How do you find out if a person actually went through U.S. Army Ranger training or if they have stolen valor?

SGT James Clark — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 15:51:39 -0400

Can anyone steer me in the right direction on how to find out if a person actually went through U.S. Army Ranger training or if they have stolen valor?

Response by SPC David Willis made Apr 12 at 2018 4:25 PM

SPC David Willis — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 16:25:38 -0400

Id imagine it would be hard to figure out if they simply went to ranger school, plenty of people do that. If he is saying he was scrolled you may want to ask any ranger buddies you know to check him out, its a pretty small community as far as the military goes.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 12 at 2018 5:02 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 17:02:21 -0400

https://jst.doded.mil/

You will need to ask the person you are accusing to produce the training record from there.
Also, you haven't yet verified your profile here on RallyPoint (at time of writing).

Welcome to JST

Response by SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA made Apr 12 at 2018 5:41 PM

SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 17:41:07 -0400

Contact Ranger School. They keep a record of every single Ranger student and whether or not they've graduated.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 12 at 2018 7:18 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 19:18:10 -0400

The official way is to contact the Senior Tac at Ranger School. They have access to the Green Cards. What makes you think they didn't go? I have caught one person that I served with and reported it. There usually are a few dead give aways.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 12 at 2018 8:20 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 20:20:15 -0400

You contact the student ops at Ranger School for them to conduct what's called a Tab Check. The more information you can provide, especially graduating class, the the better. Every single Ranger qualified person in the world knows intimately when they graduated Ranger School. Ask the person and proceed with your tab check.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 12 at 2018 8:57 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Apr 2018 20:57:32 -0400

Call the school and ask. Get the person’s name, year of graduation- better if you have class number. (Looks like 11-91, that means the 11th class of 1991, not November 1991.). 11-91 actually started in July. July 26 exactly.
I busted a Colonel who had been wearing an unearned Tab. All they did was asked him to resign. He had faked a graduation certificate. it was some really awesome investigative work.
The really good part:
I asked him, so how was Ranger school?
He said, Major there were two times in my life that I cried. When my mother died and when I started Ranger school.
I almost started to crack up laughing out loud. He didn’t know I knew. Classic!!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2018 10:09 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 10:09:11 -0400

SGT James Clark from my understanding the schoolhouse themselves keep cards of each student that goes through the school and it tells you if they graduated or failed out, etc.

Response by SSG Matthew Koehler made Apr 13 at 2018 11:19 AM

SSG Matthew Koehler — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 11:19:24 -0400

Along these lines, is there a legit Purple Heart registry that is kept current???

Response by SGT Jake Miller made Apr 13 at 2018 11:27 AM

SGT Jake Miller — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 11:27:17 -0400

I was seeking help for PTSD a while back and a guy came into the program that claimed he was a member of seal team one. As soon as he started talking we all knew that his was full of it. After doing more research we proved he was full of it

Response by 1SG Matt Duesbery made Apr 13 at 2018 11:47 AM

1SG Matt Duesbery — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 11:47:45 -0400

Call Branch.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2018 11:48 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 11:48:55 -0400

If they aren't trying to benefit monetarily or by gaining something, who cares? Legally that's the only way something is stolen valor anyway.

Response by Maj Ken Brown made Apr 13 at 2018 3:28 PM

Maj Ken Brown — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 15:28:42 -0400

A real veteran would not wear class-A's except where warranted, A real veteran would have enough pride in his uniform to wear awards correctly. A real veteran would not tell stories about fragging, using an AK47 in combat, or mutilating fallen enemies.

Army Rangers, Navy SEALS, and Recon Marines have a credo: don't advertise. A grunt Marine understands the difference amongst the MOS's and would never claim to be something he isn't. Please refer to the Winter Soldier Conference and review the MOS's claimed by the participants. Make up your own minds.

Response by CW5 Ranger Dave made Apr 14 at 2018 3:17 PM

CW5 Ranger Dave — Sat, 14 Apr 2018 15:17:58 -0400

Have them show you where they are in their graduation picture. It will be hanging on their wall. Mine was! I’m dead center. My Ranger Buddy said “Let’s get in the middle so we can find ourselves 20 years from now.” I laughed at the time but 40 years later...

Response by MAJ Stephen Swan made Apr 15 at 2018 9:02 AM

MAJ Stephen Swan — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 09:02:00 -0400

There a number of ways, but I’d say most have to do with when the person was to have attended and graduated. Ranger school in the 60s versus in the 70s, vs the 90’s etc. Benning “barracks” in the 70’s versus 2000’s, etc. but you do need to know some history to catch these clues. Have their answers the call RTB.

Response by SPC Mike Gruben made Apr 15 at 2018 10:15 PM

SPC Mike Gruben — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 22:15:06 -0400

Ask to see their dd214. Their 2a or 2-1 will prove it

Response by CPL Albert Mastrocesare made Apr 16 at 2018 4:50 PM

CPL Albert Mastrocesare — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:50:30 -0400

DD214

Response by LCDR Jim Whalen made Nov 19 at 2018 1:25 AM

LCDR Jim Whalen — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 01:25:55 -0500

the website is unworkable

Response by SSG Michael Robel made Mar 8 at 2020 4:57 PM

SSG Michael Robel — Sun, 08 Mar 2020 16:57:28 -0400

Ranger motto is a good start to find phonies also proper way to tell what class you were in as I 11-69

Response by SP5 William Hughes made Mar 12 at 2023 10:32 PM

SP5 William Hughes — Sun, 12 Mar 2023 22:32:56 -0400

Ask to see his DD-214. You can also ask him his class and date of graduation and contact the Ranger Department at Fort Benning. An E-5 in my LRSU Company, E/51st Infantry in Darmstadt, Germany was busted for signing into the unit wearing an unauthorized Ranger Tab. That took some balls. He was reduced in rank and unceremoniously terminated from the unit. As for me, I graduated with Ranger School Class 7-77 and fortunately did not recycle! FYI, I was a SGT, not a SP5.