Stolen Valor

[blue_green_sparks]

I've run into a few characters over the years whose war stories seemed like fantasy or fragments of movie scenes to me. OK, grain of salt and all.

I was watching recent military parade videos on YT and the "Phony Navy SEAL of the Week" channel popped up on the side bar. These phony SEALs have books about their fake adventures, march in parades, are pastors, are sometimes featured on TV news stories, are often martial artists, and are big deals down at the legion or VFW. Some have never even served in the military at all. It's funny because they can never remember their class numbers or fellow veteran's names, and don't seem to know that not a single SEAL has ever been taken as a POW. Of course, their records (even the most basic) are sealed or were burned in a fire. Not True

I'm guessing it starts with the normal military BS stories. They like the attention, and it just gets away from them. Eventually they run into someone who knows better than they do and calls them out.

[MustacheAndaHalf]

You might find the following YouTube channel interesting.  Don Shipley is a former Navy Seal who tracks down stolen valor.
https://www.youtube.com/@donshipleyformerbuds131

[GuitarStv]

Remember the Van Damme movie 'Blood Sport'?

Based on the true story of Frank Dux . . . a US Marine reservist who was sent into many secret missions after the CIA director secretly recruited him to destroy a Nicaraguan fuel depot, and chemical weapons plant in Iraq.  He was also (secretly) decorated with the medal of honor.  He was secretly trained in ninjitsu*, taekwondo, and various other martial arts and fought to the death many times in secret Mortal Kombat style tournament that he became the first Westerner to win.  Passes the smell test, doesn't it?  :P

*(The martial arts version of stolen valour was out of control from the 70s to 90s when martial arts movies became popular.  You still run across some of these bullshido practitioners from time to time, but the internet seems to have exposed many of them.  To give an idea of how widespread this became - any time you hear the word 'ninja' from anybody teaching martial arts at any period from the 70s to today who claims to be following an ancient Japanese tradition, you are dealing with a fraud.  There exist no schools of ninjitsu that can be legitimately traced back before the '50s in Japan.  'Ninjitsu' as taught today is basically whatever the guy teaching it decided it should be, and the whole 'martial art' is wild with charlatans.)

[DoubleDown]

Wait, what? I'm pretty sure those blow-dart-shooting and disappearing-in-a-smoke-bomb skills I learned at the strip mall are legit.

Yup, fraudsters gonna' fraud.

[Morning Glory]

It would be interesting to see if there's a significant correlation between this sort of behavior and stochastic terrorism.  Anecdotally it's been seen in people who went on to commit mass shootings and the like. Most recently the Minnesota shooting suspect had falsely claimed he was the CEO of a security company,  a pastor, had traveled extensively, and had ties to goverments in Africa.

[Travis]

You might find the following YouTube channel interesting.  Don Shipley is a former Navy Seal who tracks down stolen valor.
https://www.youtube.com/@donshipleyformerbuds131

"500 Navy SEALS served in Vietnam. I've met all 20,000 of them."

[Fru-Gal]

It would be interesting to see if there's a significant correlation between this sort of behavior and stochastic terrorism.  Anecdotally it's been seen in people who went on to commit mass shootings and the like. Most recently the Minnesota shooting suspect had falsely claimed he was the CEO of a security company,  a pastor, had traveled extensively, and had ties to goverments in Africa.

Yes, I was waiting for someone to note that.

[Fru-Gal]

Something that used to drive me fucking nuts at my final corporate job was military speak. I became incredible sensitized to it. Things like “on the radar” are pretty common parlance for everyone. But being in a meeting and having someone blather about “air cover” while referring to a marketing campaign, WTF. There were tons more examples but I have blocked them out 😆.

[roomtempmayo]

Most recently the Minnesota shooting suspect had falsely claimed he was the CEO of a security company,  a pastor, had traveled extensively, and had ties to goverments in Africa.

I've been very cautious around private security services since years ago a LEO friend mentioned that they're where lots of LEO-track guys end up after they fail the psychiatric evaluation at the police academy.  So they've got all of the negative aspects of why people might self-select into law enforcement, then add on a fake cop getup, power, and mental illness.  Quite a toxic soup.

[Wintergreen78]

I’m always surprised at how many people buy these stories. Didn’t everyone know that one guy in high school who would just make stuff up? Didn’t everyone learn that anybody who has to immediately start telling you how awesome they are and all of the crazy stuff they have done is most likely full of it?

[markbike528CBX]

Not ex military. I had to convince DW not to wear her son’s patches/ insignia anywhere that could cause confusion. She now has a nice ball cap with the patch collection on it.  She had difficulty understanding that wearing a uniform-ish thing could be an issue.  Back when we were kids, no one would believe a cute blond older female as a Sargent 😀.  Some people still can’t.🙁

I bought a jacket from him after his discharge, stripped all patches/ insignia off.  It is less useful than I had hoped, as it was still new and is scratchy on the skin.

[Fomerly known as something]

In my specialized law enforcement job, I’m happy I get to say retired vs former.  Being retired, it was my career.  Former just means I did the job for a it and there is a good chance I couldn’t hack 9t anymore for some reason.  (I’m looking at you Danny Bongino).

[LaineyAZ]

It's also sad how many lonely women fall for men who tell these same tales:  they're in the NSA and can't disclose their job nor their personal history, they were in military combat overseas and have all the badges and awards and regalia to prove it (thanks military surplus store and eBay!), they're military pilots and that's why they're gone so much, etc.

It's fascinating to see that when it's revealed that it's all lies, then the scales finally fall from the woman's eyes.  But the number of women who ignore the odds that these unbelievably amazing men with Superman-level feats just happen to fall madly in love with these middle-aged financially independent women is unfortunately very high.

So, a question:  how easy is it to verify a person's actual military service?

[sonofsven]

Here's my version of "stolen valor", lol.
Grew up near a navy town. My friends and I were punk rockers in the 80's, and some of us had the obligatory buzz cut.
We found that if we wanted to buy beer, and we found a store with a middle age clerk with an anchor tattoo on his arm, and we mentioned a current ship in port, he would never ask for ID.

[ChpBstrd]

Here's a very long post somebody (cannot confirm they are who they say they are) made on Facebook with some very valid sounding points that correspond with things I know about the military from actual people in the military. You decide:

“Marching Toward Madness: What That Parade Screamed”
By Rob from Occasionalalities, USAF, Retired
⸻
Any veteran worth their salt could see it the moment the first boot hit the pavement.
That was no parade.
That was a protest.
Not by the public—but by the military itself.
June 14, 2025.
Washington D.C.
A “military display” designed to honor the Commander-in-Chief became an unintentional—or perhaps very intentional—act of uniformed insubordination.
Because anyone who’s ever worn the uniform, who’s ever suffered through the absurd misery of a change-of-command ceremony, knew immediately what they were looking at:
There was no cadence.
No rhythm.
No dress-right-dress.
No lockstep.
No dignity.
No lead NCO calling time.
No officer setting pace.
Just one sloppy, half-hearted, sluggish shuffle past the grandstand, like a jaded marching band limping home from a funeral, with a particularly sarcastic soldier, holding a drone over his doomed head as he marched, indicating the future most infantry.
If that performance had taken place during a wing-level change-of-command at any halfway decent Air Force base, the entire affair would’ve resulted in reprimands, corrections, reassignments.
You’d have seen “Article 15s” rain from the sky like confetti.**
But this wasn’t an accident.
This was allowed to happen. Deliberately.
⸻
The Silent Rebellion
Here’s what I think happened—and I say this as someone who’s spent enough time in uniform to recognize a mutiny when I see one.
Somewhere between the lieutenant colonels and the brigadier generals, an unspoken understanding took shape:
“We’re not going to punish you if this parade turns into a mess.
In fact, we expect it to.”
The lieutenants and captains got the nod.
The sergeants passed it down the chain.
The troops got the wink.
No one would be punished.
Why?
Because the generals already had cover.
They’d spoken to their Senate-confirmed superiors—the full generals and political appointees—and got assurances: “Let it fall apart. We won’t hold it against you.”
And that’s how it works.
Everyone in the military knows that getting from O-1 to O-6 takes brains, guts, and stamina.
But making it from Brigadier General to Full General?
That’s not about service.
That’s about politics.
Every one of those stars past the first one has to be confirmed by the Senate.
Which brings us to the Secretary of Defense.
⸻
The Booze and the Buffoon
Let’s be blunt: This whole debacle is what happens when you appoint a delusional alcoholic to run the Pentagon—someone whose entire identity is built around trying to impress a President who never served a day in uniform.
They thought they’d save money by skipping rehearsals.
Big mistake.
Because once you assign a soldier to temporary duty in Washington, they start pulling deployment pay—extra money, allowances, housing.
Cutting back on rehearsals didn’t shave costs; it just made the parade worse while still racking up the bill.
And what did we get for that price tag?
Marching sloppier than a kindergarten field trip, and a Commander-in-Chief sitting there—puffed up and grinning—like he just won Normandy.
⸻
The Real Cost of a Parade
Any veteran will tell you: the dumbest, most soul-killing thing you ever had to do in uniform was a goddamn parade.
Let’s break it down.
In the Air Force, even a squadron-level change of command means about 500 troops out in formation.
Not the 50-100 civilians seem to imagine.
I served in the 48th Security Forces Squadron at RAF Lakenheath.
Those parades weren’t symbolic; they were mandatory suffering.
You got hit with three rehearsals minimum:
1. “Who Forgot How to March” Re-Education Camp
Cops, cooks, desk jockeys—no one was safe. Triple-time lessons and helmet sweats.
2. “Does everyone’s uniform MATCH?”
Uniform Inspection
$9/month to keep your uniform squared away, and God help you if your ribbons were crooked.
3. The Final Dress Rehearsal
Two hours of statuesque hell: “Eyes Right,” “Parade Rest,” “About Face,” and don’t lock your knees unless you want to faint… and get punished for faking it.
Then comes actual parade day.
Haircuts at 0500.
Uniform pressed within an inch of its life.
Standing in formation in rain, heat, or the frozen grip of some base wind tunnel that seems engineered to shatter morale.
⸻
Larger Units, Larger Misery
It gets worse at the group level—1,400 personnel.
Think the 75th Mission Support Group.
And then it balloons into Wing Parades—like the 4th Fighter Wing or the 48th FW.
That’s 6,000–7,000 airmen standing silent while nothing flies, no repairs happen, and the Air Force grounds itself so the boss can hear a brass band.
It’s taxpayer money spent to not do our jobs so a colonel can give a speech no one remembers.
And if you pass out because it’s 95 degrees and you locked your knees too long?
You might be charged under Article 92 for “failure to obey a lawful order.”
⸻
A Spectacle for Civilians, A Nightmare for Troops
To the average onlooker, parades look inspirational.
To those in the ranks?
It’s sweat, waste, humiliation, and theatrical obedience.
And when you force a branch of the military to fake their loyalty for the camera, the truth leaks out—like it did on June 14.
Because if that was a show of strength?
Then I’m a dancing bear in a dress blues tutu.
⸻
The Ghost Who Took His Place
And let’s not forget who this parade was supposed to honor.
The man in the grandstand.
The one with five deferments.
The one with bone spurs.
You know what we call a man like that in the service?
“Fortunate son.”
Lucky.
And you know what we call the one who went to war in their place instead?
Dead.
We’ll never know the name of the soldier who filled that empty slot in Vietnam.
Maybe he made it back.
Maybe he didn’t.
But the math doesn’t lie—someone went.
Because someone always does.
⸻
🎸 Fortunate Scum
(To the tune of “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival)
Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they’re red, white and blue.
And when the band plays “Hail to the Chief,”
They point the guns at me—not you.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I ain’t your Fortunate Scum, no no.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I ain’t the coward who run.
Some folks inherit star-spangled lies,
Send boys to bleed and cry.
But when the draft came knockin’ loud,
They waved those bone spurs high.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I ain’t your mannequin toy.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
You don’t get to deploy me for your joy.
Five deferments carved in gold,
While others filled your slot.
A name unknown, a boy went down,
To die where you were not.
We marched, we ran, we stood in line,
We held the goddamn line.
But now you want us goose-stepped thin
To cover your decline?
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I ain’t your losers circus drum.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I’m done being someone’s Fortunate Scum.
⸻
🪖 Never forget: every parade is a lie.
It’s not for us.
It’s not for them.
It’s for the cameras.
And sometimes, as it did on June 14, the troops tell the truth… by marching like they mean nothing at all.
—Rob
USAF Retired.
Bone spurs not included.
Although for the record, I had to take my physical twice because the first time they found a heart murmur, and nearly forbid me from entering - fortunately it had been checked and cleared up or been cleared up via pencil whip by the second physical the next day.
⸻
* * Civilian Translation:
An Article 15—named after Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)—is the military’s version of your boss pulling you into the office and saying, “You screwed up, but we’re not calling the cops… yet.”
It’s called non-judicial punishment (NJP), which is just a fancy way of saying “We’ll handle this in-house.”
The accused servicemember—be it a private or a lieutenant—can voluntarily agree to let their commanding officer act as judge, jury, and punishment-deliverer, rather than take their chances in a full-blown military trial known as a court-martial.
The military strongly encourages you to accept the Article 15.
Why?
Because even if your commander makes you rake sand or scrub latrines with a toothbrush, it’s still way better than rolling the dice in a court-martial.
Under an Article 15, the worst that can happen is:
 • Reduction in rank
 • Reduction in pay
 • Extra duties or restrictions
 • At absolute max, 60 to 90 days restriction or confinement (depending on rank), but never a felony conviction.
Now, if you say, “No thanks, I’ll take my chances in court,” you get a court-martial—an actual military trial.
That could be:
A summary court-martial (for minor stuff): one officer, no jury.
A special court-martial: more serious, includes a military judge, a JAG prosecutor and defense counsel, possibly a jury.
A general court-martial: the big one.
Usually 3–5 officers, felony-level charges, full-on legal warzone.
Maximum penalty?
Anything up to “death by firing squad.”
No kidding.
And here’s the real kicker: if you’re convicted in a court-martial, it goes on your record forever—like a felony.
So even if the charge was minor, like mouthing off, the record doesn’t care.
Felony.
No job. No vote. No gun.
Bad day.
So what happens in the real world?
Most troops, especially lower-ranking ones, take the Article 15.
They sign the paper, do their time, take their lumps, and live to see another PT formation.
That’s the military’s secret sauce: it discourages people from demanding real trials by making the consequences so steep that even innocent troops will sometimes take the deal.
Fast. Quiet. No lawyer fees. Just suck it up.
So when I say the soldiers in that sloppy parade weren’t worried about being punished?
I mean it.
There was no risk of an Article 15 for any of them—and if there was, the worst they’d get is a counseling memo saying: “Next time, try harder.-
This wasn’t rebellion.
It was theater.
And like all good theater, everyone knew their roles.

[Just Joe]

I was in the military. I have a bunch of first and second hand anecdotes that I can swap with other folks but my personal experiences were pretty mundane. Clean this, paint that, repair the thing, ready for inspection! It was the right experience at the right time of my life. Feel fortunate that I never had to participate in any combat.

I met alot of those guys though that told elaborate fictional stories or self-sabotaged their futures by getting drunk and doing STUPID stuff that had long term consequences.

One was a roommate of mine. He loved to tell stories. Was entertaining to listen to him tell other people the same stories. Did the facts stay the same or not? Often not. If I was feeling evil I'd ask a question or two that never had an answer - the basic "then what did you do?". He'd get flustered and turn red and change the topic. I can only imagine the stories he's told people since. Maybe he's outgrown that? 

[Fru-Gal]

Here's a very long post somebody (cannot confirm they are who they say they are) made on Facebook with some very valid sounding points that correspond with things I know about the military from actual people in the military. You decide:

“Marching Toward Madness: What That Parade Screamed”
By Rob from Occasionalalities, USAF, Retired
⸻
Any veteran worth their salt could see it the moment the first boot hit the pavement.
That was no parade.
That was a protest.
Not by the public—but by the military itself.
June 14, 2025.
Washington D.C.
A “military display” designed to honor the Commander-in-Chief became an unintentional—or perhaps very intentional—act of uniformed insubordination.
Because anyone who’s ever worn the uniform, who’s ever suffered through the absurd misery of a change-of-command ceremony, knew immediately what they were looking at:
There was no cadence.
No rhythm.
No dress-right-dress.
No lockstep.
No dignity.
No lead NCO calling time.
No officer setting pace.
Just one sloppy, half-hearted, sluggish shuffle past the grandstand, like a jaded marching band limping home from a funeral, with a particularly sarcastic soldier, holding a drone over his doomed head as he marched, indicating the future most infantry.
If that performance had taken place during a wing-level change-of-command at any halfway decent Air Force base, the entire affair would’ve resulted in reprimands, corrections, reassignments.
You’d have seen “Article 15s” rain from the sky like confetti.**
But this wasn’t an accident.
This was allowed to happen. Deliberately.
⸻
The Silent Rebellion
Here’s what I think happened—and I say this as someone who’s spent enough time in uniform to recognize a mutiny when I see one.
Somewhere between the lieutenant colonels and the brigadier generals, an unspoken understanding took shape:
“We’re not going to punish you if this parade turns into a mess.
In fact, we expect it to.”
The lieutenants and captains got the nod.
The sergeants passed it down the chain.
The troops got the wink.
No one would be punished.
Why?
Because the generals already had cover.
They’d spoken to their Senate-confirmed superiors—the full generals and political appointees—and got assurances: “Let it fall apart. We won’t hold it against you.”
And that’s how it works.
Everyone in the military knows that getting from O-1 to O-6 takes brains, guts, and stamina.
But making it from Brigadier General to Full General?
That’s not about service.
That’s about politics.
Every one of those stars past the first one has to be confirmed by the Senate.
Which brings us to the Secretary of Defense.
⸻
The Booze and the Buffoon
Let’s be blunt: This whole debacle is what happens when you appoint a delusional alcoholic to run the Pentagon—someone whose entire identity is built around trying to impress a President who never served a day in uniform.
They thought they’d save money by skipping rehearsals.
Big mistake.
Because once you assign a soldier to temporary duty in Washington, they start pulling deployment pay—extra money, allowances, housing.
Cutting back on rehearsals didn’t shave costs; it just made the parade worse while still racking up the bill.
And what did we get for that price tag?
Marching sloppier than a kindergarten field trip, and a Commander-in-Chief sitting there—puffed up and grinning—like he just won Normandy.
⸻
The Real Cost of a Parade
Any veteran will tell you: the dumbest, most soul-killing thing you ever had to do in uniform was a goddamn parade.
Let’s break it down.
In the Air Force, even a squadron-level change of command means about 500 troops out in formation.
Not the 50-100 civilians seem to imagine.
I served in the 48th Security Forces Squadron at RAF Lakenheath.
Those parades weren’t symbolic; they were mandatory suffering.
You got hit with three rehearsals minimum:
1. “Who Forgot How to March” Re-Education Camp
Cops, cooks, desk jockeys—no one was safe. Triple-time lessons and helmet sweats.
2. “Does everyone’s uniform MATCH?”
Uniform Inspection
$9/month to keep your uniform squared away, and God help you if your ribbons were crooked.
3. The Final Dress Rehearsal
Two hours of statuesque hell: “Eyes Right,” “Parade Rest,” “About Face,” and don’t lock your knees unless you want to faint… and get punished for faking it.
Then comes actual parade day.
Haircuts at 0500.
Uniform pressed within an inch of its life.
Standing in formation in rain, heat, or the frozen grip of some base wind tunnel that seems engineered to shatter morale.
⸻
Larger Units, Larger Misery
It gets worse at the group level—1,400 personnel.
Think the 75th Mission Support Group.
And then it balloons into Wing Parades—like the 4th Fighter Wing or the 48th FW.
That’s 6,000–7,000 airmen standing silent while nothing flies, no repairs happen, and the Air Force grounds itself so the boss can hear a brass band.
It’s taxpayer money spent to not do our jobs so a colonel can give a speech no one remembers.
And if you pass out because it’s 95 degrees and you locked your knees too long?
You might be charged under Article 92 for “failure to obey a lawful order.”
⸻
A Spectacle for Civilians, A Nightmare for Troops
To the average onlooker, parades look inspirational.
To those in the ranks?
It’s sweat, waste, humiliation, and theatrical obedience.
And when you force a branch of the military to fake their loyalty for the camera, the truth leaks out—like it did on June 14.
Because if that was a show of strength?
Then I’m a dancing bear in a dress blues tutu.
⸻
The Ghost Who Took His Place
And let’s not forget who this parade was supposed to honor.
The man in the grandstand.
The one with five deferments.
The one with bone spurs.
You know what we call a man like that in the service?
“Fortunate son.”
Lucky.
And you know what we call the one who went to war in their place instead?
Dead.
We’ll never know the name of the soldier who filled that empty slot in Vietnam.
Maybe he made it back.
Maybe he didn’t.
But the math doesn’t lie—someone went.
Because someone always does.
⸻
🎸 Fortunate Scum
(To the tune of “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival)
Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they’re red, white and blue.
And when the band plays “Hail to the Chief,”
They point the guns at me—not you.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I ain’t your Fortunate Scum, no no.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I ain’t the coward who run.
Some folks inherit star-spangled lies,
Send boys to bleed and cry.
But when the draft came knockin’ loud,
They waved those bone spurs high.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I ain’t your mannequin toy.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
You don’t get to deploy me for your joy.
Five deferments carved in gold,
While others filled your slot.
A name unknown, a boy went down,
To die where you were not.
We marched, we ran, we stood in line,
We held the goddamn line.
But now you want us goose-stepped thin
To cover your decline?
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I ain’t your losers circus drum.
It ain’t me, it ain’t me,
I’m done being someone’s Fortunate Scum.
⸻
🪖 Never forget: every parade is a lie.
It’s not for us.
It’s not for them.
It’s for the cameras.
And sometimes, as it did on June 14, the troops tell the truth… by marching like they mean nothing at all.
—Rob
USAF Retired.
Bone spurs not included.
Although for the record, I had to take my physical twice because the first time they found a heart murmur, and nearly forbid me from entering - fortunately it had been checked and cleared up or been cleared up via pencil whip by the second physical the next day.
⸻
* * Civilian Translation:
An Article 15—named after Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)—is the military’s version of your boss pulling you into the office and saying, “You screwed up, but we’re not calling the cops… yet.”
It’s called non-judicial punishment (NJP), which is just a fancy way of saying “We’ll handle this in-house.”
The accused servicemember—be it a private or a lieutenant—can voluntarily agree to let their commanding officer act as judge, jury, and punishment-deliverer, rather than take their chances in a full-blown military trial known as a court-martial.
The military strongly encourages you to accept the Article 15.
Why?
Because even if your commander makes you rake sand or scrub latrines with a toothbrush, it’s still way better than rolling the dice in a court-martial.
Under an Article 15, the worst that can happen is:
 • Reduction in rank
 • Reduction in pay
 • Extra duties or restrictions
 • At absolute max, 60 to 90 days restriction or confinement (depending on rank), but never a felony conviction.
Now, if you say, “No thanks, I’ll take my chances in court,” you get a court-martial—an actual military trial.
That could be:
A summary court-martial (for minor stuff): one officer, no jury.
A special court-martial: more serious, includes a military judge, a JAG prosecutor and defense counsel, possibly a jury.
A general court-martial: the big one.
Usually 3–5 officers, felony-level charges, full-on legal warzone.
Maximum penalty?
Anything up to “death by firing squad.”
No kidding.
And here’s the real kicker: if you’re convicted in a court-martial, it goes on your record forever—like a felony.
So even if the charge was minor, like mouthing off, the record doesn’t care.
Felony.
No job. No vote. No gun.
Bad day.
So what happens in the real world?
Most troops, especially lower-ranking ones, take the Article 15.
They sign the paper, do their time, take their lumps, and live to see another PT formation.
That’s the military’s secret sauce: it discourages people from demanding real trials by making the consequences so steep that even innocent troops will sometimes take the deal.
Fast. Quiet. No lawyer fees. Just suck it up.
So when I say the soldiers in that sloppy parade weren’t worried about being punished?
I mean it.
There was no risk of an Article 15 for any of them—and if there was, the worst they’d get is a counseling memo saying: “Next time, try harder.-
This wasn’t rebellion.
It was theater.
And like all good theater, everyone knew their roles.

Wow!

[rocketpj]

I have a cousin that I used to get along with quite well, as in we'd hang out at family events and generally enjoy each others company.  For a couple of years in the 1980s he was in the Navy Reserves (here in Canada that very loosely correlates to National Guard).  In Calgary, so aside from a few trips not exactly spending a lot of time at sea.

Now, 40 years later he wears his old uniform to family events and blathers on and on about his experience as a 'veteran', with "Veteran" plates on his car and a stupid beret.  We all know he spent about 30 weekends and a couple of summers marching around, but that's about it.  Technically speaking he is a veteran, but come right on already.... 

He was also Maga before there was Maga, being a hard right wing guy from the 80s onwards.  Now he uses his 'veteran' status to build credibility as he argues with people about gay marriage or whatever.  Meanwhile I have friends and relatives who spent serious time in Afghanistan and elsewhere and they generally don't talk about it.

[RetiredAt63]

I have a cousin that I used to get along with quite well, as in we'd hang out at family events and generally enjoy each others company.  For a couple of years in the 1980s he was in the Navy Reserves (here in Canada that very loosely correlates to National Guard).  In Calgary, so aside from a few trips not exactly spending a lot of time at sea.

Now, 40 years later he wears his old uniform to family events and blathers on and on about his experience as a 'veteran', with "Veteran" plates on his car and a stupid beret.  We all know he spent about 30 weekends and a couple of summers marching around, but that's about it.  Technically speaking he is a veteran, but come right on already.... 

He was also Maga before there was Maga, being a hard right wing guy from the 80s onwards.  Now he uses his 'veteran' status to build credibility as he argues with people about gay marriage or whatever.  Meanwhile I have friends and relatives who spent serious time in Afghanistan and elsewhere and they generally don't talk about it.

I know someone who was active service (Canada) and he NEVER talks about it.