..so, will this jerk remain ?..

[Whisky]

.
"VA Secretary Robert McDonald apologizes for lying about Special Forces Service"

 

[Tejano Scott]

Wow. I had not seen this yet. I hope he gets fired.

 

[Chupacabra Hunter]

Wow. I had not seen this yet. I hope he gets fired.

I highly doubt it... Obummer administration already said that it should not affect his "good work" ...

liers and cheaters I tell you...

 

[breakingcontact]

Eh, I usually jump all over these guys.

If it was a one time slip and not a pattern, then sure, maybe it was an honest mistake. This is wildly different than the stolen valor guys claiming and wearing awards they didn't earn, displaying rank they never held, claiming units they never served in and keeping the lie going until caught sometimes decades later and sometimes after having built careers/wealth off of these lies.

See what else comes out, hopefully nothing.

No, I've never misrepresented my military service and I usually want to see the book thrown at those who do.

 

[ZX9RCAM]

Eh, I usually jump all over these guys.

If it was a one time slip and not a pattern, then sure, maybe it was an honest mistake. This is wildly different than the stolen valor guys claiming and wearing awards they didn't earn, displaying rank they never held, claiming units they never served in and keeping the lie going until caught sometimes decades later and sometimes after having built careers/wealth off of these lies.

See what else comes out, hopefully nothing.

No, I've never misrepresented my military service and I usually want to see the book thrown at those who do.

Do you really feel that somebody could "accidentally" say they were in Special Forces?

 

[RACER X]

Kinda like I accidentally got shot down

 

[breakingcontact]

Do you really feel that somebody could "accidentally" say they were in Special Forces?

No one has ever exaggerated their experience or ability...ever or just misspoke in an awkward situation?

It isn't like he tried to embellish his DD214.

As much as this administration should be discredited (and removed), this isn't a scandal to me.

The fact that the guy was out there talking to homeless veterans is a good thing. Him misspeaking was an unfortunate thing, he apologized and should be allowed to move on.

Whatever attention this story is getting, could be focused on actual stolen valor pukes and helping disabled or down and out veterans.

 

[breakingcontact]

Kinda like I accidentally got shot down

Nope, not the same, at all. Brian Williams repeated that story for like a decade and it helped him build his career. He didn't say it once, in passing, then apologize.

 

[Polarbear6]

No one has ever exaggerated their experience or ability...ever or just misspoke in an awkward situation?

It isn't like he tried to embellish his DD214.

As much as this administration should be discredited (and removed), this isn't a scandal to me.

The fact that the guy was out there talking to homeless veterans is a good thing. Him misspeaking was an unfortunate thing, he apologized and should be allowed to move on.

Whatever attention this story is getting, could be focused on actual stolen valor pukes and helping disabled or down and out veterans.

I appreciate your willingness to cut him some slack. But having said that, the guy graduated West Point. Then attended and graduated from the Army Ranger Leadership school (But never served in the Ranger regiment) and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne. So he knew when he used the word "Special Forces", that means Green Beret.

I'm sure you get it, but most civilians, and some military sadly, don't get the distinction between Special Forces and Special Ops. For exanmple, all Special Forces (Green Berets) are Spec Ops. But not all Spec Ops are Green Berets. Spec Ops = Ranger, SEAL, Special Forces (Green Beret), Marince Force Recon, Air Force PJ's and Combat Controllers, Army 160th SOAR, etc.

I'll cut him some slack once. But not if he does it again. And I agree with you regarding Stolen Valor.

 

[breakingcontact]

I appreciate your willingness to cut him some slack. But having said that, the guy graduated West Point. Then attended and graduated from the Army Ranger Leadership school (But never served in the Ranger regiment) and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne. So he knew when he used the word "Special Forces", that means Green Beret.

I'm sure you get it, but most civilians, and some military sadly, don't get the distinction between Special Forces and Special Ops. For exanmple, all Special Forces (Green Berets) are Spec Ops. But not all Spec Ops are Green Berets. Spec Ops = Ranger, SEAL, Special Forces (Green Beret), Marince Force Recon, Air Force PJ's and Combat Controllers, Army 160th SOAR, etc.

I'll cut him some slack once. But not if he does it again. And I agree with you regarding Stolen Valor.

Know what you mean. I remember when they forced us to all wear those black berets and I had to explain to some random guy and his kid at a gas station "thanks for your kind words but I am not an airborne soldier" just because I wore a beret.

 

[Polarbear6]

Know what you mean. I remember when they forced us to all wear those black berets and I had to explain to some random guy and his kid at a gas station "thanks for your kind words but I am not an airborne soldier" just because I wore a beret.

I remember when the Army COS General Shenseki stole the black beret from the 75th Ranger Regiment and made it standard headgear for every Tom, Dick and Harry in the Army. It really pissed me and a lot of others off to no end. It wasn't long after that the 75th adopted the tan beret.
Back in the day:
Black beret = Ranger
Green = Obvious
Maroon = Airborne unit
Tan = Currently 75th Ranger Regiment

 

[breakingcontact]

I remember when the Army COS General Shenseki stole the black beret from the 75th Ranger Regiment and made it standard headgear for every Tom, Dick and Harry in the Army. It really pissed me and a lot of others off to no end. It wasn't long after that the 75th adopted the tan beret.
Back in the day:
Black beret = Ranger
Green = Obvious
Maroon = Airborne unit
Tan = Currently 75th Ranger Regiment

Right but they didn't exactly do a public information campaign. The tan beret does look pretty sweet but i cannot fathom taking a symbol of sacrifice and distributing it army wide.

So there I am an E3 in a transportation USAR unit having to awkwardly explain to the guy...no im not that cool, sorry.

 

[Polarbear6]

So there I am an E3 in a transportation USAR unit having to awkwardly explain to the guy...no im not that cool, sorry.

I can see how that would feel really awkward not long after the change over.

It wasn't just the Ranger Regiment that was against it. Pretty much any beret wearing unit was at the time the change over was occuring. Green Berets and Airborne units as well. A beret symbolized the hard work and sacrifice neccessary to be a part of an elite unit.

 

[breakingcontact]

I can see how that would feel really awkward not long after the change over.

It wasn't just the Ranger Regiment that was against it. Pretty much any beret wearing unit was at the time the change over was occuring. Green Berets and Airborne units as well. A beret symbolized the hard work and sacrifice neccessary to be a part of an elite unit.

And now...everyone is elite! Everyone gets a prize, I mean beret.

 

[Renegade]

Context of saying it was not for personal gain, or public knowledge. Was speaking to a homeless vet. Never claimed any specific unit or operation. He did complete Ranger school and was in 82 airborne. Only slip in his life I would be inclined to let it go.

 

[Younggun]

Pretty sure everyone who was told to start wearing a Beret was against it too.

 

[breakingcontact]

Pretty sure everyone who was told to start wearing a Beret was against it too.

Id say most. There is always "that guy".

 

[TreyG-20]

Right but they didn't exactly do a public information campaign. The tan beret does look pretty sweet but i cannot fathom taking a symbol of sacrifice and distributing it army wide.

So there I am an E3 in a transportation USAR unit having to awkwardly explain to the guy...no im not that cool, sorry.

I had a similar akward experience a few years back with a couple civilians. Only it was an airbourne tab over my unit patch that caused the confusion. Being attached to airbourne units and having to wear the airbourne tab over the unit patch never made much sense to me. Unless of course you were AB.

 

[Charlie]

Regarding what should happen to him now, I don't know, not my call. But ................. a lie is a lie. You can call it "mis-spoken", or any other new popular name for a lie (as current politicians do), but the fact remains, a lie is a lie.

 

[breakingcontact]

I had a similar akward experience a few years back with a couple civilians. Only it was an airbourne tab over my unit patch that caused the confusion. Being attached to airbourne units and having to wear the airbourne tab over the unit patch never made much sense to me. Unless of course you were AB.

18th Airborne Corps is a good example of mass confusion.