I was a bit upset over the facebook fiasco yesterday. It's been a busy week for this old timer, doing some training and consulting work for a private company, and interviewing with yet another. I needed a few drinks to unwind. I went down to my favorite watering hole, where a few fellow veterans and some of my old biker buddies hang out. A local young man was there. He said he was on leave after being wounded in Afghanistan. He claimed to be a US Navy Seal. We all thanked him for his service and bought him his drinks. Later, the fellow next to me sort of challenged the young man, as his story of his wound didn't match one he had told earlier (which I didn't hear). So the young man came over and showed him is military ID and Seal Team badge. I just glanced over, and I did not recognize the badge. I also saw that his ID said T/Sgt E-6 and US Air Force. I told the young man that there was no need to pretend to be a Navy Seal, that all those who served were honored, but it was wrong to go around posing as something he was not. He gave me his badge, which I tried to decline, and left. I went on line and looked up the badge and it is an Air Force Maintenance skill badge. Cool looking. We didn't have those, but I read where munitions and weapons specialists get that badge, so I guess I finally earned it, as that was my career field when I was in the USAF. I just hope that young man doesn't pull that hero act just south of here at NSB Kings Bay. There are real Navy Seals there, and he would likely suffer greatly at their hands.

This story made me a little sick at my stomach.

What really bothers me is why he couldn't take some pride in what he really is. Not every warrior is an airborne ranger, a green beret, or a navy seal. Why would anyone feel the need to pretend to be a Navy Seal when he was apparently a competent enough airman to make TSGT? He is a disgrace to the USAF and their core values of Integrity First, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do.

OUCH... There's no integrity at all. I may just be a fobbit, but I'm still proud of what I do. No reason I can't go and do something hardcore if I put my mind to it, but it's something you gotta earn.

That's how I see it too. I had read that there is a rash of phony veterans, too. Now that the military is more respected, people who didn't pay the price are trying to pretend they did. When I came home from Viet Nam, the last thing you wanted anyone to know was that you were a veteran. We were despised in the media and had difficulty finding jobs. I am glad that has changed, but I really dislike phonies of all kinds.

That's just pathetic.

I pitty the dude,it sounds like he's got inadequacy issues/head problems. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

You're right, they are a rash... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif" alt="" /> Hopefully this guy understands that there are VERY serious consequences to falsifying military service. I read in the Army times an E9 CSM (Command Sergeants Major) recently lost his pension and recieved a Dishonorable discharge when he falsified several high profile Spec ops schools, including sniper school and airborne school. Sad I am as a loggi myself to say that this individual was a 92Y Unit Supply Specialist (like myself <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif" alt="" />), had never seen combat, and indeed had only been in a supply room for the full course of 6 deployments. It's not that he wasn't a person of merit either, he had won many awards legitimately, and was an exemplary soldier, until he pulled this. There's no reason at all to "pad" your resume as a soldier, your service speaks for itself. It's just such a shame, it always takes that one dumba** to ruin it for the rest of us.

Vic, and all the others: I also think this guy was not so bright. I was first assigned to the weapons release shop (we made sure if they hit the "pickle button or the trigger" what was supposed to happen happened. I then was transferred to the "Bomb loader" side of the house. If it could fall off an airplane and go BOOM, We loaded it up.

After 2 -2 1/2 years of concrete knees I was medically disqualified and was retrained into base operations/airfield management. That was my official career field for the remaninder of 20 years. BUT I worked an a Recon Ops center for 4 of those years in Japan (best duty I ever had). We were involved in some really neat things. My Mom got me a Desert Storm T-shirt when someone here was selling them and I wouldn't wear it because in MY mind, I was never there and didn't deserve to wear it (it made one think that you actually served there because of what it said/how it was worded). I never saw any combat but was involved in REAL WORLD operations non the less.

I do not feel that I deserve the respect, the thanks that those who DID SERVE IN COMBAT deserve. Just my personal thinking.
(Congrats on your badge Vic, It was a long time coming)!

Better late than never! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

There's a tankerman that I see at work all the time that boasts about all of his life's experiences. Everyone pretty much accepts his stories to be BS, although none of us have any way of proving it. His accomplishments include being a former Force Reconnaissance Marine and ex - Los Angeles Raider. I find it hard to believe that after such an illustrious career that he would end up as an inland barge tankerman. Nothing wrong with being a tankerman, his career just took an interesting turn. The first time he told me that he was a former Marine I took his word to be true, so I attempted to exchange some Marine stories. It became clear to me that he was what's commonly referred to as a "one-upper". His stories always seemed to one-up anything I told, and he never was really talking to me, just listening to himself talk. These types of people really irritate me. Of course, he also might be completely truthful. Who knows?

Haha. Yes, it is. Ordinary maintenance folks like munitions specialists didn't used to get no stinking badges! I put it on my AF Veteran ball cap. Looks pretty good, eh? I figure after loading countless bombs, rockets, 20mm, .50 cal, 7.62, napalm, and CBUs during the war, I should wear this pretty badge, even if we never got issued them back then. It's shiny! Looks as good as jump wings, and I didn't have to jump out of a perfectly good airplane to get it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />




Here is a Navy Seal Trident patch my old friend who was in Seal Team 2 gave me. That's how I knew the young man's badge was not a seal team badge.