Poser Busting

It's a double edged sword and in the end, it isn't worth it.
I used to chase and participate in the busting of posers. Not no more. It just isn't worth it.
Guys in our community will defend a friend, even when it is blatant. It's fucking amazing.
Watched it too many times. And yes, you are the bad guy in the end

We had a guy show up in the area on our FOB with a subdued Trident and HALO wings on his uniform. He was assigned to another unit an outside my authority. He was a Infantry Corporal assigned to a team leader slot on a squad. His First Sergeant and Commander were aware that he was wearing these devices. Also aware of his claims but yet allowed to wear these without proper documentation. I questioned him in depth and called him out. His command was outraged. I went through some friends of mine with his SSN and sent photos of the asshole to a buddy. Who was a former Commander of a SEAL Team among many other things. He has direct access to the listing of graduates and the like. I validated the claim as phony. I then went to Corpral Douhebags highers and told them to do something or I would. His command backed him wanting nothing to do with it, I advised his CO to deal with it. They refused flatly! I told the Captain "fine, I will now deal with it". My team commander and a political man wanted nothing to do with it either. In fact he asked me to let it go because they weren't involved with our team. I filed an IG complaint and Congressional, they dealt with the First Sergeant along with the poser. I wasn't on this FOB all the time, that unit commander and their command hated my guts. I was able to get the Captain relieved and sent back to the states within several more months for over familiarity with a female medic. There was some good soldiers in the unit and these douchbags were not reflective of the entire unit.
 
Rather than start a new thread...

I saw this today:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...edals-benefits-theft-20140607,0,1055195.story

A former Marine from St. Cloud who lied about having fought in Vietnam was sentenced to probation on Friday and must reimburse the government for benefits he fraudulently obtained, a federal judge ruled.
Four of his fellow members of the American Legion wrote letters supporting Walter Eatman, 68, according to a motion filed by Eatman's attorney.
"As long as we have known [Walt}, he has had the interest of the American Legion, and the U.S. Veterans, ahead of anything else," wrote Gerald A. Fairman Sr., commander of American Legion Post 183 in Fern Park.

Go back to my OP...people believe what they want to, right? This dude stole over $50k of our money and yet shitbags lined up to defend the guy. Steal 50k from a bank or a $50k car and see if you score probation. :rolleyes:

Posers exist because our society allows them to exist.
 
There is an appauling lack of personel responsibility for one's own decisions and actions, nationwide. Folks can skate by with simply outrageous actions, up to and including crimes. It is made worse when you look around, only to find the same person is caught later doing the same thing and/or worse. I get why posing happens, that is not too hard to figure out. What I don't get is the wrist slapping for the behavior, it only makes it worse; at least to me.

I would like to see a panel of vetted military veterans created, to decide on fines and punishments for those caught posing. I would like to see "community service" be more substantial in supporting military veterans. There should also be punituve cash fines applied, in addition to repayment of scammed moneys. Local veteran groups should be able to decide on publication/notification steps taken to make communities aware of just what each guilty poser has cost real military veterans. Perhaps, it would then be simply too costly for someone to steal moneys, services, and recognition intended and designed for our military heros and veterans.

My $.02 from here in "The Valley", & back to my wee cave.
 
Rather than start a new thread...

I saw this today:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...edals-benefits-theft-20140607,0,1055195.story



Go back to my OP...people believe what they want to, right? This dude stole over $50k of our money and yet shitbags lined up to defend the guy. Steal 50k from a bank or a $50k car and see if you score probation. :rolleyes:

Posers exist because our society allows them to exist.
Bet those American Legion clowns are just as big in the posing arena as he is.
 
That guy stole medical benefits...just one example of how too many cases of unwarranted benefits makes more work and costs more money. No wonder the VA system and other administrative systems in general are going haywire. He got medical benefits awarded when some other folks...like my Dad, have been fighting years for benefits based on Agent Orange exposure. Ridiculous.
 
Said it before and I'll say it again. Both VFW and the American Legion are good organizations and do good things, but until they tighten up their shot groups on wannabes and phonies throughout their ranks, my application forms shall remain blank.
 
My favorite thing used to be going to our old Garrison club and drinking with the WWII, Borneo and Vietnam vets. I was just enthralled at the stories.
Such a shame there are so many posers out there now...
 
Bumping this thread because I'm watching Mad Men and it has a scene which illustrates one aspect of this fight.

SPOILERS FOR MAD MEN SEASON 1

One of the characters outs another as a man who stole his LT's identity in Korea. They go to the company owner where this kid exposes the story, calling out a very successful account manager.

"Mr. Campbell, who cares?"
"What?"
"Who cares?"
"Mr. Cooper, he's a fraud and a liar. A criminal even!"
"Even if this were true, who cares? This country was built and run by men with worse stories than whatever you've imagined here."
"I'm not imagining anything."
"The Japanese have a saying: a man is whatever room he is in and right now Donald Draper is in this room. I assure you there's more profit in forgetting this. I'd put your energy into bringing in accounts."

People believe what they want to believe and some simply don't care.
 
@Freefalling *in response to your original post*

I had a similar problem in a group of civilian friends. I decided that it was definitely time for some handling techniques and ran my approach as such- I waited until we were with a good crowd of mutual friends, then I kicked it off being openly sad and disappointed with the dude (after calling him out privately). Once I got a couple of folks loaded onto the emotional roller coaster, I let him know how angry I was and how fucked up it was that he would lie about something like that.

Definitely wouldn't have worked for a deceased teacher, but for an outlandish DB- perfect.
 
Glad you did. I spent about a year building a case against a fraudulent Navy SEAL and did it in cooperation with Capt Larry Bailey (USN ret) and his group. I got the poser's SSN and FOIA'd his records and did a lot of leg work. The man claimed to be a Vietnam veteran Navy SEAL with a Purple Heart (that he said he turned down). He saw my PH license plate and showed me a scar on his thumb that looked like a power saw mishap. Bottom line, I did the work, turned it over to Capt Bailey and the SEALs busted the guy.

But I learned a lot about posers. Just a few things:

Many of them have workman's comp claims.
There are scumbag lawyers who will represent them.
Some of them will go so far as to take you to court; and even if you win, your victory is hollow if you've had to shell out a few thousand bucks for a lawyer.
Civilians have a hard time understanding why veterans so vehemently resent posers.
 
Glad you did. I spent about a year building a case against a fraudulent Navy SEAL and did it in cooperation with Capt Larry Bailey (USN ret) and his group. I got the poser's SSN and FOIA'd his records and did a lot of leg work. The man claimed to be a Vietnam veteran Navy SEAL with a Purple Heart (that he said he turned down). He saw my PH license plate and showed me a scar on his thumb that looked like a power saw mishap. Bottom line, I did the work, turned it over to Capt Bailey and the SEALs busted the guy.

But I learned a lot about posers. Just a few things:

Many of them have workman's comp claims.
There are scumbag lawyers who will represent them.
Some of them will go so far as to take you to court; and even if you win, your victory is hollow if you've had to shell out a few thousand bucks for a lawyer.
Civilians have a hard time understanding why veterans so vehemently resent posers.

Haha that is epic win gold!
 
I tried to out a now retired Superintendent at the Federal LE Agency I work at passing himself as a Viet Vet. He claimed to be, and I quote, an "LCol." yet he wasn't old enough to have been in Nam, and still work for us for 30 years in Canada and be an "LCol." I got in shit with another Super and was told it was "none of my business". NOMB? Fuck yes! My dad was a Viet Vet and had 4 Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star recip! (25th Inf.) all my uncles served. These losers piss me off. Out the MoFos at every turn!
 
I tried to out a now retired Superintendent at the Federal LE Agency I work at passing himself as a Viet Vet. He claimed to be, and I quote, an "LCol." yet he wasn't old enough to have been in Nam, and still work for us for 30 years in Canada and be an "LCol." I got in shit with another Super and was told it was "none of my business". NOMB? Fuck yes! My dad was a Viet Vet and had 4 Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star recip! (25th Inf.) all my uncles served. These losers piss me off. Out the MoFos at every turn!

I have to say I'm stunned that someone can be any kind of law enforcement, particularly Federal and be a poser. Just goes to show the bullshit hiring process is just that.
 
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