U.S veteran calls out fake ranger at shopping mall

http://zanylol.com/fake.html ^

[jmacusa]

How about a more discerning eye? I mean, ‘C’mon. Staff Sargent ''Cubby'' here looks like he never missed a box of doughnuts in his life. You mean to tell me MREs and humping the boonies in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't going to slim you down. Plus the mental stress of seeing violent death and inflicting it? When the interrogator started getting loud about seeing his buddies killed wearing that uniform for me that seemed real. I could tell at that point he was a veteran and ''Chubbs'' was a fake.

[jmacusa]

Holy Smokes, Audey Murphy move over! How do you earn a CIB while serving in The Air Force? I thought only the Army awarded that.

[jmacusa]

I regret that I've never served so please, someone clue me in, the “Ranger’’ is wearing the unit insignia on the wrong side? And what is that thing that looks like a cops badge above the CIB and the set of jump wings, one of which, I think, indicates he's done a combat jump. Obviously these guys are fakes or they wouldn't be up here. "Santa Claus'' at the bottom just screams fraud.

[Joe 6-pack]

"I regret that I've never served so please, someone clue me in, the “Ranger’’ is wearing the unit insignia on the wrong side?"

I think you're referring to the first photo I posted in #22, so I'll address each of your questions individually. In the Army one wears the patch of their current unit on their left shoulder. If one has served in combat, you are authorized to wear the patch of the unit in which you served on your right shoulder. This becomes your 'combat patch' and you are authorized to wear it on your right shoulder for the remainder of your career and into retirement.

"And what is that thing that looks like a cops badge above the CIB and the set of jump wings, one of which, I think, indicates he's done a combat jump."

The badge is actually a US Army Military Police badge. It was worn by on-duty MPs back in the"white hat" days, but nowadays, is only carried by MPI (military police investigations) investigators. The jump wings are a Senior Parachutist badge designated by a star on top of the parachute canopy. It is awarded for completion of 30 jumps with a certain number under certain conditions, or under other specific criteria:

Combat jump wings will have a bronze star affixed to the badge itself (one for each combat jump):

[jmacusa]

Thanks for the clarification Joe. So he’s legit? How about the guy at the bottom?

[Nifster]

Heck I am not even a veteran (thank you all who have served or are serving now), and even I saw this uniform ‘presentation’ as a joke

[Joe 6-pack]

Oh no, he's NOT legit!!

The MP badge hasn't been worn on the uniform like that for years!! Moreover, the US Army Special Forces patch (which he's wearing as his combat patch on his right sleeve) should look like this:

Note that he has a "Special Forces" tab above his. That is a skill qualification tab and is worn on the left shoulder, above the unit patch. You may have a soldier who is Special Forces qualified, Ranger qualified and assigned to a Special Forces unit. If so, their left sleeve would look like this:

Note that the Special Forces and Ranger tabs are individual qualifications held by the individual soldier, but the "airborne" tab is actually part of the Special Forces unit patch. So if that soldier serves in combat with a SF unit and wears the SF patch as his combat patch on his right sleeve, the right sleeve should have the "Airborne" tab over the arrowhead, and NOT the "Special Forces" which would stay on the soldier's left shoulder. The guy in the photo at #22 has the SF tab as part of the SF unit patch...a major faux pas and dead giveaway.

[healy61]

We had a young man walk into our courthouse wearing a uniform claiming he had been a Ranger. He was brought to task, and in lying, was arrested. He was convicted of false impersonation. Did some jail and probation time.

[ArmyTeach]

Just checked it out with my husband, who has the bona fides to speak to the issue.
1.Impersonating an officer. 2. Wearing awards to which he is not authorized. 3. Awards displayed out of order.
It is against the law, and one would think therefore a criminal offense.

[real saxophonist]

Man, that picture is totally FUBAR. Now I’m going to read the thread.

[real saxophonist]

There was a guy locally, car salesman, who claimed to have been a Ranger during the October '93 Somalia 'Black Hawk Down' incident.

Local paper did a story about him, including a picture with his 'thousand yard stare'. Turns out he actually was in the Army, not a Ranger, just an admin guy who never deployed.

Why people who did serve and have to embellish their service is a bigger question to me than someone who never served and just makes stuff up.

[Smokin' Joe]

I worked with a Vietnam Vet years ago, just a couple years older than me, and when I found out, I made a point of thanking him. His reply? "For what? I was a telephone operator in Saigon."

I had all the more respect for him after that.

[FreedomPoster]

While I don’t doubt that happened, and don’t have a problem with it, my understanding is that the USSC has found Stolen Valor laws unconstitutional.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Valor_Act_of_2005

[BCW]

No matter what his age - he needs to find a profession that will pay well and use his military background...he definitely needs to use his GI Bill - if he hasn’t already.

Getting a 4 yr degree is okay depending on what occupation he might go into to - other professions want certifications and experience. So - it depends...

I served with guys that were shooters - they went into Personal Security Details (PSD) - but once the work was over due to the wars ending...what could they do...be a professional body guard on estates and corporations...but that work is time consuming and doesn’t pay well...

Technology is a big business...one does not have to know programming languages - IT Security - Ethical hacking - Networking - are all software/hardware driven and pay excellent in an environment where military minded people can excel due to the challenges and foresight they have in predicting attacks and methods of protection...

So - yes - there are several alternatives...plus the DoD needs people certified in IT Security at the moment and this demand will only grow..

[BCW]

There is no way he was a ranger with that weight...unless standards have dropped to the point of “anyone” can be a Ranger nowadays...I don’t buy it - the Ranger doing the questioning should have followed him to his so-called SGT-Major and asked WTF! - As an officer - I would have demanded ID and a phone number to his unit...I’ve come across a few “PX Rangers” in my time - one was a guy who pinned on SF Arrows and wasn’t even ready to go to selection...I told him to take those things off before some real SF guys walked by and kicked his “arse”...just like anything - if he wanted it - he needs to work for it and earn it...and he is grossly out of shape and his weight does not reflect a Ranger...

[jmacusa]

That is always one thing I look for in these stories. The stress of the ‘’fight or flight’’/ mechanism causes the body to react in ways most people just don’t understand or are not aware of. Appetite decreases, weight loss occurs, sometimes serve weight loss, lack of sleep(very bad for the body) sex drive disappears not to mention the emotional trauma. Other functions of the body increase. Hyper-awareness and impulse control can become an issue. Sudden exposure to loud noises or sudden bright light can cause someone to react unexpectedly. If Chubby had been who he said he was he might not have wanted to be in such a loud noisy, bright place like a shopping mall. And if suddenly someone comes out of no where trying to get your attention he might have drawn back suddenly startled and anxious. Not every combat veteran reacts in the same way but there is no doubt as to it’s effects on the human mind and body. There is nothing glamorous in war. It’s a horrifying, hellish, dehumanizing experience those who have never witnessed or experienced can ever understand and anyone in their right mind wouldn’t want to see it. This is what those who have been through it tell me. For anyone to take for themselves the trapping of military cloture as a means of aggrandizing their ‘’Walter Mitty’’ like existence should be a crime and a moral failing.

[jmacusa]

“OH no he’s NOT legit!!’’ That was my first thought. Looking at those patches on his right shoulder I thought they looked... odd. That’s why I asked.

[huldah1776]

I guess he’ll be ok because he loves welding and is extremely mechanically inclined. Going to school right after he gets out for certification. I’m more worried about his attitude towards Kids his bio-age compared to his mind-age but he is in a Marine town, so hopefully he’ll get involved with a vet group.

[BCW]

Being around other vets is a must...90% people In associate with are vets or still serving...it is a brotherhood for life...