Another Look at Geoff Millard and His “Papers”

| May 12, 2012

Remember that amazing young studly National Guard Soldier Geoff Millard of IVAV fame?  That sterling young former National Guard super-trooper claiming 3 MSMs(!), an ARCOM, 3 AAMs, and a load of other decorations – all earned in less than 8 years of service!  Who was also later photographed wearing an unauthorized CIB?  And who was the President of IVAV’s DC Chapter?  Remember him?

Jonn previously posted the highly suspect “DD214” Millard sent in order to “validate” his claims regarding his military service.  Jonn has also pointed out a serious issue with Millard’s alleged “DD214” (I’m intentionally using quotation marks here) that calls the validity of the document into question – e.g., the document lists campaign and expeditionary medals, along with time in “Kuwait/Iraq” (more about that later), but lists no foreign service time.  Jonn also showed that, in 2008, a FOIA regarding Millard didn’t match Millard’s “DD214” (it wasn’t even close).

However, Millard can always claim that that the lack of foreign service was simply an oversight or error on the part of the clerk preparing the document, and that the mismatch was because NPRC didn’t yet have all of his records.  So I decided to take a hard look at the rest of Millard’s purported “DD214” to see if there were other parts of Millard’s “DD214” that were similarly problematic.

From Jonn’s original article, here’s Millard’s purported “DD214”:

Short answer:  there damn sure are other things on this “DD214” that are . . . very interesting.

Long answer follows.  Be forewarned, some of it is a bit dry and detail-oriented.  But details sometimes are telling, and IMO here – the details are telling.

Problems 1, 2, and 3:  Photographed wearing an unauthorized CIB; “DD214” doesn’t match FOIA; No Foreign Service, but campaign and expeditionary medals?

I’m listing these 3 mainly for completeness.  Regarding the FOIA mismatch and CIB issues:  Jonn covered those in his original article on Millard (see the link in the first paragraph above).  To his credit, Millard quit wearing the CIB, thus obliquely acknowledging the fact that he doesn’t qualify for one – though he tried to blame that on an “Army FUBAR” rather than being man enough to take responsibility for his own screw-up.  However, Millard will doubtless claim that the rest of the mismatch between this “DD214” and his FOIA results happened because his records at NPRC were incomplete in 2008.  (I’d love to hear his explanation of the rank mismatch, though – since I understand he was discharged as an E4 vice a Sergeant.)

We’ll soon see.  It’s now been roughly 5 years since Millard’s discharge from the ARNG.  That should be more than enough time for his complete military records to be available at NPRC.  And there’s currently a new FOIA request about Millard pending action.

Regarding the “No Foreign Service” issue, Jonn’s also covered that pretty well here, so I won’t go into detail.  Another admin error?  Theoretically possible – but IMO, very doubtful.  People preparing DD214s are usually pretty good about recording foreign service correctly when troops come back from deployment.

Problem 4:  Three Army Reserve Components Achieve Medals (ARCAMs)?

The first serious problem I noted with Millard’s DD214 has to do with the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (ARCAM).  For those with an active Army background, the ARCAM is essentially the US Army Reserve (USAR) and Army National Guard (ARNG) equivalent of the Good Conduct Medal.  (One significant difference is that it may be awarded to all personnel below the rank of Brigadier General – not just to enlisted personnel.)  Since 28 March 1995, the ARCAM has been awarded for 3 consecutive years of satisfactory performance of reserve duties while assigned to a USAR or ARNG Troop Program Unit (TPU) or to an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) position.  Full-time enlisted service on active duty does not count towards the ARCAM (USAR/ARNG enlisted soldiers are eligible for the GCM while serving on full-time active duty instead).  Details are found in AR 600-8-22,  4-14 through 4-20, and at the US Army Human Resources Command (USAHRC) Awards Branch website.

Millard’s “DD214” is dated 20051114 (block 12.b., Separation Date This Period).  That means the information on his “DD214” is as of no later than that date.  And this “DD214” shows (block 13) Millard as having 3 awards of the ARCAM.

As noted above, the ARCAM is awarded for 3-year periods of qualifying ARNG or USAR service.  Therefore, 3 awards of the ARCAM would require 9 years of qualifying ARNG or USAR service.  That in turn means that Millard would need 9+ years of qualifying ARNG service as of 20051114 – the date of his “DD214” – for this entry to be legit.

However, Millard’s “DD214” also gives his DOB as 19801218.  “Uh . . . Houston, we have a problem.”

Even assuming Millard enlisted in the ARNG on his 17th birthday, that’s less than 7 years 11 months before this 20051114 “DD214” was effective.  (Millard’s FOIA results give his entry date into the ARNG as 19980514, which is barely 7 years 6 months before the “DD214” was issued; since his “DD214” omits prior inactive service – more on that later – either date is consistent with this purported “DD214”.)  Hmmm.  That means the maximum number of ARCAMs Millard could possibly rate as of the date this “DD214” was issued (20051114) would be 2 – and not the 3 listed on his “DD214”.  Looks like someone assumed Millard qualified for 3 ARCAMs as of the end of the 9 years of total service shown on his FOIA (19980514 – 20070513) and used that number of ARCAMs when preparing this “DD214”.  Oops.  Looks like someone misread the calendar!

I also noticed Millard’s “DD214” shows him as having a GCM.  Millard could rate a GCM if he were actually mobilized as shown on this “DD214”: it’s his first GCM and the active duty indicated on this “DD214” was active Federal service of between 1 and 3 years (AR 600-8-22, para 4-5.c).  However, per AR 600-8-22 and additional guidance found at the USAHRC GCM page and ARCAM page, the same period of service can’t count for both the GCM and the ARCAM.  When a USAR or ARNG enlisted soldier goes on long-term active duty for pretty much any reason other than for training, that “stops the clock” for the ARCAM and “starts the clock” for the GCM.  This includes mobilizations and voluntary active duty in support of contingency operations.  The ARCAM clock starts restarts when the individual comes off active duty and returns to their unit in normal “part-time” USAR or ARNG status.

So that means Millard damn sure doesn’t qualify for more than 2 ARCAMs total under any circumstances.  Per his FOIA, he has exactly 9 years total service – and seventeen+ months of that was used for his GCM and therefore can’t be counted towards an ARCAM.  He’d need all 9 years to rate 3 ARCAMs.

Looks like another “oops” by someone while reading and interpreting AR 600-8-22 and/or another failure to check the USAHRC website.  Or both.

Problem 5:  Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) – “SECOND AWARD”?

I also noticed a second serious problem with Millard’s “DD214”.  There are two Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) entries on this “DD214”.  That’s problematic for three reasons.  First, any decoration should only be listed once on a DD214 – subsequent awards and devices are noted with the entry for the decoration, not as separate entries on the form.  Second, the two entries are inconsistent.  And third – the first AFRM entry (in block 13) is, well, jacked up.  Multiple qualifications for the AFRM are no longer listed on a DD214 as “(2ND AWARD)”, “(3RD AWARD)”, etc . . . .  All awards of the AFRM – even the first – are now shown by specifying a device; subsequent awards now merely add additional devices. The second AFRM entry (“ARMED FORCES RESERVE MEDAL W/M DEVICE”) in block 18 is done correctly.

Like the ARCAM, the AFRM is a Reserve-specific beast.  A USAR or ARNG soldier can become eligible for the AFRM two different ways. The first way is as the result of the individual achieving 10 years of reserve service qualifying for reserve retirement within a 12 year “window” (longevity).  When awarded for longevity, the AFRM is awarded with an hourglass device.  A bronze hourglass is used for the 1st 10-year period, a silver for the 2nd, a gold for the 3rd, and the 4th (very rare) is recognized by both the gold and bronze hourglass devices.

Alternately, the AFRM may be awarded for either involuntary mobilization or voluntary active duty  in support of a designated contingency.  AFRMs awarded based on mobilization or voluntary active duty are awarded with the M device.  Multiple mobilizations or periods of voluntary active duty to support the same contingency get a single M device; all mobilizations since 9/11 to support GWOT count as support for a single contingency.  Mobilizations to support two or more different contingencies (e.g., first for Bosnia and then later for Iraq) are recognized by the use of numerals to the right of the M device.  If an individual has received the AFRM due to both longevity service and mobilization(s), they will have one or more hourglass devices and the M device (plus a numeral, if they have served in support of multiple designated contingency operations).  Details are found in AR 600-8-22, para 5-8.

Yeah, the rules for the AFRM and its devices are fairly convoluted and confusing.  It’s probably the ribbon/medal that’s most often jacked up on a USAR or ARNG soldier’s uniform. I’ve seen fairly senior people get it wrong.

Having said all of that, let’s look at Millard and his eligibility for the AFRM.  Based on what he’s claimed, Millard at best qualifies for one award of the AFRM – and he only qualifies if he was actually mobilized.  The block 13 AFRM entry on his “DD214” is completely jacked-up and thus appears to be bogus.  If Millard actually was mobilized for GWOT service as he claims, the second entry for the AFRM on his “DD214” would be correct for an ARNG or USAR soldier with less than 10 years of qualifying service and a single mobilization.  And in any case, there should not be two entries for the AFRM on his “DD214”.  Looks like yet another obvious “oops” in checking the regulation by whoever ginned up the document, plus a second “oops” in not catching the duplicate entries.

Problem 6:  Both the ICM and GWOTEM for the same tour in Iraq?  Really?

Millard’s “DD214” claims he qualified for both the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOTEM) and the Iraq Campaign Medal (ICM) on a single deployment to Iraq in 2004-2005 (block 18).  This claim is highly suspect and is the third major problem with his “DD214”.

The general rule for an OCONUS deployment in support of contingency operations is “1 tour, 1 campaign or expeditionary medal”.   Yes, exceptions to this rule exist – but absent substantial additional documentation, it appears highly unlikely that Millard meets one of those exceptions.

Millard’s tour straddles the 28 Feb 2005 implementation date for the ICM.  Prior to that date, only the GWOTEM was authorized for those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan; on that date, the Army implemented the ICM and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM).  Per AR 600-8-22, 11 Dec 2006, para 2-17.c, if a soldier was qualified for the GWOTEM based on service in Iraq before implementation of the ICM, the soldier has the choice of which medal to wear (GWOTEM or ICM) – but it’s one or the other, not both.  A soldier doesn’t get both the GWOTEM and ICM merely because his/her tour happened to include the date the ICM was implemented with 30+ days on either side – as was the case for Millard’s tour in Iraq.  It’s still an “either/or” situation.

And if Millard is claiming the GWOTEM for initial reception/staging time in Kuwait prior to moving forward to Iraq – well, that’s also a NO GO.  Time spent in Kuwait during reception/staging does not count as qualifying service for the GWOTEM if the unit afterwards moved north into Iraq.  Millard would have to have been on orders directing him to perform official duties in Kuwait (e.g., as part of the advance party preparing for arrival of main body of the 42nd ID) for that time in Kuwait to count for the GWOTEM. See the USAHRC GWOTSM and GWOTEM FAQ.

While it is possible for an individual to qualify for both the GWOTEM and a campaign medal on a single tour, that’s not very common.  Qualifying for both the ICM and GWOTEM would require the individual to meet one of four conditions: (a) service for 30+ consecutive days in both countries (Kuwait and Iraq), with relocation due to unit move or individual TCS associated with a change in mission/duties vice routine completion of reception/staging in Kuwait; (b) 60 days nonconsecutive service in both countries due to official duties (e.g., repeated TDY or mission trips to both areas, none of which were 30+ days in duration); (c) 30+ days consecutive service in one country plus 60 days nonconsecutive service in the other while performing official duties; or (d) award of the CAB for action occurring while in Iraq on official business while otherwise serving primarily in Kuwait.

I don’t see a CAB on either Millard’s DD214 or his FOIA results, so (d) can be ruled out.  Since the 42nd ID deployed to Iraq in 2004-2005, presumably (a) can also be ruled out (reception/staging in Kuwait prior to moving north does not qualify a soldier for the GWOTEM under those conditions).  Millard presumably wasn’t part of an element that “bounced” between Iraq and Kuwait every 10 days or so on official business, and he claims to have deployed to “Kuwait/Iraq” vice having been based elsewhere and performing repeated trips to both countries – so that effectively eliminates (b) as a possibility.  Finally, the dates of service in Kuwait/Iraq on his “DD214” total just less than one year, so Millard being a part of the 42nd ID advance party doesn’t seem make sense (he’d presumably have been sent early in that case and would thus have been in-theater somewhat longer than 1 year).  And the 42nd ID deployed to a part of Iraq well north of Baghdad – so unless Millard can document extensive TCS or TDY to Kuwait while deployed to Iraq, those two facts pretty much say we can also strike (c).  I just can’t see how the youngster managed to legitimately qualify for both medals.

Bottom line:  I seriously doubt Millard is legitimately qualified for both the ICM and GWOTEM. If he deployed with the 42nd ID to Iraq, he rates one or the other – but almost certainly not both.  I think whoever ginned up his “DD214” either misinterpreted the regulation and/or didn’t bother to consult the USAHRC FAQ on the subject.  I’ll personally have to see a helluva lot more in the way of documentation before I’ll buy Millard’s claim of being legitimately qualified for both the ICM and the GWOTEM for his tour in Iraq in 2004-2005.

Problem 7:  “Overseas Training Ribbon?”

The “ARMY RESERVE COMPONENTS OVERSEAS TRAINING RIBBON” (ARCOTR) entry in Millard’s “DD214” (split between blocks 13 and 18) is also suspect.  Per AR 600-8-22, The ARCOTR is awarded “for successful completion of annual training (AT) or active duty for training (ADT) for a period not less than 10 consecutive duty days on foreign soil.”  The key here is the individual’s status while training overseas – to qualify, the overseas training must be either (1) Annual Training or (2) while serving on active duty  under ADT orders.  Mobilization is not USAR or ARNG Annual Training.  Mobilization also is not ADT – it’s a different status (contingency/operational support) and also does not qualify soldiers for the ARCOTR.

I know that elements of the 42nd ID have trained in Canada at times in the past, so it’s actually possible this one is legit.  The key question is whether or not Millard ever personally participated in an out-of-country ARNG Annual Training or while serving on ADT orders for the requisite 10+ consecutive days.  If he never did so, then this entry is also bogus – because any training performed while staged in Kuwait prior to moving to Iraq during his mobilization doesn’t count for the ARCOTR.  Another instance of misreading the regulation, maybe?

Problem 8:  No Prior Inactive Service?

I also wonder about that “0000 00 00” entry for “Prior Inactive Service”  (block 12.e) of Millard’s “DD214”.  I’ve seen several legitimate USAR DD214s, and all of them show TPU/IMA/IRR time while not serving on active duty as Prior Inactive Service.  Of course, all of these DD214s were from the  USAR – and it’s possible the ARNG handles this entry on a DD214 differently.  I’d appreciate feedback from any of our readers who have an ARNG background concerning this point.

Problem 9:  Humanitarian Service Medal?  Huh?

Finally, this photo from Jonn’s original article on Geoffrey-boy shows our “studly” young Millard sporting the Humanitarian Service Medal. (Bottom row, 2nd from the wearer’s left – the ugly thing with what looks to be an outstretched palm waiting to be “greased”.  Sheesh, that’s one incredibly lame design for a military medal!)

Millard’s “DD214” doesn’t seem to list him as having received that particular medal; neither does his 2008 FOIA results.  Wassup wit dat, Geoffrey?  Is that another “oops”?  What precisely did you do – and when did you do it – to “earn” that Humanitarian Service Medal you were photographed wearing?  Did someone forget to add that one to your “DD214”?

Conclusion

Yeah, I’d say that Millard’s “DD214” looks to be a reasonably well-executed fake done by someone who did a poor job reading and interpreting AR 600-8-22 and amplifying USAHRC guidance.  The ARCAM entry alone convinces me something’s fishy; it’s plain impossible to serve the requisite 9 years for those 3 ARCAMs during a period of time that’s less than 8 years long – especially since more than 1 year 5 months of that time can’t be used for ARCAM eligibility.  A DD214 today also doesn’t show a “2nd award” of the AFRM; it’s always awarded with one or more devices, and subsequent qualifying periods or mobilizations after the first are now recognized with devices, not listed as “Nth Award”.  (The same medal isn’t listed twice on a DD214, either.)  And while it’s theoretically possible, seeing both the ICM and GWOTEM for a single tour in Iraq on Millard’s “DD214” is also highly suspect and IMO appears bogus given the circumstances of Millard’s deployment to Iraq during 2004-5.  If he indeed deployed with the 42nd ID to Iraq, under Army policy he qualifies for one or the other – but almost certainly not both.  The lack of any entry for prior inactive service and the ARCOTR entry on Millard’s “DD214” likewise raise questions.  And finally, there’s no HSM listed on his “DD214” or his 2008 FOIA results – but just like his phantom CIB, Millard’s been photographed wearing one anyway.

Oh, and don’t forget the issues Jonn noted previously – the rank (and many other things) Millard’s claiming doesn’t match his FOIA results, plus his “DD214” lists campaign and expeditionary medals with no foreign service time listed.  (Getting a campaign or expeditionary medal with zero days of foreign service is really difficult to pull off.)   And Millard’s already owned up to blowing it out his 4th point of contact regarding having a CIB.

This “DD214” seems to have way too many problems to be legit, Geoffrey my boy.  I might buy one or two admin errors – but content-wise this one is just about as f-ed up as a football bat.  So it gets a big NO-GO.

Category: Phony soldiers

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SJ

Apologize if it has already been mentioned. Item 4b on the “214”: “E05”? Is that how it is/was written? Thought it would just be “E5”.

Redacted1775

More and more of these limp dicks are turning out to be frauds or have greatly embellished their service.

teddy996

Hondo- the proper way to sign off on such a thorough bitch slapping is, “Now go get your fucking shine box”.

CI

He could clear up his CIB issue by merely presenting the orders that come with the award; unit or individual.

Anonymous

well, now i’m pissed that my dd214 is screwed up. i was mobilized from the inactive reserves and my 214 states “armed forces reserve medal w/M device (2nd award)”. I asked the f-ing clerk about that when i was reading it, because i knew i had not recieved the medal before since i was active, and he just told me that it was the way it was done. goddamnit.

68W58

Yeah-I don’t doubt that this guy’s 214 is all kinds of wrong, but man can the one shop totally screw you up if they get it wrong (or-just as often-don’t care). I demobed in January and I sat there and watched the E-5 doing my 214 like a hawk and told her what she was getting wrong. But she told me to settle it with quality control (which I did) and it was obvious that she didn’t know the regs (for instance, I was due a campaign star on my ICM for at least one day in country, but she argued that I had to meet the 30 consecutive days or 60 non-consecutive days requirement for the initial issue of the award, which I had originally earned in 2004).

Right now I have the best S-1 NCOIC that it has been my pleasure to know as the head of the one shop in our battalion, but far too many that I have had to deal with are terrible at their job.

DaveO

Alternate conclusion: Mr. Williams, GS-7, Chief of Transition, or his clerk, sat down with Millard and took everything he said without verification.

1. Transition is all about speed, not accuracy. Reminds me of a bad Charlie Sheen baseball movie.

2. Most joes don’t carry their records with them – and folks know the latest DD214 must always be inclusive of all awards and honors rendered previous to it. And yes – the Army does play that game very hard – it’s the joe’s fault.

Just for wearing an unauthorized CIB puts Millard in the idiot category. Working with a GS-7 to intentionally falsify his record puts Millard and Williams in a criminal category.

SGT Ted

I spent my career as AGR in the CAARNG, from 1985 thru 2008. I served 2 years of inactive service before that. I wore many hats in each position I served, often covering Personnel Admin duties as well as my MOS of 31B.

When we de-mobilized for both Noble Eagle in 2001-2002 and OEF/OIF in 2003-2004 tours, our DD214s did not list prior inactive Gaurd service because our DD214s were cut by the Active Duty PAC folks at Fort Lewis, our MOB site. Because of that, they did not have all the records necessary: they had our mobilization “drop files”, and only saw our regular, hard copy files maybe 3 days before we de-mobbed each time.

The main reason for this was the lack of NGB form 21 prep during mob by State PAC personnel trying to shove us out the door within the 3-5 day MOB window we were given each time to get to the MOB station (NGB form 21 lists inactive service; it is the Guard equivalent to the DD214). If the AD MOB site doesn’t have those records, they can’t list the service on the DD214.

It needs to be noted that ARNG Personnel Files were not digital then. That happened sometime around 2006-2007 IIRC.

Both my DD214s from those mobilization service periods do not list my guard service; only the active duty time served. The only Active Duty DD214 I have that shows any guard service is from our Uphold Democracy deployment to Fort Drum in 1994-95 , where we had all our records and clerks working directly with Fort Drum PAC for 4 months with plenty of lead time for de-mob prep.

SGT Ted

Dave-O,

If the GS7 was taking Joes word for what he had earned without orders, then GS7 was not doing his job.

fm2176

#1 SJ,

In my days recruiting I never paid much attention to the format, but I can tell you that some .mil sites list our pay grades as two digits (-05, -02, etc) in the drop down menus during registration.

Soldiers who deployed to Kuwait prior to 19 February 2003, then participated in the invasion of Iraq may be awarded both the GWOT-E and the ICM. Unfortunately, there are more than a few Soldiers who earned the GWOT-E, then who misinterpreted things when the ICM/ACM came out with instructions that “swaps” were allowed. One of my former 1Sgs (now retired), put out bad info years ago that if the GWOT-E was already in our records, we could wear both. I spent quite some time researching this before finding the correct answer in a FAQ on HRC’s website.

A few years into my military career I started getting medal envy of sorts, especially after watching awards based on position and rank more than accomplishment. The funny thing is, when I was a Private I could have cared less. Fortunately, those days are over for this Soldier. I’ve been recognized more than some and a lot less than others, but I’ll gladly retire in ten years with nothing more than my current awards. Much more important to me is taking care of my Soldiers and getting the job done. Only grandstanders and ticket punchers should feel the need to wear their “accomplishments” on their chests. I’ll wear mine on the inside.

SIGO

@Hondo: I deployed to Iraq from 2008-2009. I was granted the ICM and GWOTEM. Also, my DD-214 from the demobilization station says “Service in Kuwait/Iraq” with the time frame.

ARCAM and some of the reservist medals are denoted on a memorandum by the Commander and filed in iPERMS (I know because I signed TONS as a Company Commander and had them filed when we were in Iraq). I don’t recall seeing any reserve medals on my DD-214 but I will look later. The NDSM is on my DD-214 along with my GWOTEM/SM and ICM.

ARoberts

@#1: I just checked my DD214 and my pay grade is listed as E06. I think it is done by a drop down menu like someone above posted.

When I med boarded out of the Army and was getting my DD214 prepared the woman working on it was a real Nazi about paperwork. I am missing an entire deployment on my DD214 as I didnt have the orders showing when I deployed. The funny thing about all of that is that the medals I was awarded for that deployment are listed.

As far as the ICM/GWOTEM thing, for the longest time no one was able to answer questions about it as it was so new folks just plain old didnt know. When they introduced that award in 2005 it was a goat rope at best when determining who was going to wear what.

streetsweeper

Excellent, very well done Hondo. Looks like a good, rock solid report to me. Learned something new too! Thank you!

SGT Ted

Oh, it is necessary to note that I came across a DD214 digital template in .PDF format towards the end of my career in 2007-08 that was used by PAC to do draft DD214s. If he got a copy of that, he could have easily forged this and made it look real.

CI Roller Dude

Maybe his records were destoyed in a fire. Why would he pick the MSM, most folks have no idea what it is. I think they gave me one when I retried in the hopes I wouldn’t come back…still not sure why I got one…I guess for being a smart ass for over 20 years. Most of my years in the CA Army Guard, I we got now awards for anything (even shit we should have gotten trinkets for- like earthquakes, floods and fires) because the HQ pogues were too busy putting themselves in for awards. I didn’t even know what awards some of us should have gotten, until a few years ago when we had a hot CO who felt it was important and she made the clerk see what we should have earned over the years…so one afternoon they gave me a bunch of tinkets (all State Awards) and I had no idea what they were for.

Isnala

This may have been mentioned before but what is that medal to the wearer’s left (viewer’s right) of the HSM? It looks like an AFAM (Air Force achievement Medal) and just when did this ‘army’ guy earn an Air Force award?

-Ish.

Sig

Any one or two of those wouldn’t really cause me to blink, but the series is pretty damning. The ARCAMs especially, since it’s more frequent in my experience to not have ones you have earned than to have too many…

My last DD214 from when I escaped AGR (a two-year tour in hell) is ate up like a soup sandwich. They have my start and end dates wrong (and probably half of the other ones), which is bad enough, but they left off some legitimate military education in that block but included a bachelor’s degree (!) that I earned prior to enlisting (!!). Way to try to take credit for a degree I’m still paying for, ass clowns. Not even remotely “military education,” unless you count the half a quarter I was in ROTC. Despite the fact that I worked less than a 1/4 mile from the personnel shop, they marked it “unavailable for signature.” I found it in my iPERMS months later. Gotta get the paperwork together for the DD215 to fix these things.

Ret12B40

Not a Paul F Williams in AKO…. and I don’t think a GS07 would be the CHIEF of Transition!

kp

I have four DD-214s. One from my original active duty stint and three from Reserve deployments/activation. Every one of them has at least one noticeable mistake. In addition, I did have an ARCOM mailed to me (really) after I had redeployed. The dates on that did not match those of my deployment (nor was the ARCOM noted on my DD-214 because I hadn’t received it yet). My OMPF is missing two awards, as is NDAWS, and my ESR looks like I just joined; and I’m a Master Chief who has repeatedly tried to get Admin to correct. But they can only submit stuff to PERS, and the Navy has gone to all electronic records.
That being said, my plan is to only be seen in public with my top three awards, not have a shadow box, and not tell anyone I was ever in the service after I retire.
I will, however, ensure that my retirement check is correct.

Badger

I smell burning pants…

KP

Badger- Thank you for proving my point about one of the costs of stolen valor. With all the liars and poseurs out there, everyone is now assumed to be a liar and poseur.
What specifically do you think I’m lying about, and what is my motivation?

Yat Yas 1833

Geeze, guys I’m sure you’re tired of hearing it but I’m happy/proud to say, I’m a Cold War warrior who’s total service included “goodwill floats” putting on “dog and ponies” and training with Canadian forces, Vancouver is BEAUTIFUL and the folks are great. I haven’t seen my DD-214 since I went back to school in 1982! Oops, I used at the VA to get my loan to buy my house in ’06. Mine is so boring you’d rip your eyes out reading it but it’s REAL! maybe I should get a copy so I can ‘doctor it up’ and wear a PUC or CAR instead of a measly MCGCM as a lapel pin!?

Anonymous

SIGO: The Army futzes around with medal criteria and policy periodically. If you’ve got any TCS/mission change orders backing your qual for both the GWOTEM and ICM for your tour, I’d highly recommend you keep them in your personal files as backup in case a personnel clerk or officer decides to purge one of yours. That could happen.

In one respect, I’m a fairly rare beast; I got intra-theater transferred due to manning/unit rotation issues during my tour in the CENTCOM AOR and ended up with both the ACM and ICM during a 1-year tour (that’s one way you can end up with 2 different medals for a tour). You bet your ass I kept copies of my TCS orders documenting dates of assignment to both AF and IZ in my personal files in case that was ever questioned.

And when a guy from HQ was sent to AF to augment us for >30 days, I also made sure he got a copy of the memo I drafted giving input to his eval – which also happened to mention his dates of arrival in and departure from AF – so that he’d have something showing he’d been in AF performing official duties for the requisite 30+ consecutive days. Lets just say I wasn’t exactly willing to depend on higher HQ to take care of him properly – not after they pulled one guy augmenting their AF team back to HQ in Kuwait at about the 27 day point.

David

The first thing that strikes me that this is a fake is the following:

Meritorious Service Medal (3 awards)

1. Anyone who has been in the Army for any length of time knows the MSM is a peacetime/garrison award.

2. Ever try awarding an MSM to anyone below the rank of E7 (enlisted), W3 (Warrant) or O4 (Officer)? Good luck. If it isn’t held up by some idiot in G1, it usually gets downgraded by a Colonel who may or may not even be in the chain of command.

3. If I as an O4 with 12 years in don’t have a single MSM, there’s NO WAY a reserve E5 has 3.

DR_BRETT

Impressive WORK, Hondo — I’m constantly learning .

Sean

As a Former 42nd Div and 27th E Bde member for 24 years I can tell you the Problem 7 Overseas training ribbon has been given to hundreds of NY National Guardsmen. I got my first in 1997 for a NATO ex Northern Viking 97 in Iceland, and again in 1999 for Northern Viking 99. At one time the 27th Bde was the Iceland Defence Force in case of war. Bizarre I know. Usually an Inf Bn, Bde TOC, and spt elements went for 3-4 weeks as a TF.

Last year 69th inf sent a Platoon to Canada for artic training (IIRC Ex Northern Bison), in 09 the 69th’s companies went to Japan (Orient Shield-B & Sct/HHC Co.), Thailand (Cobra Gold- Scts, C.co.)and Puerto Rico ( A.co. & HHC/ Mortars)

Humanitarian Service Medals were given to Guardsmen in 1998? after a call up for a severe Ice storm in upstate NY. Those called up spent about a Month on duty cutting down trees, convoying fuel and generators to towns, etc. As an Engineer he would have been one of those responding.

Millards a Douchebag though I believe he was 152nd Engineers

J.R.

After looking at this, I guess my DD214 is jacked too. First, in regards to “Problem 6: Both the ICM and GWOTEM for the same tour in Iraq?” If thats a problem then mine has it too, because it is listed the same way as his for a single Iraq Deployment. I also have an Army Achievement Medal, 2 Army Commendation Medals, and a Purple Heart, none of which are listed in block 13. Oh, and my ARCOMs were given within 4 months of one another on the same Iraq deployment. I was medically discharged, having served 4 of my 6 years. Yeah, I dont get it either (3 year rule). Guess I need to file a DD215. And find the paperwork for my CIB.

PowerPoint Ranger

#21:

KP, I think badger was referring to Millard’s DD-214 when he said that but I could be wrong.

NHSparky

Hondo…I have a HSM for Typhoon Omar in Guam in 1992. Basically it was given to anyone attached to the commands which provided assistance between certain dates so unless he was TAD somewhere else or simply didn’t play he’d rate it, but yes it’s strange how it doesn’t show up on the provided 214.

Alberich

#25,

Anyone who has been in the Army for any length of time knows the MSM is a peacetime/garrison award.

No, not exclusively. I’ve been awarded them for deployments myself (for brigade-level staff officers, they were being handed out like candy – BSM’s were also extremely common).

Ever try awarding an MSM to anyone below the rank of E7 (enlisted), W3 (Warrant) or O4 (Officer)? Good luck.

Yes, I have – my E-6 NCOIC got one in Iraq in 2008, well deserved indeed, as did my O-3 subordinate; and I saw lots of brigade staff captains get them in ’05 and ’08. I’ve seen one captain get the MSM in garrison as a PCS award, but they definitely aren’t handed out so freely stateside.

NHSparky

Point being that while ONE can happen on rare occasions to those deserving if high enough in the chain, an E-4/E-5 getting THREE? Less than likely I’d say.

DaveO

#25 David,

Yes, I received my first one as an O-2 in 1995.

#9 SgtTed: My point exactly. The GS-7 should have had access to this tool’s online personnel record (Hell, the ChiComs do, why not our own personnel clerks?) and do a verification from there.

The system as it is can be easily corrupted. There is plenty of resources now to verify everything, including Statements of Wartime Service, previous awards, and such.

My recommendations:

– Do the DD214 back at homestation for Guard and Reserve
– Use online personnel records and give a printout to the joe right then, right there
– Update the medical records and export the data to the VA, including the DD214, and any PH.

NHSparky

“Use the online personnel records”

Which is pretty much what happened with me. You are getting out, they give you an opportunity to go over your 214 and correct discrepancies right then and there before issuing the final version, but if you don’t have the proof, tough shit.

Alberich

#33, agreed.

Nathan

I received ICM and GWOT service medal on tour in Iraq in ’03. Could there be some kind of foul up on who rates these awards. I don’t want to be scandalous.

Andrew

I’d also like to point out that the block stating his unit says he was in a Rear Detachment from the 42nd ID in NY. Total fucking poser, I’ve never seen a Rear Det guy get anything from a deployment.

DaveO

Hondo,

I won’t disagree. This brings up the question: does the Army (or any of the services) provide less than good, accurate service to joes who are separating?

Doing so sure would save the Army a LOT of money.