How many of you veterans or active military have been accused of being a "poser"?

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 12:20:14 -0500

Social media brings people together or it can tear larger holes in the veterans' communities.
Despite having served your country honestly and honorably, people can be assholes when they jump to conclusions and don't believe you. Have you ever had this happen to you?

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Feb 9 at 2015 12:22 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 12:22:43 -0500

For me, SFC Private RallyPoint Member, never.

Response by SPC James Mcneil made Feb 9 at 2015 12:25 PM

SPC James Mcneil — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 12:25:07 -0500

I have been a couple of times. One person thought that my "Iraqi Freedom Vet" hat was evidence that I was faking it. I laughed and showed him my V.A. ID card.

Response by MSgt Michael Durkee made Feb 9 at 2015 1:06 PM

MSgt Michael Durkee — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 13:06:40 -0500

I've never been suspected as being a poser, now being butt of a military joke or two based on being an Air Force retiree...plenty :)

Response by CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2015 1:20 PM

CMSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 13:20:24 -0500

Not really a "poser", but I seem to get mistaken for a spouse. Been questioned a few times. I just try to smile and then break out my CAC card. :)

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Feb 9 at 2015 1:38 PM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 13:38:55 -0500

No one has ever accused me of being a poser, however I do get the "you were a Marine?" in person quite a bit. I'm not a big guy (5'6" 140~), and rather unassuming.

Response by SPC David S. made Feb 9 at 2015 1:47 PM

SPC David S. — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 13:47:37 -0500

While I've never been called a poser I have had a coin dropped on me in my own house from a Ranger friend. Drinks where on me already so it was more esprit de corps than anything. I think with me you can see it as I was raised a military brat. That experience alone ingrained more military in me than my own service. My mother was also raised a brat and then married my father so its hard not to look or act military for me. From my yard alone you would think I was a Marine. Squared off bushes and manicured curbs.... "Get off my grass"

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2015 1:48 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 13:48:19 -0500

When I am home people tell me its hard for them to tell if I am in the Military. Its weird, I can be in a full beard and can be picked out of a crowd my a Vet or current Serving but civilians have issues.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Feb 9 at 2015 1:56 PM

SGM Erik Marquez — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 13:56:22 -0500

I was accused of fraud by a young SSG when he noticed my CIB with star. He was certain I could not have earned two CIB awards and loudly professed the same to a group of peers, NCO's one and all gathered for NCOPD. It was explained in great detail what campaigns were authorized and available for a service member to earn the CIB. His CSM and I had some additional talking points reference professional conduct or lack thereof.

Response by SGT Jim Z. made Feb 9 at 2015 2:00 PM

SGT Jim Z. — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 14:00:16 -0500

I do not recall anyone calling me poser.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Feb 9 at 2015 2:01 PM

SGT Ben Keen — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 14:01:04 -0500

I think for someone to be accused of being a "poser" that person would have to be really going out of their way to do so. We all have war stories and whatnot. But sure, there are those that inflate their role or straight up lie about serving. I think that those of us that have served, being a "poser" should be beyond us. Regardless of what you did, there is no reason to inflate your record. You served, no need to be a Rambo.

Response by SPC Robin Price-Dirks made Feb 9 at 2015 2:06 PM

SPC Robin Price-Dirks — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 14:06:41 -0500

In church on veterans day the pastor asked all veterans to stand, so I stood. I was visiting my Aunt in Ga. at the time and at my old church. This nice old lady taps my arm and says " Honey this is for veterans not wives", I replied, " I'm a veteran". She acted like I brought out the snakes! LOL I am only 5' 2" and all the "other" veterans were 6'+ and male.

Response by SFC Vernon McNabb made Feb 9 at 2015 2:32 PM

SFC Vernon McNabb — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 14:32:03 -0500

Never been accused of being a poser, but I was asked once, in my hometown, if I was "really" a Soldier. I laughed, but showed them my I.D. (did not relinquish it). They seemed satisfied, and they said they were retired. So I said "prove it". He looked at me funny, so I said "I showed you mine, now show me yours." He chuckled, and pulled out his retired card.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2015 2:42 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 14:42:58 -0500

Never been... I can't wait!

Response by SPC Lance Davis made Feb 9 at 2015 4:13 PM

SPC Lance Davis — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 16:13:23 -0500

I have never had to deal with it but I also carry my VA ID card with me to prove my status.

Response by SGT Marika Waiters made Feb 9 at 2015 9:10 PM

SGT Marika Waiters — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 21:10:24 -0500

I gotta wonder, how many of the vets with more accusations are women? My service is questioned all the time. Hell, I was questioned & am being basically interrogated about my service just because I'm trying to register for the Persian Gulf registry at my local VA hospital!

Response by COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM made Feb 9 at 2015 10:04 PM

COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 22:04:45 -0500

I generally do not advertise that I am in the military and I don't wear a lot of military related clothing when I am off base or on leave so the issue has never come up. It is not that I am not proud to be in the military. It is more of an OPSEC thing and I want to avoid stupid conversations and questions. Being treated with kid gloves because I might be "damaged" in some way, shape, or form; answering the question of "have I killed anybody" (no I have not); and figuring out how to respond to the obligatory "thank you for your service" when most people have no clue what serving actually means.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2015 4:10 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 04:10:40 -0500

I was called " Stolen Valor" when I was speaking to a SRA at a different base and told him I was fab and that I wasn't telling him any OPSEC. And he blew a gasket. I referred to OPSEC as operational security not my AFSC I claimed to be 2A7X3 and proud of it. I was just shocked at how he was so quickly to judge me. I mean really who claims to be an A1C and fake it? :|

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2015 7:01 AM

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 07:01:26 -0500

So you're saying that I shouldn't have gotten all my ribbons and shiny little badges tattooed on my chest?

Response by SPC Neil Hood made Feb 10 at 2015 7:54 AM

SPC Neil Hood — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 07:54:58 -0500

I think due to stolen valor the frequency of this may rise despite having a DD214.

Response by SP5 Michael Rathbun made Feb 10 at 2015 10:02 AM

SP5 Michael Rathbun — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 10:02:01 -0500

Only on RP, actually. That was rather fun.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2015 10:36 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 10:36:25 -0500

I get questioned all the time while in uniform sue to my space badge due to it being somewhat new and so few of us have it

Response by MSgt Jim Pollock made Feb 10 at 2015 11:03 AM

MSgt Jim Pollock — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 11:03:22 -0500

I had pretty nasty divorce shortly after I retired and given I look fairly young for my age, my ex's attorney kept using air quotes in court about my "retirement." I dropped a copy of my 214 on his paralegal's desk the next day without saying a word. The guy never looked me straight in the eye again.

The bigger question is what my crazy ex told him to doubt my service?? SMH

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2015 2:51 PM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:51:56 -0500

My job requires me to be a veteran but I have been told several times by older vets that I don't know what the service was like. Although that was probably true, that a guy with 5 years in the Navy's 7th fleet and over a year of sea time probably doesn't know what its like to spend 2 years at Ft. Benning in the mid-80s.

Response by SFC Stephen P. made Feb 10 at 2015 3:06 PM

SFC Stephen P. — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 15:06:21 -0500

Nope.

Got dirty looks once for parking in the designated veteran spot at Home Depot once, but that's about it.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2015 10:06 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 22:06:29 -0500

Never been questioned. most of the time people tell me I must have been military due to my haircut, high & tight most of the time and of course the airborne wings tattoed on my chest for my father!

Response by SGT Francis Wright made Feb 19 at 2015 2:16 PM

SGT Francis Wright — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 14:16:02 -0500

But I can always produce my DD FM 214.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2015 2:25 PM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 14:25:14 -0500

Me personally? Never.

However, it's out there. http://www.wect.com/story/27885350/veteran-slammed-with-nasty-note-for-parking-in-reserved-spot

Veteran slammed with nasty note for parking in reserved spot

When Mary Claire Caine walked outside after finishing her routine grocery trip to Harris Teeter on Friday, she couldn't believe what she found plastered to the front window of her car.

Response by SGT Kevin Smith made Feb 19 at 2015 3:09 PM

SGT Kevin Smith — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:09:05 -0500

One time on this very site. When I first joined this site I didn't finish my profile. Some Navy Veteran wanted to question why I put Retired down and only a couple of Duty Stations. I still don't have everything down by my choice. I have the Retired I.D. Card, DD 214 and certificate of Retirement and that's good enough for me.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2015 3:10 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:10:22 -0500

My eight year old daughter is my only critic. She asked "Dad, if you didn't kill anybody in Afghanistan...and didn't get killed...then what were you doing there?"

Response by SFC Collin McMillion made Feb 19 at 2015 3:35 PM

SFC Collin McMillion — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:35:21 -0500

Ask the SSG who post that he will not respond to anyone not having verification and not posting their picture

Response by SGT Tyler G. made Feb 20 at 2015 1:00 PM

SGT Tyler G. — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 13:00:26 -0500

No, but I also don't advertise myself as a soldier. I don't mention it unless they ask. And they're usually surprised.

Response by SPC Chelsea Fernandez made Oct 3 at 2016 4:49 PM

SPC Chelsea Fernandez — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 16:49:44 -0400

People don't believe me when I tell them that I have served. I have to keep my military ID available at all times on hand or a copy of my DD 214

Response by PO1 Matthew Maxon made Oct 4 at 2016 8:08 AM

PO1 Matthew Maxon — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 08:08:34 -0400

I was asked by a Marine about my Combat Action Ribbon. My ship came under rocket fire in Jordan in 2005. Not too many ship sailors have a CAR and I do. Wrong place at the wrong time.

Response by MSG Chuck Odom made Jul 29 at 2017 9:03 PM

MSG Chuck Odom — Sat, 29 Jul 2017 21:03:59 -0400

Never been accused of being a "poser" but I have had my veteran status questioned before. Seems that when a lot of people look at me and see my waist length hair and chest length beard they find it hard to believe that I served for 22+ years in the Army.

Response by SPC Travis Grizzard made Aug 27 at 2018 9:05 AM

SPC Travis Grizzard — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 09:05:04 -0400

Twice. One time, I was wearing my AH 1S Cobra hat, and two young Marines came up and said, "Semper Fi". When I told them I had been a Cobra Crew Chief in the Army, they accused me of stolen valor, because the Marines fly Cobras, NOT the Army. An older Marine, nls, came up and said I was telling the truth, because if the Army hadn't used Cobras there would have been none to hand down to the Marines.

The other time, they started asking about deployments and duty stations, and when I told them my whole 12 years were CONUS, one of them said, "He must ne legit, nobody is going to make up a story about being stateside for his whole enlistment."

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Aug 27 at 2018 9:46 AM

SGT Dave Tracy — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 09:46:17 -0400

Kind of an older post, but I'll jump.

Never have myself, but there was one time I was walking back to my truck and saw this guy, slightly stooped over at the waist, intently studying my "GWOT" plates like the damn thing was the Rosetta Stone. He didn't even look at me when I walked by him at first.

"So what ah," he skeptically asked, "is Gwot?" Pronouncing it was though it were a word and not an acronym. I got the feeling the guy was spooling up to say more. As though he felt something must have been wrong with my plates because he didn't recognize what GWOT meant.

"Global War On Terrorism," was my only reply. I could tell the lightbulb went off as soon as I said it.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2018 12:14 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 12:14:50 -0400

I've never worn my uniform since taking it off when I completed my last drill with the FLARNG. When I was active duty in the regular Army, I never wore my uniform off-duty. Never. Had a distinctive haircut though - a very severe, short even on top, proper high-and-tight. Never had any problems

DISCLAIMER Below this line, I take off the politeness filter and I turn up the candor dial. I have a bit of reputation here for snapping at snide comments. If you want to know what's on my nerves, read on, but I'm not being real friendly in the rest of this comment. Also, if you're not part of the problem don't read yourself into the target of my criticism. I'm annoyed with a very specific category of duds. I'm very proud of our entire military. Best people I ever worked with. END DISCLAIMER

However, when I worked at a defense industry firm, I worked mostly with Navy and a few Air Force veterans. We only had 3 other Army vets, that I knew of, from non-aviation MOSes in the entire business. Two were retired MI officers, one of whom was prior-service enlisted as an 11-series (Infantry), one retired Field Artillery officer. My resume covered 3 MOSes I held at different times, Medic (then 91B, redesignated 68W or something later, but still medic), MP (95B, earned through MOS Q in the TXARNG during a break-in-service), and Combat Engineer (12B, earned through MOS reclassification at Fort Leonard Wood when I went back to the regular Army after my break-in-service). Combat Engineer, especially, includes things that on paper the average veteran of clerical or technical background and experience seems to associate with things more action-movie than a actual Combat Engineer veteran would. The effect is double with people who never served at all. So, it has been my personal, direct experience that many (not all, just many) veterans of services and MOSes/rates that differ greatly from those that serve as attachments to Infantry rifle companies seem to think that everything that is not done by a clerk or a technician is done by...wait for it...the SEALs! Of course, why not. That's what they saw in their last action movie, that's what they read in their last Tom Clancy novel, that's what they played in their last video game. So, they think _everything_ outside of their world of experience is some sort of exotic endeavor performed only by the heroes of their favorite strain of American mythology. As a result, there was a certain amount of friction caused by the facts on my resume with some of the people I worked with at that business. I don't look anything like a character in an action movie. (I'm mean, I'm not a waddling, triple-chinned, fat-body or pencil-necked anorexic like some of the false-accusers I'm referring to, but I'm unlikely to get invited to a casting call for an action movie - that's for certain.)

More recently, I got asked in a job interview if I had deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. I replied that I had never been to Iraq or Afghanistan, to which the interviewer (who had never been to so much as the MEPS station or a recruiting office) replied, "Is that supposed to be like, 'It's classified or something?'" in a very, very snarky manner.

Following that, I encountered a waddling nitwit that looked up my Linkedin or other profile and saw that I had been assigned to HHT 1/3 ACR SAS, where SAS refers to squadron aid station. So this bumbling half-wit proceeds to declare that I have professed affiliation with the British Special Air Service, also abbreviated SAS, and that I'm not even British. Later the same moron declares that I've claimed to an "operator" because he has read in the same profile that at 2 duty stations I was responsible for operator-level maintenance, which any genuine Army veteran will recognize as having nothing whatsoever to do with Special-anything. Operator-level maintenance is what the Soldier operating the equipment (vehicle, weapon, sensor, whatever) does to maintain it in accordance with the instructions in the accompanying TM. But anyway....you wouldn't know these things if you have no experience in soldiering in a maneuver unit or its attachments (or if you never served anywhere in any capacity).

Then there was the wannabe that didn't like it that I had former colleagues from my military service in my Linkedin profile, as well as folks I had met in the defense industry. So, if I had a contact who had been SF, then of course, to the wannabe that had a problem with my Linkedin profile, then I must have included my colleagues in my profile to suggest that I was SF. Of course, because...everything in the mind of the wannabe who never served, in the mind of pogue veteran that elected to serve in a technical or administrative MOS or rating, everything else in the military must have been done by....the SEALs. Because, that's the current mythology among everyone from bronies to the brawndo crowd. You know, I started out in the Army as a Medic, and many Medics go to hospitals and TMCs. I went out of my way to ask the replacement detachment (oh, yeah reminds me, another wannabes and pogues don't understand - the meaning of the term "detachment" but more on that in a moment), anyhow, as I was saying, to ask the replacement detachment for orders to a maneuver unit. I ended up in a Combat Engineer battalion, but at that time as a Medic since that was my MOS. My very last unit ever was a clinical unit at Camp Blanding Florida in the FLARNG. So, I've been a pogue. When I was a Combat Engineer, (By which I mean a 12B, an MOS-qualified 12B, Combat Engineer), I was a grunt. I've been both. Since I've left the Army, and since the Army has been involved in various armed conflicts since I left, I try really hard to be absolutely fair and uncritical of any MOS or rate or service. But for this rant, I'm gonna lay on some candor. I never liked pogue units. Too much soap opera. Too much immaturity. It was like adult daycare. I liked Combat Engineers. I don't have anything against pogues, but if a pogue is going to insult my service record, then let me share with you that I think you're a fairy.

Back to the word "detachment." Same twits that didn't know what HHT 1/3 ACR SAS meant, same twits that didn't know what operator-level maintenance was, same twits that didn't like it that some of my Linkedin network is made up of folks who weren't PAC clerks, are the same twits that don't what a "detachment" is. They know they've read in their favorite Tom Clancy novel or saw on the their favorite History Channel (poorly made) documentary that Army SF uses detachments as an element of organization on their MTO&E, but they don't know what a detachment as a term, means. It means something detached from its parent unit. There are all kinds of detachments. But if you're a Naval Reserve version of an Army PAC Clerk, or if you're a Air Force technician of some sort that maintains aircraft or some subsystem thereof, then perhaps you have not encountered this information. If you are some triple-chinned, bubble-butt, waddling half-wit who never served, then of course you haven't encountered this information. But Florida Medical Detachment, for example, does not imply Special Forces. It implies a medical unit (in this case a very clinical one), detached from some larger unit.

On this whole SF thing: I was never SF, I've never claimed to be. I didn't have the eyesight. I had a picket-fence PULHES, but that's a complicated story and my eyesight was not suitable for service in SF. Otherwise, I would have considered going to selection, for that or something similar. However, I knew people in the Army that later did go SF. I also met people after the Army, in the defense industry, who had been previously been one of various forms of special operations forces. I'm not going to exclude them from my network because some waddling incompetent or some flat-top wearing, never-served loudmouth has some sort of issue with it. Stuff it.

This is why I have extreme wariness and skepticism toward the whole Stolen Valor vigilante thing. I've been falsely accused and slandered by the type person I think should be on the receiving end of such attention rather than its issuer.

I see posts on blogs about phonies, and here on RallyPoint, that show both complete lunatics in ludicrously fake and improperly-assembled attempts at uniforms (those people are genuinely crazy - I mean legit nuts), and people who seem to be doing something a bit more serious aimed at gaining material advantage (ie fraud). I say go after the latter for fraud and be kind to the former as they are just insane.

I am proud of my service. I am proud of the American military. I am fortunate to have been healthy enough to serve and I have the greatest respect for those I got to work with during my service. I retain an interest in military history and American defense policy even now that my service has ended. I am not interested in attention-seeking, but I'm not going to hide my service from my resume for fear of offending someone who doesn't like it because...screw them. To the false-accuser, whether a fellow veteran or a civilian coward who never had the personal responsibility or initiative to serve, I say, "May you suffer an eternal hell of Keith Olbermann reruns and Morris Albert music in Satan's very own Chuck E. Cheese franchise forever and ever and ever."

Response by SGT Bryan O'Reilly made Sep 5 at 2018 7:19 PM

SGT Bryan O'Reilly — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 19:19:29 -0400

Usually on line while quoting the constitution or UCMJ LOL I consider it a badge of honor.

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Sep 8 at 2018 5:42 PM

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter — Sat, 08 Sep 2018 17:42:50 -0400

I've never had that happen but them after a couple years at a Military Academy I walked tall and straight anyway, had proper haircuts. Also with the service hat We measure by having the width of two finger between the top of the nose and underside of the visor and that improved posture as You had to walk tall o see where You were going. I guess looked the part without even having to say anything. One guy asked Me when i was on a civilian Police Dept of I had been in the Military Police after watching Me direct traffic. It was on active duty Military I learned to direct traffic with very clear signals. I certainly if ever asked knew what units I was assigned to, where they were and had enough knowledge base anyway and no BS stories of secret missions, commando, Special Forces or SEALS, wasn't in any of them or even tried to be and wouldn't insult the guys who were by making false claims. I was too much into being comfortable anyway that didn't fit My agenda, lol.

Response by Sgt Rex Byars made Sep 9 at 2018 9:29 AM

Sgt Rex Byars — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 09:29:09 -0400

I put my service years (80-86) on a baseball cap and was called a poser because enlistment was only four years per enlistment. Apparently some people never heard of the discontinued six year enlistment program for college students back in the old days.

Response by SrA Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 9 at 2018 10:53 AM

SrA Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 10:53:19 -0400

Never and woe to those who try

Response by SPC Greg Barnett made Mar 23 at 2019 11:36 AM

SPC Greg Barnett — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 11:36:13 -0400

Who cares what people think. I don't even talk about my time in the army or even tell people I'm a veteran I just don't want to talk about it I did not like the military I was in a toxic unit. Like I had somebody in a bar ask me if I've ever killed anybody and I said no I have not and they said yeah right. I know you just can't tel me. And I said no I never did kill anybody and what kind of question is that to ask a veteran anyways.

Response by SP5 Pat White made Mar 17 at 2020 6:37 PM

SP5 Pat White — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 18:37:55 -0400

I was 17, (just barely), and looked like I was 12