One phenomenon I’ve never been able to wrap my head around are these scumbags who make military claims that are entirely fabricated. Look I’ve met plenty of non combat arms veterans who at times have embellished their own service record for numerous reasons; I had a roommate who was an 88M (driver) deployed to Iraq twice and therefore knew details about the country generally only people who have been there would know, such as the name of specific MSR’s that run from a FOB to a COP, specific small towns not on news reports, etc. He met a girl and I overheard him telling her one night when she asked what he did in the Army that he was a Ranger and worked alongside numerous Special Operations units and MARSOC as well as the CIA SAD teams in the region. We were friends and he knew I was an 11B with the 82nd 1st/504th from 04-08, than a designated defensive marksman with Triple Canopy for two years so I was well educated on the direct action side of things and while I didn’t embarrass him in front of his new girlfriend we certainly had a talk a few days later and he was just trying to impress a girl he wanted to date. I was annoyed but told him he should be proud that he did his time and his job well enough to bring him home from two deployments in an MOS that had very high casualty rates for being what is essentially a logistical support based job which doubled as an unintentional IED tester and ambush point revealer (these guys were not trained around counter insurgency type operations as the Army just assumed their escorts would take care of the job. Stupid if you ask me and don’t get me started on the unarmed KBR trucking convoys). But on the other side of spectrum you have guys who never served a day in their life, maybe they went to MEPS, took the ASVAB, maybe they were even in the delayed entry program during their senior year of high school but for whatever reason never took that long flight to Ft.Benning, Jackson, Sill, Leonardwood, Paris Island, Etc to start their careers. It always seems like they don’t just make up a simple lie like they were MP’s or counter Intel guys, it’s always they were Special Forces or Special Operations and their knowledge is always based off of books, YouTube videos and movies and as soon as you ask specifics or they’re unlucky enough to name a Special Forces group you have friends in they’ll claim some sort of TBI or memory loss or my favorite is when they say it’s “classified” which first of all is the lowest of our security clearances and second of all NO ONE’s DD214 and training path is classified. Specific missions and assets are secret or top secret but everyone from the CAG Ninjas to DevGRU Operators have a DD214 that’s viewable by anyone filing a Freedom of Information Act. My opinion is that when you make up bullshit like this to impress someone or make your life seem more interesting than it actually is, you’re trivializing the sacrifices I’ve witnessed first hand from men who on their worst day are better than you can ever be on your best. Many combat vets hold their battle buddies and their memories close to their hearts, the good times and the horrible times and regardless it’s always an experience that in my life has shaped me into who I am today, so to take something that substantial and use it as your pick up line in a bar is just advertising you carry extra small condoms.
