Veteran Calls out fake Ranger

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**Hordini**

Ouze wrote:
Hordini wrote:
I think it's pretty weird that the military get discounts anyway, but seems like a very american thing!

Well, they sort of need it. Members of the military get pretty poor pay when starting out - like, qualified for food stamps/WIC level.

Just wanted to clarify that the above quote is Da Boss, not me. But I agree with you Ouze!

**Ouze**

My bad, I screwed up the quotes initially and then somehow made it worse, I'll correct it.

**Spetulhu**

Discounts for uniforms aren't that uncommon over here either. I recall receiving a bit off in the small shopping center outside my garrison while doing my mandatory service, for example. And many gas station bars offer a discount to police officers and security guards on food, maybe just to make them more likely to stop there.

No idea about using a military uniform without permission, but the documents detailing use always call it a "right" or "duty" to use one. The only non-santioned use I've heard of is people trying to collect money for veterans by posing as a serviceman, so fraud.

The other two I know to be regulated. It's a crime to pass yourself off as a guard when not (or not on duty). And the only legal use for a police uniform is on a policeman - even theaters or TV/film productions have to have permission, though it's usually granted autmatically.

**Da Boss**

No disrespect meant, but I don't see any particular reason for service members to get discounts that other public servants don't get.

Being in the army is a job, like any other in the public service.

If teachers, police, prison officers and social workers don't get discounts, I don't see a reason to give soldiers one.

Shame about the pay, though. When my brother was in the Royal Marines he said that he could have made more money working at McDonalds. But these days, without any kind of compulsory military service, I figure that was his choice. He could have chosen to do something else.

Probably OT. (Also, not German, just live here.

)

**CptJake**

No disrespect, but there are reasons to give a discount. A store near a base giving a discount will get more business than a competitor who does not. In some places it increases even non-military business as the local community see themselves as strong supporters and frequent businesses which they see as supporting 'their' troops.

**d-usa**

I used to get a discount at a few places when I worked EMS and volunteered with the fire department. It wasn't all that much, maybe 5% off something or a free drink with your sandwich, but it was always appreciated.

My thoughts about discount were always best summed up by our chief:

1) You never ask if they have a discount.
2) You never ask "why didn't I get my discount" even if you got it the last 10 times you ordered something there.
3) You say thank you every single time even if it is the 10th time you got the discount from that same person.

**Jihadin**

US Military is one of the things that America feel proud of.

Veteran Day Discount
4th July Discount
Memorial Day Discount
with vaild ID

There's also vehicle dealership that offer 1K discount off vehicles if your a active member of USAA
Navy Federal Credit Union is geared towards the military

I can go on and on

Germany military though suffers a stigma

**CptJake**

Jihadin wrote:
US Military is one of the things that America feel proud of.

Veteran Day Discount
4th July Discount
Memorial Day Discount
with vaild ID

There's also vehicle dealership that offer 1K discount off vehicles if your a active member of USAA
Navy Federal Credit Union is geared towards the military

I can go on and on

Germany military though suffers a stigma

Hell, it is codified into law. Veterans are eligible for for VA loans those who have not served cannot get.

**Jihadin**

CptJake wrote:
Jihadin wrote:
US Military is one of the things that America feel proud of.

Veteran Day Discount
4th July Discount
Memorial Day Discount
with vaild ID

There's also vehicle dealership that offer 1K discount off vehicles if your a active member of USAA
Navy Federal Credit Union is geared towards the military

I can go on and on

Germany military though suffers a stigma

Hell, it is codified into law. Veterans are eligible for for VA loans those who have not served cannot get.

No money down lol
Post 9/11 GI Bill to

**Da Boss**

Well, the Germans have a complex history with their military, especially East Germans. Mind blowing what went on out there, and fascinating.

I'm not German though, I'm Irish. We're neutral, and I guess some of us get a different perspective on military force given the excesses of the British forces in the North at times. I find the adulation of soldiers pretty weird. To me, they're people doing a job that is important, but very sad. I respect them as much as I do the police and firefighters and others who put their lives on the line, but I do get tired of hearing "I'm a vet" as a sort of catch all answer to all questions.

I mean, I think things like this faker we're discussing only really come up because of the extreme adulation that the military gets in the US. (I keep saying US, though apparently it's the same elsewhere. I got some pretty hefty vitriol for my lack of support of the Poppy appeal in my workplace).

**Ensis Ferrae**

Also, in quite a few of the places I've lived, some small businesses put up a sign outlining their "military" discount that included police, fire/ems and teachers.

There are definitely some professions outside of just the military that I think, in the US, should get the same discount for shopping at various places. Typically, police, fire and especially teachers don't make the greatest money out there, and can often use the "help".

**Jihadin**

This asshat was busted in 2003 wearing a LEO jacket and carrying a badge of the officer killed

**Da Boss**

About the discounts: Turns out my impression was pretty wrong. It's pretty cool that businesses give discounts like that to a wide range of people. I think that's something really positive that deserves major kudos.

On the asshat in question: That is really pathetic. I doubt anything we do to him would really make his life significantly worse than what it must already be for him to stoop to that for validation.

**sauhwq**

I also think a fine thing to do would be to sentence people like this to actual Ranger or SEAL training with no dropping out allowed.

**CptJake**

sauhwq wrote:
I also think a fine thing to do would be to sentence people like this to actual Ranger or SEAL training with no dropping out allowed.

Not an original idea.

Relapse wrote:
I think a fine thing to do would be to sentence people like this to actual Ranger or SEAL training with no dropping out allowed.
At any point they screw up, they get dropped back to day one

And as I said before:

It would be a huge waste of resources. Slots for those school are hard to get, especially with the budget cuts. Son2 is competing this week with a few hundred other guys for about 200 ranger school slots for the next cycle. Giving some crap bag a permanent slot for RAP week would cut a deserving guy out, and be a strain on the cadre they really don't need.

If we need to punish these crap bags, make them clean bed pans at the VA hospital serving the region they live in.

**the shrouded lord**

Jihadin wrote:
This asshat was busted in 2003 wearing a LEO jacket and carrying a badge of the officer killed

you're fething with me right?
Feth. carrying a dead man's badge. feth. that's just,just...no. just fething no.

**Spetulhu**

Da Boss wrote:
I doubt anything we do to him would really make his life significantly worse than what it must already be for him to stoop to that for validation.

Whatever we do or don't do to a guy that makes up stories like this it will always be someone else's fault than his. Someone who lies like this in public is usually so used to it that he believes his own stories, or at least believes he has a really good reason to keep telling them. Such as "those guys" trying to put him down out of pure spite!

We had one of those at my job once. He'd ignore his duties and when called on it adamantly claim he'd handled them - someone else must have been there later and undone everything. He'd tell stories about previous jobs and future plans that maybe sounded reasonable at first but unraveled once you had time to think about them for a moment. Such as studying Spanish because he was planning to take a job as harbor diver in Spain... Knowing the language is good, sure. Except he didn't manage even common greetings when someone that knew Spanish tried some on him. And his physique was closer to the veteran impersonator up there than a well-trained diver.

**chaos0xomega**

I think the whole stolen valor thing is beyond scummy, but these videos aint that much better. Im waiting for the day that someone posts a valor shaming video and the guy turns out to actually be a vet (and not like that dude who was in the navy and pretneded to be in the marines instead, I mean actually telling the truth who he is.

If I had to take a guess, Id say itd be an AF TACP, nobody knows about them, they wear air force uniforms with a black beret and army patches, and are also probably more badass than most people can believe.

Ouze wrote:
As a former member of the Marine Core Seal-Snipers, there is nothing more irritating than fakes like this to me.

Im pretty sure Im the first to have noticed that over these three pages lol

**CptJake**

chaos0xomega wrote:
I think the whole stolen valor thing is beyond scummy, but these videos aint that much better. Im waiting for the day that someone posts a valor shaming video and the guy turns out to actually be a vet (and not like that dude who was in the navy and pretneded to be in the marines instead, I mean actually telling the truth who he is.

If I had to take a guess, Id say itd be an AF TACP, nobody knows about them, they wear air force uniforms with a black beret and army patches, and are also probably more badass than most people can believe.

Ouze wrote:
As a former member of the Marine Core Seal-Snipers, there is nothing more irritating than fakes like this to me.

Im pretty sure Im the first to have noticed that over these three pages lol

I don't think AF TACPs or PJs (or any Air Force member) can wear Army patches, except qualification badges they earn (like a Ranger tab or Airborne wings).

http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-2903/afi36-2903.pdf

**Steelmage99**

d-usa wrote:
I used to get a discount at a few places when I worked EMS and volunteered with the fire department. It wasn't all that much, maybe 5% off something or a free drink with your sandwich, but it was always appreciated.

My thoughts about discount were always best summed up by our chief:

1) You never ask if they have a discount.
2) You never ask "why didn't I get my discount" even if you got it the last 10 times you ordered something there.
3) You say thank you every single time even if it is the 10th time you got the discount from that same person.

That is IMO the proper attitude towards those kinds of discounts

.

**Ensis Ferrae**

CptJake wrote:

I don't think AF TACPs or PJs (or any Air Force member) can wear Army patches, except qualification badges they earn (like a Ranger tab or Airborne wings).

http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-2903/afi36-2903.pdf

I think there may be some exceptions to that rule, as I seem to recall most of the TACPs around Campbell wearing 101 patches while they were there. But, I also seem to recall that, in the field with an army unit, they're wearing army ACUs with the only difference being instead of "US ARMY" tag, it's "US AF" tag.

It could be one of those things where, while you're there, a TACP can wear the patch, but once they leave, they have to go back to AF standards. But, I could be wrong on that one, as I only played rugby with like 3 TACPs at Campbell, and never really did anything work related with them

**chaos0xomega**

The patch thing varies, by regulation its not really supposed to be done, but its one of those things that some TACPs/units overlook, and most people outside of the community dont know the regs on, and if they do, they dont have the balls to challenge them on. I met a TSgt once that had his ranger tab sewn on to his dress blues (which I think is a no-no no matter what unit youre with), a MSgt called him out on it, his response was "Well, what are WE going to do about that?" The MSgt dropped it and walked away lol.

By regs though I believe wbile youre attached to the army unit youre supporting you can wear their patches and CIB/spurs (if youve earned em) but when youre back at your home squadron you go back to being air force standard.

**CptJake**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
CptJake wrote:

I don't think AF TACPs or PJs (or any Air Force member) can wear Army patches, except qualification badges they earn (like a Ranger tab or Airborne wings).

http://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-2903/afi36-2903.pdf

I think there may be some exceptions to that rule, as I seem to recall most of the TACPs around Campbell wearing 101 patches while they were there. But, I also seem to recall that, in the field with an army unit, they're wearing army ACUs with the only difference being instead of "US ARMY" tag, it's "US AF" tag.

It could be one of those things where, while you're there, a TACP can wear the patch, but once they leave, they have to go back to AF standards. But, I could be wrong on that one, as I only played rugby with like 3 TACPs at Campbell, and never really did anything work related with them

Yep, further research shows they can wear the organizational patch of the unit they are supporting (attached to).

**Bromsy**

Fairly sure I've mentioned this before, but the whole 'I'm gonna go to the mall and tool around in my uniform' thing is so weird to me. I was OCONUS for pretty much my entire military career, so maybe things are different in the states - but we couldn't wait to get out of our duty uniforms.

Wandering the mall in uniform is for Nasty Girls

and guys straight out of basic.

And....

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
d-usa wrote:
I have a question for the active military and veteran guys on here:

At work I frequently run into veterans who always claim that they were all kind if things especially when they get in trouble. Sometimes it feels like I have met more Rangers than there could ever exist. They cause a scene, they run their mouth, they scream "I was special forces, I could take all of you, I have done some gak". I don't know if they don't realize that we can look up their service record and see what they actually did, but it's just weird. And the fake "I'm special forces" card gets pulled for stupid stuff: "I should get to cut in line and be seen first because I'm special forces", "I should get to scream and curse because I'm special forces".

These are not fake military guys, these are actual real veterans who do this crap. It just always baffles me to see them do that. But I was wondering how you guys felt about folks like that. Is it worse if a civilian tries to pass himself off as military or is it worse if a veteran makes up these stories?

Not trying to play the two sides against each other, but I always think "dude, you served and that's great, you made it back and many didn't, but quit bullshitting everyone".

IMHO, civilians acting are 10x worse.

Thing with us vets is, our stories are like fish stories. The "fish" gets bigger depending on who we're talking to, and how many times we've told the story.

I don't like it when guys try to use their former rank or supposed position (SF, Ranger, etc.) in the military to, as you say, "cut in line" or what have you, but if the guy actually served, and is entitled to the services he/she is receiving then I don't really see the harm in drumming up his/her own stories.

Yeah, civvies are worse. I was a fobbit and proud (don't be mad 'cause I got a good ASVAB score

) but the fish stories comparison is apt. Of course, don't completely make stuff up; you're 30, I don't think you went into Grenada.

**conker249**

I love that people take the time to point out fakes and put them on the internet. Why not? I dont see how people think it's sleazy or pathetic. It's making sure to show that people DO care about fakes. after the video goes online, and goes viral, which most of the veteran fakes videos do, the person will more than likely be called out more and more.

**easysauce**

yeah lol... off duty/off base every member I know keeps a low profile for the most part.

nothing sucks more then being in camo fatigues and having people asking you about :"the sheet" or the front lines or whatever.

and then having to tell them you dont know, you just fix the worlds cruddiest jeeps and do lots of PT

was acquainted with a local sheriff a while back, actively hid the fact he was LEO for a while, cause honestly, hes just tired of the same conversation/questions every time, or worse, having to deal with FOTM SJW's who get uppity with him

**CptJake**

Around most of the CONUS bases I've been at you see troops in uniform at local chow places for lunch, and at Wal-Mart or the grocery store or what ever as they pick up stuff on the way home after work quite a bit.

**chaos0xomega**

Ive only ever seen Soldiers out and about in uniform, I onow the Marines, and I believe the Navy are expressly forbidden from doing that (unless its a sporting event etc), and I believe AF might be but Im not positive on that (I know as a cadet it was verboten, but cadetland is cadetland)

**Jihadin**

Everyone can stop at a store and grab stuff for dinner and go after COB. They cannot LINGER and BS
U

**Hordini**

Jihadin wrote:
Everyone can stop at a store and grab stuff for dinner and go after COB. They cannot LINGER and BS
U

In the Army maybe. For Marines, unless it's an emergency, it's absolutely a no go if you're still in cammies.