Wannbe's (USDRC)

[JayT]

Here's a story I figured some of you would enjoy....

A couple of days ago, my partner and I stop at a pizza place around the corner from one of our hospitals for lunch. We park the rig, go inside, and as I'm walking in, I notice a guy dressed in woodland BDU's with a set of rail road tracks on his collar and an eight pointed cap on the table talking to a guy in civilian dress.

We get out order, and we sit on the table accross the guy when a women comes up and thanks him for his service. As the 'captain' turns, I see that he has 'USDRC' on his service tape, and remembered see this link on CAPTalk a while back (http://www.usdrc.us/). I didn't say anything the second or third civie came up and thanked him. I then had this conversation.

"Hey boss, what branch of service are you? I didn't think anyone was still wearing the BDU's except the Navy and some of the Air Force?"
"Well, I'm in, the ah United States Disaster Relief Command."
"Oh, so is that like part of the Army?"
"Well, not offically, we do a lot of training and stuff."
"So, you're under FEMA?"
"Well, no, but we are ready to response to emergencies and such."
"That's funny, because I've never seen you at any drills or anything."
"Oh, well, we do our own stuff. Like medical stuff and stuff for the red cross."
"So you're not part of the military or government, and you're wearing a military uniform, with military rank, in public?"
"Yeah, I have to leave now."

At which point my partner collapsed laughing and the Captain and his friend retreated.

[Майор Хаткевич]

LOl. Epic.

[jimmydeanno]

Seems like they have good intentions.  They even have a cadet program: http://www.usdrc.us/cadet_program.html

[lordmonar]

Look at their awards and deocrations page....they stole CAP ribbons! 

[jimmydeanno]

Look at their awards and deocrations page....they stole CAP ribbons! 

I only see one that looks remotely close, but even then I wouldn't say it is a "CAP" ribbon.  Our "leadership ribbon" has similar counterparts used by JROTC, AFROTC and other organizations.

[Brad]

They also borrowed the NJROTC Color Guard ribbon and turned it upside down, haha...

Anyways....where are these guys found? I saw no place to locate units, are they moreso local to New York?

[James Shaw]

Their command base is made up of mainly generals. A 4 Star and alot of 2 stars. WOW.

[NIN]

Their command base is made up of mainly generals. A 4 Star and alot of 2 stars. WOW.

Betcha thats why the US Ranger Corps got started.  Too many generals here...

[James Shaw]

From the looks of it the Commanding General Malvin S Tarkin actually has a law enforcement background. Found him on google search. Atleast they show their "Chain of Command" on their website. Interesting to see.

[Bobble]

Their webpage makes them seem like they are a national organization, but they are pretty much only found here on Long Island and I believe Missouri (I could be wrong, it's been awhile since I loooked it up).  It is basically a pay-for-grade organization set-up as a non-profit - send them a check in the right amount, and you can be whatever Company, Field Grade or General grade officer you wish. The have both Woodland BDU's and US Army dress uniforms, the only thing differentiating them from active/reserve duty being the USDRC patch on the left shoulder (and of course, they typically don't meet any grooming standards [full facial hair] and sometimes wear the wrong cover, as JThemann noted).   My web searching told me that a few years back (within a year after 9/11), some of them were in the New York Guard (the SDF for New York) for awhile holding Officer grades, but not anymore.  I suppose they weren't advancing as fast as they wanted, so they decided to go their own way.  Despite what their webpage says, they have no cadet program.  It's all bogus.

I found out about them when I first joined CAP, and they marched (or rather rode in a restored M-151) behind us in our local Memorial Day parade.  Before the parade started, I asked pretty much the same questions JThemann asked, and of course, got pretty much the same response.   At the parade's end, the parade officials actually had them hand out the wreaths to Girl Scouts/Cub Scouts/Boy Scouts to place in front of the memorials.  I later talked with the parade organizers, Town and County Veterans officials, and the local VFW post, about what USDRC folks are and what they aren't.  They are all aware of the situation, but the USDRC folks are politically connected at the local level (Fund Raisers, Benefit functions) and no one wants to say anything.

You can bet that I have informed my squadron that these individuals due not deserve the military respect and courtesies normally due to active, reserve, or retired military personnel, and in all likelyhood, we will be marching in a different parade this coming Memorial Day.

Their leader, General Mal Tarkin is (was?) the Auxiliary Police Chief  for a town in Nassau County, and AFAIK, that's  about the extent of his LEO background.  No mention of any military experience in anything I have seen.  If there was, you would think it would be prominently noted on the USDRC webpage.  I think they are very concious about violating 'Stolen Valor' guidelines.

[RiverAux]

Seems like they have good intentions.  They even have a cadet program: http://www.usdrc.us/cadet_program.html

I'm not sure I'd agree that their intentions are good.  Their supposed purposes may be good, but I'm not sure those purposes are exactly why they have set up their own organization.

[JayT]

Their webpage makes them seem like they are a national organization, but they are pretty much only found here on Long Island and I believe Missouri (I could be wrong, it's been awhile since I loooked it up).  It is basically a pay-for-grade organization set-up as a non-profit - send them a check in the right amount, and you can be whatever Company, Field Grade or General grade officer you wish. The have both Woodland BDU's and US Army dress uniforms, the only thing differentiating them from active/reserve duty being the USDRC patch on the left shoulder (and of course, they typically don't meet any grooming standards [full facial hair] and sometimes wear the wrong cover, as JThemann noted).   My web searching told me that a few years back (within a year after 9/11), some of them were in the New York Guard (the SDF for New York) for awhile holding Officer grades, but not anymore.  I suppose they weren't advancing as fast as they wanted, so they decided to go their own way.  Despite what their webpage says, they have no cadet program.  It's all bogus.


Their leader, General Mal Tarkin is (was?) the Auxiliary Police Chief  for a town in Nassau County, and AFAIK, that's  about the extent of his LEO background.  No mention of any military experience in anything I have seen.  If there was, you would think it would be prominently noted on the USDRC webpage.  I think they are very concious about violating 'Stolen Valor' guidelines.

The funny thing was, I didn't realize that there PO Box was in Jericho. I was parked at the pizza place next to the Chinese place and Dunkin Donuts on Old Country Road by Winthrop University Hospital. We later saw the guy walk around the block a few times in a gortex parka.

[RiverAux]

the guy when a women comes up and thanks him for his service. ....... I didn't say anything the second or third civie came up and thanked him.

Probably their real intentions...

[Bobble]

You know, what I find really interesting (or perhaps sad) is that these USDRC guys all seem to well educated, accomplished in their chosen fields, and long-standing members of their communities.  Mascolo and Rodin are dentists with their own practices, Mantia is an MD specializing in gastroenterology, and Abramowitz is a rabbi for a Reform synagogue.  You might think that they would have better things to do than fish for salutes.  Go figure.

[Seabee219]

  It could be that they want to be an officer and have people salute them, some of them did serve in the military, but they are out now.  Maybe some want to do something for there city or country like we do in CAP.  But they should be doing it the right way. Maybe the group is not well organized.

[vmstan]

Even by their own standards he is in violation of uniform policy.

http://www.usdrc.us/uniform.html

NON-PERMISSIBLE USE OF THE USDRC UNIFORM

The wearing of the USDRC uniform is prohibited as follows:
...
(4)  The uniform will not be worn in public drinking establishments.
(5)  The uniform will not be worn just to be wearing a uniform.

[a2capt]

..and if the pizza place could be considered a "drinking establishment"...

NON-PERMISSIBLE USE OF THE USDRC UNIFORM


The wearing of the USDRC uniform is prohibited as follows:


(1) The uniform will not be worn in connection with the promotion of any political or commercial interest. It is also not to be worn on any military installation or in DOD buildings unless installation commander or manager has approved such visit.


(2) The uniform will not be worn while the USDRC member is participating in picket lines, marches, rallies or public demonstrations.


(3) The uniform will not be worn when wearing of the uniform would discredit the USDRC, or Federal Military.


(4)  The uniform will not be worn in public drinking establishments.


(5)  The uniform will not be worn just to be wearing a uniform.

Even people with lots of credentials can be misleading, corrupt and bogus.


Sounds like the organization was started by someone disgruntled with CAP, or similar, or they did a lot of research on who to "clone". Either way..

[heliodoc]

Those educated guys went about it the wrong way

The got themselves into a BDU uniform

Those poor guys realiized that the ONLY way to get recognized was to don a uniform of some sort

DRC probably needed some recognition like CAP's favorite guy, Pineada and his USRC

The DRC went about it the wrong way....getting into a uniform....

If they did not.....CAPTalkers would have never known the difference

[James Shaw]

I would'nt be hard on them. We dont know them personally or there reasoning.

[RiverAux]

It seems that most of these sorts of wannabe groups tend to be folks that used to be in one of the State Defense Forces.  Haven't seen to many former CAP people starting them (except for our former national commander).