Poser neighbor

[Rastoff]

If I hear one more person say they have a clearance above Top Secret I just might scream.

I own Two, one in Mesa and one in Florence.
One of my biggest peeves is that the Military must not eat.
I NEVER had anyone come in and tell me they were a cook.

I don't remember when, but the Air Force dropped the cook career field. Now they are all contractors or you eat MREs.

...having to constantly salute him, which is a requirement for any military member passing a MOH winner in uniform. Ed.

I'll probably be hammered for this, but this is a pet peeve of mine. A MOH recipient is saluted only when they are wearing the medal/ribon. There are several variarions of the uniform without ribons. Also, and more importantly, the MOH is not a contest, it's not "won". So, they are recipients not winners.

 

[rwsmith]

I knew a real SEAL

I was surprised. I hardly knew that he was even in the service. Except for being sharp and in good shape he was a regular guy. He played down his job and rarely brought it up himself and talked about it only when questioned, and then sparingly.

 

[alwslate]

Hard to understand why people feel the need to pose as something
they're not. Met a young guy, late 20s, in a poker game one night and
he mentioned that he was ex service. Oh? Yeah, a Marine sniper in
Iraq and that when he got out they let him buy his rifle and bring it
home. Now I'm really listening because that's the first I've ever heard
of this policy. You have the rifle, I asked? Yeah but it's in a storage
locker out of state for safe keeping. What kind of rifle, what make is
it, I asked? Don't know. What kind of scope does it wear? Don't know,
they gave it to me and I just used it he says. Okaaaay, whatever.
Guys like him probably deserve sympathy more than hate.

 

[CAPops]

Rastoff, I was not aware and thank you for the education.

 

[Beemerguy53]

Some people just feel the need to one-up others, or make their own lives more interesting or exciting.

I had a conversation about a week ago with the brother of a friend. Now this is a guy who owns a pistol or two, seldom goes shooting, but wants everyone to think he is a real gun guru...

The first thing that floored me was his comment that the .357 Magnum is 'under-rated', and actually better than most folks think it is. I replied that almost everyone I know is well-aware of how good it is...

He was asking me about the S&W revolvers I own, and I mentioned my two 625s. When he asked what they are chambered for, I told him .45 ACP. He immediately corrected me, telling me I must mean .45 Colt. I told him that no, my 625s are in .45 ACP. He asked how can this be? I told him they use moon clips to link the cartridges, and he nodded sagely. I asked him if he knew what moon clips are, and he BS'd me again, telling me that oh yes, he knew what they were. I didn't ask how, if he knew what moon clips are, how he didn't know what they are used for...

 

[The Big D]

I enjoy telling stories of my career and am often asked 'are you making that up?'

No, all true; the REAL world is rather funny, strange, and interesting. My imagination is not that 'creative.'

Frankly, the fear of folks mocking me as a liar keeps me on the straight and narrow.

Be safe.

 

[labworm]

I enjoy listening to them, better than going to the Comedy Club.

 

[bgrone]

Knew a Seal

I knew one Navy Seal, only found out at his funeral.

 

[JSR III]

I know what you guys mean. I was at the LGS the other day and we were talking about military service. I was telling everbody about my days as an Army SEAL and how rough it was in Viet Nam when we landed in Normandy on D day. But I survived all of that and we ended up routing those tallyben laden guys. Man, those were some times...

 

[DeadWhiteGoose]

Some people just feel the need to one-up others, or make their own lives more interesting or exciting.

I had a conversation about a week ago with the brother of a friend. Now this is a guy who owns a pistol or two, seldom goes shooting, but wants everyone to think he is a real gun guru...

The first thing that floored me was his comment that the .357 Magnum is 'under-rated', and actually better than most folks think it is. I replied that almost everyone I know is well-aware of how good it is...

He was asking me about the S&W revolvers I own, and I mentioned my two 625s. When he asked what they are chambered for, I told him .45 ACP. He immediately corrected me, telling me I must mean .45 Colt. I told him that no, my 625s are in .45 ACP. He asked how can this be? I told him they use moon clips to link the cartridges, and he nodded sagely. I asked him if he knew what moon clips are, and he BS'd me again, telling me that oh yes, he knew what they were. I didn't ask how, if he knew what moon clips are, how he didn't know what they are used for...

I will say in his defense that moonclips are not specifically for the .45ACP and my .357 that's cut for them doesn't mean they are required in order to load the cylinder. Otherwise, I know exactly what you mean. You know what I always tend to hear from more than one "poser" as of late? "My .45 is definitely more powerful than a .357 though. It's way bigger and makes huge holes." I guess if we're going by numbers they would probably think they're right with out knowing anything other than diameter.

 

[SgtLumpy]

I've met a lot of guys that were (various branch) "Snipers", SOF's, Distinguished Master class pistol shooters, Expert qualified military marksmen etc, yet "Can't shoot today because it's windy" (or sun in their eyes or similar). Lot's of self proclaimed experts in "every handgun ever made" that, when handed a revolver speedloader, don't know what to do with it or aren't sure "which button to push" to get the cylinder to swing open.


Sgt Lumpy

 

[Raider]

I was in Vietnam and humped the boonies like many folks did. On the rare occasions when somebody asks what I did there, I just answer that I was a peon who carried an M16. They look at me like I have two heads because they were expecting some tale of great heroism, I guess. True story. I don't care.

Charlie

 

[jimmyj]

Ensign George Gay - Sole survivor of VT-8 TBD Devastator Squadron at WW II Battle of Midway

Several years ago while at dinner a "Senior Citizen" at the next table engaged my wife in conversation. He identified his self as Ensign George Gay, the only survivor of this squadron at the battle of Midway.
He said he had been decorated by General MacArthur. We were impressed and paid for his dinner. Several times after that we would be at the same restaurant and see him and again would pay for his meal. I always saluted him and shook his hand. I even told the local American Legion Commander about him and suggested that Mr. Gay be invited to appear at a meeting. I attempted to locate Mr. Gay but was unable to find a address or telephone number. I looked him up on the internet and discovered that Ensign George Gay had died in Georgia several years prior! The old gentleman had assumed Mr. Gay's I.D. to be recognized as a Hero.

 

[bearman49709]

If I hear one more person say they have a clearance above Top Secret I just might scream.

Don't know about the Air Force, but when I was in the Army [1977-1984] there were higher clearances than TS. TSIP was for intel people and one for General officers that I forget what it was called.

 

[zonker5]

If I hear one more person say they have a clearance above Top Secret I just might scream.

Don't know about the Air Force, but when I was in the Army [1977-1984] there were higher clearances than TS. TSIP was for intel people and one for General officers that I forget what it was called.

I recall the AF having a "Q" clearance for atomic stuff. And no, I didn't have one.

 

[yourang?]

there was a guy at work that was a vet and i knew he was in viet nam

one veteran's day, i shook his hand and said thanks....

he smiled.....i asked him what he did

he said he flew choppers and proceeded to tell me some stories

he got red in the face, started shaking, and visibly upset so i told
him to stop

there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this guy flew choppers
in heavy combat and some how lived to be able to tell the tale

(he never volunteered any info....but i asked....so he told me)

 

[zzclancy]

Oh lawdy, where to begin...
Had the neighbor's son over and he saw my "I love me" wall. Procceded to tell me how he was a sniper in Desert Storm where they used special ceramic bullets.
Went on to tell me he was with some Marine unit (true tuck and roll tacticals) that took high ranking objectives, and that he was in from 82 to 88.
Couldn't provide an MOS, didn't know when the Beirut bombing happened, and never heard of Chesty Puller.

I didn't know whether to weep or reap.
Fer sure I'll never lend him my lawn mower.

Now I sit here Three beers down, and peeved at the world.

Army, 13E and I know who Lt. Gen. Chesty Puller is. Maybe he knows the USMC birthday?

My son was USMC, 0311, 0331. I have to pry information out of him. And HE knows Marine history.

I have a nephew 100% disabled, 5000 pound IED, the blast was on the road above him, he thinks he gave the least. Army, 11B, 101st Airborne. You have to pry it out of him.

I have always been amazed how many SEALS, Special Forces, Marine Recon, Ranger, DELTA Force, etc... we have.

 

[Old Corp]

Working at a LGS/Range, these are routine characters. We even have a few private joke pet names for them.

There's 'Spook', who has made references to being back 'in-country' and working for an 'agency that doesn't exist'. (Works at Golden Corral)

There's 'SRT', a young guy who's told us that he's played so many realistic video games and studied SEAL training SO MUCH that he believes that when he joins the Navy, he should just go straight into the SEALs, and skip 'all the Navy stuff'. Actually stated that if that didn't work out, he'd just go to a local PD and run the SWAT unit. (employed in housekeeping at a hospital)

There's 'Parabellum', an interesting sort of Rain Man type guy that states he was hurt in a 'black op' years ago. Even has the same sort of speech pattern that Dustin Hoffman used in the movie. (works in IT, I believe)

And yep, while querying new shooters about to use our range, all military guys seemed to be in some variation of Spec Ops.
Not sure how our military keeps vehicles running and folks fed.

 

[zzclancy]

I busted a kid over this about 18 months ago. Claimed he was in Iraq and the other sand box, didnt know who Audie Murphy was (I asked because he said he served in the 3rd I.D.) and he gave me deer in the headlights stare when I asked if he carried a S.A.W. telling me he carried a gun, not a saw, and some other stuff.

My son was a saw gunner.

 

[dcxplant]

Not only is stealing valor annoying, insulting, degrading to the braggart, ignorant and stupid…

…it is also a Federal offense.

If you see someone wearing medals or a uniform with unearned medals, they are breaking the Stolen Valor Act of 2013.

Don't be polite. Call 'em out on it, then let them know they are violating Federal law, and that if they don't take those medals off or shut up with their bull-snort stories the next phone call you make is to the FBI.

This is no joke, and if I ever come across one of these punks they are gonna get a whupping.