What do you do about people embellishing military service when Stolen Valor doesn't act?

2015-10-24T01:31:05-04:00

Last year, a person claiming to be a retired Air Force CMSgt posted up in a Veteran's Group on Facebook. She had outlandish stories that just sounded made up and also claims to have sued the Air Force and was promoted from SSgt directly to CMSgt. She's posted all over the internet as both SSgt and CMSgt. Anyway, I posted to Stolen Valor on Facebook and they did not act. A FOIA request is in through the Fake Warrior Group but has not been received back. Where do you go from there? Do you just drop it? If you don't feel comfortable openly responding then send me a message directly.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Oct 24 at 2015 1:47 AM

2015-10-24T01:47:04-04:00

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member MasterSargent, I dislike people that do that as much as anyone does, but I'd be very careful about openly posting someone's name like that on an open forum like this. Consider: what if she's NOT lying? It sounds to me like she is, and if I was betting, I'd go with about 95%. Still. If she's the 5%, and we've inadvertently let loose the hounds....

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 24 at 2015 1:53 AM

2015-10-24T01:53:26-04:00

I've always tried to tread lightly, I've seen inquiries go very badly, very quickly. I think most of us would be far better of if we made all these confrontations in public with appropriate assistance waiting near-by.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Oct 24 at 2015 3:01 AM

2015-10-24T03:01:03-04:00

I don't have the time to get worked up about what shallow fools do to gain respect from the unknowing.

Response by SPC Robby Robinson made Oct 24 at 2015 6:07 AM

2015-10-24T06:07:59-04:00

Unless she is attempting to gain monetary benefits, she is harmless. Simply post that you too are a fellow Airmen and that it's a pleasure to meet a fellow AF Veteran and ask where she served. Does the AF have MOS's like the Army does? If so, ask her what her MOS

Response by MSgt John Carroll made Oct 24 at 2015 9:05 AM

2015-10-24T09:05:28-04:00

I ignore it unless they claim to be EOD, former EOD, or try to tell me how to do my job. NAVSCOLEOD (Naval School, Explosive Ordnance Disposal) has a record of all of us that have graduated

Response by 1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 24 at 2015 9:08 AM

2015-10-24T09:08:32-04:00

BS ain't worth your time.

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Oct 24 at 2015 10:00 AM

2015-10-24T10:00:26-04:00

Gather what you can and forward to organizations like Stolen Valor and let them handle it. Too often you hear of someone accused who actually is. It's best to let those handle it who are well versed in doing this in a more "respectable" way, not that you wouldn't, but they do have many more avenues to choose from, and we are limited with what we have with us at that moment..

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Oct 24 at 2015 10:59 AM

2015-10-24T10:59:27-04:00

It's better to ignore the drivel than to tell him to f@ck off.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 24 at 2015 11:11 AM

2015-10-24T11:11:39-04:00

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member Are you sure someone isn't still working on this?

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Oct 24 at 2015 11:12 AM

2015-10-24T11:12:17-04:00

MSgt, I'm surprised Stolen Valor didn't act. Normally they go after folks like this real quick, or is it that she didn't put on a long tab, claim to be a Ranger out of Bat, or some other high speed SOF person? I say post her on here. No PII type of stuff, but maybe someone on here might recognize her and can "make her famous" in a more professional way than FB.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 24 at 2015 5:34 PM

2015-10-24T17:34:34-04:00

She was claiming to be promoted from E-5 straight to E-9?

Response by PO2 Wesley Wilson made Oct 24 at 2015 7:22 PM

2015-10-24T19:22:06-04:00

As you can see my name is Wesley Wilson, I am one of the Admins at This aint Hell. http://thisainthell.us/ I deal with stolen valor issues and questions several times a week. I also investigate peoples claims.

The First thing to do is ask questions, most of the time if something doesn't sound credible or believable its not. Ask for proof of a claim, this person has made comments in a public manner and should have no problem providing proof. A DD-214 with PII removed is ok to ask for. Document every things and always remain respectful to the person.

FOIA Request is next, they can take anywhere form a couple of weeks to a several months. When you get it compare what the claim is to the FOIA. There are times when no info will be found that does not mean the person didnt serve it simply means you may not have all the info or that a mistake was made. I have submitted FOIA with service numbers and gotten nothing, upon resubmitting I have gotten info.

When you have the info try to contact the person, again remain professional.

Why does it matter? First, its to protect history. The example I use the most when talking about this is Vietnam POWs . There were only 766 total Vietnam POWs 114 died in captivity. This number includes everyone ever a captive for any amount of time. less than 400 are still living, yet the VA pays pow benefits to well over a thousand people from the Vietnam era.

Next the fakers give a false impression of what military service is like, they claim to be hero's. I have the honor of know real military hero's. To a man not a single one will say he is a hero. they simply did what they had to do to protect the lives of those around them.

Stolen Valor is rarely just stolen valor. These people often have or will commit other crimes.

Look at the whole picture and proceed

This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

...but you can see it from here

Response by TSgt Gwen Walcott made Oct 24 at 2015 10:25 PM

2015-10-24T22:25:27-04:00

No one is going to bother doing Thing One about it; so you might as well not lose sleep --- at least not until a new CinC comes aboard. Right now, apathy reins

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2015 1:03 PM

2015-10-25T13:03:16-04:00

Lots of action going on over at one of the Stolen Valor pages today on this particular one. Seems things are getting sorted out.

Btw, you can submit a FOIA request directly to the Department of the Air Force if there is ever any doubt via this email address: [login to see]

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2015 1:52 PM

2015-10-25T13:52:38-04:00

Promoted directly from SSgt to Chief?? HA, what did she do? Take the bullet for Reagan? I would wager my top stripe that she is FOS.

Response by CPO Andy Carrillo, MS made Oct 25 at 2015 9:50 PM

2015-10-25T21:50:51-04:00

I've already devoted way too much time to such posers by typing this sentence...so enjoy it your 15 seconds of fame...

Response by MSgt John Taylor made Oct 25 at 2015 11:32 PM

2015-10-25T23:32:30-04:00

A few years after SHIELD/STORM, I was hanging out by the smoking area, on break from some class, and beside me was an older E-5 regaling a few young airmen on his experiences during the war. He told of how his Christmas was ruined by raining scuds and how matter-of-fact it was for him. I wasn't interested in the conversation, so it just kind of went in one ear and out the other. A few minuets later, I was in class being bored by the lecturer and the conversation I overheard came back to me.

I was at Dhahran throughout SHIELD/STORM, the only thing that I remembered about Christmas, was that I missed it. It was like groundhog day there, and one day was like the next until the war started. Christmas came and went like any other day for me, and it dawned on me that the war didn't start until mid January. At our next break, I politely reminded him that the war started in January, after his Christmas scud attacks and left it at that.

I think that It all depends on the harm that you think is being done by the individual on what kind of action that you think is appropriate.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Oct 25 at 2015 11:38 PM

2015-10-25T23:38:43-04:00

Shame her publicly!

Response by Cpl Tou Lee Yang made Oct 26 at 2015 3:01 AM

2015-10-26T03:01:06-04:00

Frankly, I really don't care. It doesn't diminished my record and/or those that served.

Response by SSG Richard Reilly made Oct 26 at 2015 12:45 PM

2015-10-26T12:45:28-04:00

I've had my own experience with idiots like this basically my answer would be...
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Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2015 2:43 PM

2015-10-26T14:43:19-04:00

I would just ignore it. Some folks need to tell the lie in order for themselves to feel important.

Response by TSgt J.L. Brown Jr made Jul 19 at 2018 2:37 AM

2018-07-19T02:37:28-04:00

It's a toss up, I would rather do a face to face, but sometimes it's better to let someone else handle it. I was walking around Lowe's, a man came up and tried to start a fight, being I am now disabled, I do try to avoid these situations.