Posted on 07/29/2004 3:04:08 PM PDT by hemogoblin
I have seen this topic discussed often on Freep, in regard to people faking their service/medals/rank etc. Is there a readily accessible way to check someone's claims?
You may be able to verify military service, what years they served, possibly medals earned, but anything else is covered under the Privacy Act and won't be given out.
Sorry, forgot to mention that the only place I know of that will provide any military service info is the Military Personnel Records Division in St. Louis, Mo.
Generally, ask to see their old military ID card. Even if you are retired, they still give you a (differently colored) one.
On the bottom of the page is an email address for Glenna Whitely. You could try emailing her. She and Jug Burkette are THE experts at what you are asking about.
Right, the DD-214 is another way. But lots of people lose those.
Another way is to cold-cock them in the face. If they shrug it off and proceed to kick your a&&, they were United States military.
or
There are an incredible number of phonies.
Here's the Navy SEAL site to find out if someone claiming to be a SEAL can be verified.
There are many ways to verify military service. For example, all military personnel goes through some kind of boot camp. There will be graduation photos and records.
There is also the well known DD form 214 (or 215), which every service person receives that spells out their military record.
Most military personnel can confirm their service by their training schools and assignments.
For example, President Bush is a fighter pilot. The training for fighter pilots is extensive and well documented. He would first start flying trainers and then progress through various aircraft till he comes to the one he will be flying.
During this training phase there is extensive evaluations and reports. Training for the military is at well known military bases, so there's lots of ways to confirm someone was at a certain base, such as apartment rentals, car sales, restaurants and pubs visited.
Take Top Gun for example. Around the base there are several well known pubs where fighter pilots congregate, often with photos on the walls of more well known pilots and their planes.
Another example, most all Air Force personel go to boot camp at Lackland AFB, San Antonio TX. Navy has several boot camps, etc. Start with the branch of service and if the person started as an enlisted man or officer, then go from there.
All it takes is a little digging into.
Oftentimes, people pretending to be ex-military will make some sort of claim to have been in the special forces. There is a way anyone can verify if the person is telling the truth; however it can be perceived as a challenge to that person's honor. It is a little known fact that authentic members of special forces units (whatever branch of the military) commission, at their own cost, special coins carrying the logo of their unit. Authentic members carry this coin with them at all times. There is a tradition called the "coin check" whereby you can demand that the person claiming special forces status produce the coin. If they are legit, they will dig it out of their pocket and slap it down in front of you, after which you are obliged to buy them a drink. If they fail to produce the coin, they are phonies and should be shamed out of the house. Hope this helps.
Yes ask for a certified copy of their DD214
If you are a veteran yourself and can talk to the person, it usually takes about 4 minutes to figure it out. Dates are all wrong, locations don't match up, can't tell you what their MOS was, and most importantly often fake being traumatized by whatever war they were in. Most incredible one happened to me about two weeks ago. Guy told me he was a Vietnam veteran and had some very elaborate stories. Later in the conversation he told me he was 41. Not only a liar, but apparently a mental defective.
My only brush with military service was getting drunk and getting stommped by a Marine when I was a teenager. I think I experienced a few special forces that night too.
Have one of the Wall of Shamers right here in town. Now his daughter runs his gun shop for him.
My rat-bastard step son-in-law is a wannabe Navy Seal. He probably knows more about them than most people, including me (I was Army). And, he has never even served in the military. I haven't caught him, but I'm pretty sure he brags to people that he is/was a Seal.
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