Posted on Dec 7, 2015
Today I saw a chaplain with a long tab and a combat action badge. Is there a scenario where this is possible?
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I've seen a Navy Chaplain who was a prior enlisted Marine have all sorts of chest candy, a CAR not the least of his decorations.
I think, and I'm not saying this is implied in this thread just something I've been pondering, that the culture of stolen valor might be taken a little bit far in some cases. A buddy of mine is an 0-3 and has enlisted guys straight out (or nearly so) of boot camp come up to him in public and start asking him about all his ribbons and decorations while he was in his whites. They thought they might get the next cool post to youtube. Caution- disrespecting an officer, assumed or not, in public (or anywhere else for that matter) isn't a road that should be trod lightly.
There are cases where there is undoubtedly stolen valor. These are generally easily spotted and dismissed.
I think, and I'm not saying this is implied in this thread just something I've been pondering, that the culture of stolen valor might be taken a little bit far in some cases. A buddy of mine is an 0-3 and has enlisted guys straight out (or nearly so) of boot camp come up to him in public and start asking him about all his ribbons and decorations while he was in his whites. They thought they might get the next cool post to youtube. Caution- disrespecting an officer, assumed or not, in public (or anywhere else for that matter) isn't a road that should be trod lightly.
There are cases where there is undoubtedly stolen valor. These are generally easily spotted and dismissed.
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We occasionally saw Navy Chaplains with Rifle & Pistol Expert Medals & Combat Action Ribbons in the Corps. They normally had a USMC/USN Good Conduct to go with it.
If I'm looking at him and the picture correctly, he appears to be a Captain, and "well seasoned" so I would guess he's got some enlisted time.
If I'm looking at him and the picture correctly, he appears to be a Captain, and "well seasoned" so I would guess he's got some enlisted time.
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I am an Air Force chaplain who was awarded the CAB while serving with the Army in Afghanistan. With the revision of the AF uniform instructions Airmen are allowed to wear these and similar badges. You should see some the looks and hear some of the questions I get. As you might imagine I don't care what they think.
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PV2 (Join to see)
Maj (Join to see) I don't think it's so much what the SSG Robert Burns is thinking as much as it is a question. I think it's good to ask these things in this day and age when many people are impersonating our service members. I personally didn't know this was possible and learned something following this thread. I think we can all glean lessons from this thread.
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Past lives. I thought for a little bit about going navy medical after the Corps. I'd have had some unlikely looking ribbons on my Navy blues if I had.
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SFC (Join to see)
Capt Richard I P. My thoughts also. Past lives.
We've got a Chaplin Asst(SGT/E5). That has Long Tab, Short Tab, CIB, Scuba, Airborne.
We've got a Chaplin Asst(SGT/E5). That has Long Tab, Short Tab, CIB, Scuba, Airborne.
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LTC Paul Labrador
SFC (Join to see) - We see the same in the medical field. Quite a few fellas got to school after their Field time. I had a buddy I went to OBC with and worked with during my first assignment at BAMC. He was long tabbed, short tabbed (plus served in Batt), Master blaster airborne, and had a CIB. I asked him why he decided to become a nurse. He replied that a) he wanted a degree and skill set he could market when he retired that didn't involve killing people b) he was over all the hooah-hooah stuff and c) valued his marriage and being a nurse would have a much more stable home life.
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LTC (Join to see)
I did 7 years enlisted with the USAF, so I have several ribbons on my ASUs that are unfamiliar to many Army guys.
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SSG Robert Burns, I've seen (knew only briefly) two Army chaplains that had been awarded the CIB. They were infantry, came home, went to divinity school, were ordained and returned to the field as Army chaplains.
I have a friend here on RP who is an airborne, air assault, Ranger captain. He's served at least two deployments, the last one as an infantry company commander, and has also been awarded the CIB. He returned home, has graduated from divinity school and intends to transfer to the Chaplain Corps.
Happens more often than you might think.
I have a friend here on RP who is an airborne, air assault, Ranger captain. He's served at least two deployments, the last one as an infantry company commander, and has also been awarded the CIB. He returned home, has graduated from divinity school and intends to transfer to the Chaplain Corps.
Happens more often than you might think.
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It's definitely possible for a chaplain to receive a CAB because mine got one when we were in Afghanistan.
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I knew a Navy Chaplain with a Combat Action Ribbon. It was legit. I will say on liberty, he NEVER bought a round.
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CPT Robert Boshears
Yes, those Chaplains, like Corpsmen were taken care of in a Grunt unit...like those in FMFPAC.
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I had a chaplain with a CIB when I was Bn S-3. He had been an Infantry platoon leader in Vietnam. We had an O-6 chaplain while I was at Third Army with a CIB, SF tab and Master Jump Wings. Somewhere along the way, these guys found a different calling. They were great Chaplains.
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