Would you consider it appropriate to ask a civilian for their DD 214?

sure, I think so however dd 214 might be hard to show at the moment but if the individual has a VA Id or dod id of some kind, then you know that they are or should be telling the truth.  It is a requirement to file a DD 214 at the VA to get in to the system. 

Great advice Maj.Miller

You can always ask for their DD214 but i doubt they will show it.

NO.....if they are not trying to gain anything who cares....now if they are trying to get 10% off a Bo Jangels breakfast biscuit hell you should call the cops on them and hold them at gun point until backup arrives.....seriously this topic just pisses me off....sorry you're getting my response...but come one people there has to something more important in the world you can do with your time other than troll Malls, Subways, Train-stations, birthday parties, parades, etc looking for people who may or may not be embellishing on their career or hell out right lying about it ....so what....as long as they are not trying to profit or gain benefits from their actions who cares....not like they are getting a TV show for passing them self off as a woman or something....anyway if someone walked up and asked me for my DD-214 I tell them to EAD.......there is no reason for anyone to ask you for one and no-one has the random authority to ask to see it unless you are trying to seek benefits. Additionally... just as a side note.....Who the hell carries their DD-214 with them that's way to valuable a document to be hanging out in your wallet for no reason.....it's like carrying around your social security card.....why would you do that it's just begging for something stupid to happen ....like a lost wallet followed by a stolen identity. Anyway CPL don't get me wrong if someone is trying to garner votes, get money, get benefits, etc and there are questions to their validity they should be challenged and prepared to defend their position. But if my drunk Uncle wants to stand up at the bar and regale us with stories of how he single-handedly saved the day....you know the story it starts with "There I was..........we'd been in country 6 months and something just did not feel right"................who cares....he is not hurting anyone and hell he's probably even buying the beer just to keep us listening. Anyway....God bless and keep those who serve and have served safe........and God Bless America ...where the fish stories are bigger and better than everyone else's because well....we're #1.

MSG (Join to see) Corporal, I am happy to tell you of my time as a young e-2 wire-brushing the stairs of the SCIF I was assigned to. If you need my dd-214 to believe that, why...I will produce it. Although it says little about me wire-brushing.

What's your mos?

Avoid the confrontation, you are an active duty member representing the Army. Not worth it to you or your unit having the risk of assault charges brought up against you and embarrassing the organization you are representing over a confrontation gone wrong over such a thing. Also keep in mind whether we agree with it or not it is their right of freedom to falsify tales of their heroics. You fight for that right, you do not get to pick and choose how they use them. As long as they are not wearing a uniform and/or unearned awards/badges they are not commiting a federal offense. If you just are curious and want to know if they are full of it, ask a few basic/generalized questions one with their claimed experience should know. Just brush it off, take it as a compliment that you're living his/her dream. If you must, Save the confrontation for when you are a veteran; not a soldier on active duty. ;p

Would it be appropriate? No it would not be. They are nothing to you just as much a you are nothing to them. No authority either. I don't know who would walk around carrying it either.

I could tell you the greatest stories about how me and a squad of AIT cooks fought and defeated a squadron of green aliens from the planet melmak. And I would make it believable too.

As long as I am not profiting, its just a story.

I despise posers pretending to be soldiers or soldiers pretending to be have done more than what they really did, but it is their prerogative to be morons.

As others have said, you're either seeing too much into this or you just need to walk away.

How about you counter their BS with better and bigger BS of your own? Out soldier them.

Mr Dobin,

If there is one thing I can tell you from experience hanging out at a DAV, VFW, or American Legion is that Name, Rank, and Branch of service is all the "story" they need. The fact that we served is enough. When the "tall tales" are being told, remember that they are "tall tales" REAL veterans don't need to talk about it, they lived it. Those that want glory or a pat on the back will talk a big game.

Rule #1 if it sounds to good to be true 99.9% of the time IT IS!

Rule #2 Sea Stories are 25% truth, 75% embellishment!

Hope it helps.

just let them keep their stories, whether they're legit or adopted stories. wouldnt go through the trouble of asking for a DD214, usually that stuff will be very evident when it's not true without needing any of that.

it's up to you to fix those who you're working with or around, not those who are not serving, or claimed to have served, there's no way to implement any type of enforcement.