Those “Green Berets” are everywhere
Someone sent us a link to a Philly.com article about Philadelphia councilman David Oh who claims he was a “green beret”, but it turns out that he was an infantry officer assigned to 20th Special Forces Group in Maryland as the “detachment technician” when the unit was briefly called to active duty in 1991. He failed the selection course just before that.
Jim Croall, Oh’s commanding officer in 1991, said that claim is “absolutely not” accurate.
“That would be totally stretching it,” said Croall, who retired as a colonel after serving a tour of duty Iraq in 2003.
Croall, who recalls Oh not completing the Special Forces training, said he resents it when “wannabes” call themselves Green Berets without justification.
Croall said Special Forces units for all branches of the military must deal at times with people who make exaggerated claims about their military service. Some use Internet sites to expose Special Forces fakers, he said.
“There are plenty of people out there who claim to be something they are not,” Croall said.
Another Republican in Florida, retired SOCOM colonel Mike McCalister, who is branched Engineer according to Army Knowledge Online (AKO), claimed to be a Special Forces officer during his campaign for the Florida Senate seat.
He’s drawn the ire of an ad hoc group calling themselves “Stolen Valor” (real original, guys). They claim that McCallister said he’d been involved with “black ops”, which is probably true in that he worked at planning while at SOCOM, but not in the way he’d intended voters to interpret the phrase.
Now, I can’t find anything in print in which McCalister is reported to have said to particpate in “black ops”, but Mr Chuck Winn, McCallister’s main antagonist, tells me that he did. it should be noted that Chuck Winn also tried to derail Marco Rubio’s Republican primary campaign last year while Winn was working for the Bob Smith campaign, so Winn, also an Army veteran, clearly has a problem with Republicans who are not his choice for office.
However, a colonel should know better than to mince his words and give an inaccurate impression that can be used against him.
Both Oh and McCallister are Republicans, if I didn’t make that clear enough. Both were officers and should certainly know better than embellishing their careers. The best way to attract doubters, though, is to call yourself a “green beret”…I don’t know anyone in the business who calls themselves that.
Category: Phony soldiers
I worked some plans at SOCCENT. Can I wear the long tab and the trident?
I’ve said many times before, if they claimed to be a cook or mechanic or laundry and bath technician, they would never get caught. But that never happens. They are always a green beret black ops ninja that served with seal team seven in Operation Nukeflash. It almost invites the bullshit flag.
Nobody ever claims to be a bubblehead nuke. Why not?
I’m still not buying into the perfidy of the second guy. I still haven’t seen where he actually claimed something not inherently true. Dude worked at SOCOM, did he claim to have a tab? Because I couldn’t find where he did. Seems to me like Winn is just shit stirring.
#3NHSparky: What is a “bubblehead nuke”?
Sparky; that’s because bubbleheads are inherently mentally unstable 🙂
Again, why the need to embellish…be happy that you are in the service and served with honor rather than make bogus claims. I am a Fobbit, I m first to support being a mechanic. I have no issues with that, I don t have the stones to go do the rough work the real Operators and Silent Professionals have to go do.
We have a State Senator named Frank Antenori that is very humble and quiet about what he did while he was with the Army for 22 years. Very very good man, lot of respect for him. Unfortunately for the people crying wolf, he was a Q Sgt. for SF for quite some time.
TSO Adds: Just found this about a battle that Antenori was in:
OT–yeah, there is that, but since when has that ever been a bar to someone claiming to be something they’re not?
Pinto–“bubblehead nuke” = nuclear-trained submariner, engineering type. Electronics Techs (Reactor Operator), Electricians Mates (Electrical Operators), Machinist Mates (Mechanical Operators/Engineering Laboratory Technicians).
I was an RO.
I claim to be a bubblehead. As for McCalister, if he isn’t an 18 series guy, he isn’t a Special Forces officer, so he doesn’t need to imply it.
Just for you, Sparky, I will finally admit, but it’s still classified, that I was aboard the USS Dallas when we grabbed the Red October at the bottom of Red Route 1.
And I was on Pogy (no seriously, I was.) Problem was, they were homeported out of Sandy Eggo when I was on it. But like I said, few people claim to be submariners, which does cut down on the phony factor.
Maybe it’s the, “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. Fine by me, says I.
OT–10 days and counting. Has he backed out yet? Come up with a BS excuse?
I haven’t heard a peep outta the boy. Like I said on the other thread, I’ll still be there, but I doubt he will.
BTW, we’re down to 6days and counting. We were supposed to get together on the 25th, last time we conversed.
OT, you are going to relay all the interesting details here, aren’t you?
In reference to David Oh – the infantry officer running for City Council in Philadelphia — the article is politically motivated (go figure). OH has always stated that he was assigned to 20th SF Group — he was slotted as 18A (as asst “A” team cmdr, i believe) – but he has not stated that he was tabbed SF. His own website says that he was not selected but was still assigned to 20th SF. (Question – it was 1991 — if the 1st Gulf War had been extended past the 24-48 hrs of ground conflict and Oh had deployed as asst detachment cmdr – would he have been ok?
R2D2, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank you for your service in the Battle of Endor.
(Didn’t look into Oh, but will now.)
PN; yep, I will let everyone know if he shows, or not, within 12 hours after the appointed time. Of course I will be nursing a hangover at that time, so I don’t know what I will say other than “ouch, he did/didn’t show”. Of course TSO might be writing it in my stead, since I will more than likely come to face down in the hallway outside his room.
Yes, those Green Berets are everywhere.
We’re on the case.
Pain is imminent.
Team Sergeant
Pain has been administered.
http://www.military.com/news/article/another-politico-flagged-as-sf-phony.html?col=1186032310810
Ok Pinto and Sparky: Sphincter was a no-show (I was shocked), but I did have a conversation with Jonn by phone from his undisclosed location in the bowels of Minneapolis (I was 6 miles away at the Richfield American Legion sampling an adult beverage or two with some Airborne types) and he was shocked into being speechless, bordering on catatonic! I had my paperwork with me, as I said I would, and had some of the Airborne (one 82nd/Ranger another was 173rd in Vietnam) types verify my bona fides, so if Sphincter wants to challenge any of it ever again, he can go piss up a rope, he had his chance. However, it leaves a big gaping hole about him and his CIB, along with his other claims.
This lays to rest that whinefest he did back in February and I don’t want to hear another thing from him, his girlfriend bobogirl, or his “battle buddy”. It’s done and over; you’re a fraud, Sphincter.
Just asked about David Oh in another post. I strongly suspect the reporter, Chris Brennan, misinterpreted the facts to Jim Croall.
Well OT, I was really looking forward to a meeting between you two, but truthfully, I’m not surprised.
I’ve got a feeling his court “hearing” led to a lockup, and pappy wouldn’t throw his bail.
Yup–pretty much a given we’ve seen the last of that shitbag.
Good riddance.
I called that one right. Richter is a bigger girl than his “Obumblergirl”. Bet she gets on top and calls the shots when they get it on.
What a typical troll. Wearing panties, making noise, and a very large NO-SHOW! What a sissy. Probably 340 pounds of rolling gel, with the closest to military he’s ever been being Ms PacMan.
Que the Google tags: “Richter”, “Sphincter”, “Obamagirl”.
#3 Sparky… I can see people wanting to claim to be a bubblehead… but who would want to be a nuke? LOL
As for sphincter (lower case intentional) big surprise there.
[…] this really stolen valor? September 7th, 2011 I wrote about David Oh and Mike McCalister a few weeks ago. They’re both Republicans and they both made comments that were a little […]
Mike McCalister is everything he says he is. God to his website and click on the Meet the colonel” link. Ther you will see all of the signed OERs that state that Mike McCalister did serve on Pentagon committees, etc and everything he has said. Chuck Winn is a crazy, bitter old man who tucked his tail under his butt and avoided Mike McCalister at a recent political gathering. Chuck knows Mike McCalister is the real deal. He simply won’t admit that he was working for the Hasner campaign. By the way, The stolen Valor Task Force is a farce. It consists of 3 cranky old guys whoses sexual orientations are questionable. This is why it is so important for every voter to thoroughly research and meet the candidates themselves, rather than rely on the disinformation that is spread by opposing candidates, especially those with blog sites.