their military time and its significance as a contribution to the whole man do diminish.  If not, you are not growing.

That was a typo..... I changed "arent" to "are" several minutes ago.  Sorry about the confusion.  If you read the sentence with "arent" it actually doesnt make much sense.  Crazy how a letter can change the entire context of a paragraph.

Actually a typo is when you accidently hit the wrong key(s) not when you choose to use a word with an opposite or different meaning. I don't see how you could accidently type arent (aren't) instead of are.   

[Flying Pig]

Dude... relax.  No conspiracy here.  I changed it at 0512.  You posted your response at 0523.  That would indicate I went back and changed it, probably while you were typing out your rebuttal.  As I said.... sorry for the confusion. Trying to call me out as a liar is uncalled for and unwarranted. 

[J2H]

I have AF  veteran  plates on  my dodge, an  Iraq campaign security forces veteran sticker on my Chevy and a honorable discharge vet on my motorcycle

[Critical AOA]

Dude... relax.  No conspiracy here.  I changed it at 0512.  You posted your response at 0523.  That would indicate I went back and changed it, probably while you were typing out your rebuttal.  As I said.... sorry for the confusion. Trying to call me out as a liar is uncalled for and unwarranted.

Sorry if I hurt your feelings.  I didn't know marines were so sensitive. 

[a2capt]

I have on occasions typed the totally wrong word, or a similar word, for whatever reason, and had to go back and change it. Sometimes the hands just do things.  I've even "watched" myself do it. Sounds wonky. It is. The post changed whilst I was reading, when I went right back to see unread posts, it showed up again. With the changed word. It didn't make sense to me either, and I came to the conclusion that he mis-typed, and it confirmed it.

[flyboy53]

I have AF  veteran  plates on  my dodge, an  Iraq campaign security forces veteran sticker on my Chevy and a honorable discharge vet on my motorcycle

Aside from the American Flag, I have an Air Force logo and Security Forces beret flash sticker on the tailgate of my Jeep. Funny, the conversations that the sticker causes. I even had a guy chase me down the Interstate once.

It's all about service pride. My military experience also led to my current state government job. I'm the token disabled veteran in the office -- which also means that I ran into a SF imposter with an altered DD Form 214 recently. He disappeared when the truth came out after his real discharge was received from St. Louis. That is why I still find the idea of an imposter sad and go out of my way to make people proud of what service they did.

This morning I assisted with a ceremony honoring a Korean veteran of the 1st CAV. The Army awarded him with five medals for his service in Korea that weren't on his original discharge. Funny, he didn't want to talk about Korea -- he worked on tanks and ordinance and served during five separate campaigns. It was all about what happened afterward, two different careers in manufacturing and AGWAY, and the life of public service (school board, town supervisor and missionary) and his rather large family. That was the focus of his life.

[FLWG Historian]

Current CENTCOM force protection guidance is remove all military associated symbols from your POVs and apparel there are terrorist groups operating in the vicinity of ( omitted in case somebody over reacts and goes public) but it is CONUS. It hurt to scrape some of the stuff off my cars . I am proud, with reason of what we accomplished in my 22 years in the Nav. The Army and USAF have gone over to a system of biometrics at the gate and done away with base decals.

If you run into a person in CAP claiming to have been an officer, the services all maintain  a register or "blue Book" Names and date of last promotion approval, lineal number Ditto the Congressional record cites names. I know the FLWG LO exposed a fake " USAFR Vietnam intel officer claiming a Bronze star" by the Blue book about 16 years ago and I believe he vets anybody who claims prior officer service as a matter of course. We haven't had any more problems here.