Mark Hicks; Stolen Valor is just a symptom
Mary sends us documentation on a guy that they outed years ago. Mark Hicks was an Afghanistan veteran with the 25th Infantry Division and he was awarded a CIB but not the second award of the CIB like he’s wearing in the picture above. No jump wings or air assault wings, no Bronze Star. No record of Ranger School or Sniper School, no Scuba School like he claimed. Here he is making those claims to our friends in the US Military Vets Motorcycle Club;
So here’s his FOIA;
Back in 2008, he was a correctional officer in the Polk County Sheriff’s office when someone reported all of these lies to internal affairs, but they weren’t all that interested in his stolen valor claims and found no reason to investigate.
Well, here we are five years later. I wonder if they can find any good reasons to investigate him now;
Stolen Valor is just a symptom of some larger malady.
Category: Phony soldiers
How many of these military posers, have we found to have other things going on that are a problem to society.
Stolen Valor is a victimless crime, right? Like FO said, there’s more often than not, other issues along with Stolen Valor.
This POS will do real well in prison, as he’s a molester as well as a correctional officer; boy, talk about a double strike against him…
Memo to self–if USMVMC shows up, run–don’t walk–the other way.
Why would this guy take a totally legit career and just load it down with all this crap?
Hmmmm – discharged as a Sergeant/E-5 with no decorations after a combat tour.
I’m guessing he wasn’t exactly “Super Sergeant” (hat tip to the lads at DeltaBravoSierra) while on active duty.
Should have waited a few more minutes till he completed the attempt.
Some people truly know how to make a mess of their lives.
Sorry sack of shit. How many of these ass wipes featured on here end up being pedophiles?
Wow, I almost missed the phony scuba bubble directly under his phony jump wings. I wonder if he can even swim?
Dad was Vietnam vet. Was the best man at his wedding…Never uttered a word…The truth always comes out…you may wait a long time but it always does.
Yep, NH Sparky; it seems that both officers and members of USMVMC don’t much care if the guy sitting beside them in the meetings/bars, or riding beside them is a phony.
Membership numbers mean more than quality of the unit?
And I know of a couple of their members who are “straight up” guys.
“It is when people have invested in errors that they are afraid of the truth and therefore are eager to silence those who proclaim it.” Roger Scuton
Bubba& Thor are gonna have a ball with his ass ( pun intended)! I just wonder who he’ll be “married” to first?
I thought the “RANGER” tab is not sewn onto the dress blue jacket, but instead, a metal tab is worn on the pocket.
_________________________
# 5, ANONYMOUS, wrote:
“Hmmmm – discharged as a Sergeant/E-5 with no decorations after a combat tour.
I’m guessing he wasn’t exactly “Super Sergeant” (hat tip to the lads at DeltaBravoSierra) while on active duty.”
__________________________
Excuse me?
The man was awarded a Combat Infantry Badge (something I never got in two years of service, repeatedly under fire, while in the old Republic of Viet Nam), and he was awarded the Good Conduct Medal.
Every soldier can’t merit the Medal of Honor, and I’ve heard it’s not unusual for a good soldier in combat to NOT be decorated.
While in the old Republic of Viet Nam, I was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.
I’ll be the first to say I didn’t deserve those decorations, and indded, laughed when handed the orders, because I thought they were playing a joke on me.
This turd was in the Cacti.
Fucking maggot.
A leg and a tabless cunt posing as a paratrooper and a Ranger. Fuck him .
Turds like this give Infantrymen a bad name.
And touching kids….
And a Cop….
And another poser biker…
And from Florida….
I need a drink.
@14, with the blues, a Ranger/SF/Sapper tab is worn as an enameled pin just like a qual badge. All that is sewn on the blues is the rank and service/combat stipes.
As far as a combat Infantryman with no awards, well, I did 2 tours totaling 18 months in Iraq. All I got were my CIB (damn proud of it too because I know I earned it) and two rubberstamped service ARCOMs. I didn’t get a service Bronze Star because I was a buck Sgt and I didn’t hold a squad leader position or Brad commander job. There was one incident over there where a CSM promised me a valorous award, but nothing ever came of it and I never cried about it.
Enlighten me. (Humor me, too.)
How do you get the waistband out of boxer shorts?
That’s elastic tape, isn’t it? It’s just stitched on with a stretch stitch.
HICKS, MARK EDWARD 03/09/73
Charge Number 1
Statute: 847.0135(3A) OBSCENE COMMUNICATION-USE COMPUTER TO SEDUCE SOLIC
Charge on Arrest Docket: USE COMPUTER TO SOLICIT MINOR TO COMMIT
Bond Type:
Bond Number: Purge Number:
Purge/Bond Amount: 0 Surety: 0
Cash: 0 Bond Exp.: NO BOND Disposition:
Upgrade/Reduction:
Charge Number 2
Statute: 847.0138(2) CRUELTY TOWARD CHILD-TRANSMIT INFO HARMFUL TO MINO
Charge on Arrest Docket: EXPOSING A MINOR TO HARMFUL MATERIALS
Bond Type:
Bond Number: Purge Number:
Purge/Bond Amount: 0 Surety: 0
Cash: 0 Bond Exp.: NO BOND Disposition:
Upgrade/Reduction:
Charge Number 3
Statute: 918.13 EVIDENCE-DESTROYING-TAMPER WITH OR FABRICATE PHYSI
Charge on Arrest Docket: TAMPERING/DESATROY EVIDENCE
Bond Type:
Bond Number: Purge Number:
Purge/Bond Amount: 0 Surety: 0
Cash: 0 Bond Exp.: NO BOND Disposition:
Upgrade/Reduction:
Charge Number 4
Statute: 784.03(1A1) BATTERY-TOUCH OR STRIKE
Charge on Arrest Docket: BATTERY
Bond Type:
Bond Number: Purge Number:
Purge/Bond Amount: 0 Surety: 0
Cash: 0 Bond Exp.: NO BOND Disposition:
Forgive me, but wasn’t he also discharged a Sergeant (E5) and is shown wearing Staff Sergeant (E6) stripes in that picture ?
After looking at his FOIA again, he enlisted about two weeks after the 9/11 attacks. What a shame and embarrassment….
You know the Vet MCs REALLY have to start getting into checking the DD214 not just glancing at it, I wonder if it’s even the same one (that would be hilarious)
His daddy was they VP
Heard a saying from a SNCO when I was in the Corps. “If you’ll lie, you’ll cheat. If you’ll cheat, you’ll steal.”
Truer words were never spoken.
JRM: a CIB is a qualification badge vice a personal decoration (tabs that are not part of the unit patch – Ranger, SF – are technically also a type of qualification badge). Badges are awarded when someone meets specified regulatory criteria (e.g., completes a school, personally engages in combat, attains specified qualifications and experience, or the like). In contrast, personal decorations are awarded by an individual’s chain-of-command to recognize and commend that individual for their performance of duty.
Andy: if you ended up with a couple of ARCOMs, it sounds to me like you were recognized during your career for commendable performance at least twice (an ARCOM is a personal decoration). My impression is that getting some type of personal decoration besides a GCM (which if I recall correctly is technically a medal awarded for qualifying service vice a personal decoration) is generally the rule for someone who’s served almost 4 years, made E5, done a tour in combat, and was a good soldier. This guy apparently never was recognized for commendable performance, implying there might have been something a bit “off” about the guy even 10 years ago. That’s all I was pointing out.
Not sure how the Army awards the Good Conduct Medal, but in the USMC, the criteria to get it is (generally) to stay out of trouble for 3 years – then it’s pretty much automatic. For some, its more a service award than a personal award. For most, staying out of trouble (no NJP’s) is fairly simple.
There’s more to it, but I thought a brief explanation was warranted.
@ 21 NavCWOVet
You are correct. I’m guessing that it’s also an embellishment unless he was disciplined just before discharge. Although, even in the infantry I’m not sure you can make E-6 in the time frame he was in. Making E-5 in that time wouldn’t take a super soldier but he must not have been a problem soldier either…
@26 USMCE8Ret
That’s basically it for the Army too…
@27. Standards for award of the AGCM are the same as the USMC.
Ooops. I meant @26.
@27 (This time for sure). E6 in four years during the timeframe he was in was pretty common. With the OpTempo of the force then, board requirements were relaxed and promotion points for 11’s were very low.
USMCE8Ret/Old Tanker/LebbenB: all correct. Apparently I wasn’t clear enough above, so I’ll elaborate a bit. There are four general categories of military awards (I’m pretty sure this applies to all 4 services): a. personal decorations – these are granted to an individual by their chain-of-command in recognition for commendable performance of duty or the performance of an exceptional act (though one could argue that heroism and exceptional acts are simply an extreme form of commendable performance of duty) b. service and campaign medals – these are granted based on meeting specified criteria for service (e.g., serve in a particular geographical area or campaign, during a specified period of time, or exhibit exemplary conduct for a specified length of time) c. qualification badges – awarded to those who demonstrate the requisite level of expertise in a specified field (often by passing a school or test, though for some badges a one-time demonstration or performance of specific tasks over time is also deemed sufficient to demonstrate the requisite expertise) d. unit awards – granted to units (as opposed to individuals) based on collective unit performance; individuals permanently assigned or formally attached during the period for which granted are generally authorized permanent wear as an individual award as well The various GCMs and reserve equivalents (for the Army, the ARCAM) are considered to be in the category of campaign and service service medals. The Ranger and SF tabs are considered to be in the category of qualification badges. Most other badges are pretty self-explanatory. Regarding medals and ribbons: other than unit awards, they’re almost always either personal decorations or campaign/service medals/ribbons. Personal decorations are worn first, followed by campaign/service ribbons. (USN/USMC/USAF insert unit awards between the two). The “dividing line” are the various service Achievement Medals – achievement medals and higher are personal decorations, everything below that is either a unit award (USN/USMC/USAF) or is generally in the campaign or service medal/ribbon category. There are a couple of items that arguably straddle the above categories. The USN’s and USAF’s marksmanship medals/ribbons, the USAF CAM, and the USN/USMC CAR would appear to be in… Read more »
Another thing I noticed about the pic. On his right shoulder, just to the inside of the Infantry cord is another silver cord. This is for either a German Schutzenschnurr (Unsure of the German spelling, but it’s the German marksmanship award) or the German Sports Badge (Sorta like the Army’s PT badge, just a lot more in depth.) Looking at the FOIA on this joker, I don’t see a posting to Germany. The only “out” that I could give him is if his unit had done some partnership training with the Germans while he was in AFG.
Oh – And his lapel brass is wrong. The US insignia is worn on the wearer’s right, not the left like in the photo.
And his skill/marksmanship badges are out of order. The expert badge should be on the outside of the Parachutist Badge and the air assault badge.
@32, LebbenB, I got my Silver Schutz in ’01 in Kosovo without ever setting foot in Germany. Got my pretty cert in German, but the task force S1 boned me and I never got official orders. But seeing as how this guy cleaned out clothing and sales for that uniform, I wouldn’t doubt that he didn’t earn that either.
@35. The Toys for Tots jump every year at Bragg is done the same way. American equipment and aircraft but foreign JMs. The certificate and manifest are in the JMs language, then translated into English and submitted with a DA4187 for award of foreign badge/decoration.
@Lebben
The Schützenschnur (Marksman Badge), Leistungsabzeichen im Truppendienst (Military Proficiency Badge) and the German Sportabzeichen (PT Award). Have been awarded outside Germany on countless occasions. In the US you can always ring up the S3 NCO in the German Armed Forces Command US/CA in Reston, VA and ask for details. All of the above are conducted as mostly open and exchange events by:
– the command HQ in Reston, VA
– the german air force training unit in Holloman AFB, NM
– the german anti air strike school in El Paso, TX
– on of the 8 liasion offices of the German Army (bragg, benning etc…)
There are over 1000 german soldiers stationed all over CONUS and CA – most of them eligible for conducting such an event and awarding stuff (or having so eone in command to do so.)
For the PT Award – that is not worn with a Cord. There is a badge version, but only the ribbon version is officially introduced as an award. Besides that there are 2 different awards for being a rescue swimmer (red cross and DLRG) that are commonly awarded to german soldiers after meeting all the requirements. These (PT and both Rescue Swimmer Awards) are civil awards with the permisiion to wear on Uniform.
Te Schützenschnur is the only Award with a cord (blue cord for Navy and silver for Army and Airforce).
The HQ also conducted shooting Events with veterans and reservists so don’t hesitate to give them a call. We’re always glad to welcome active duty, reserves and Veterans of the US Armed Forces 🙂
I got my German Schützenschnur and German Proficiency Badge while stationed in Germany. And the awards have to be translated and orders have to be cut through the first GO in your chain of command. It took me a while but I completed that before retiring (actually wore the badge(s) for a few years without knowing I had to get official Army orders). That being said, I worked with the German liaison on Fort Gordon (a LTC and SGM) to get my platoon awarded the badges. So it isn’t always necessary to actually be in Germany.
@36….Toys for Tots at Sicily:
“Watered down foreign jump wings, without water wings!”
Foreign jump wings, on a jump at Bragg, in a U.S. A/C with a foreign J/M? Doesn’t sound too “foreign” to me.
Now watch out for the posers who will talk about how they jumped with the SAS/Krauts etc. in their respective countries, fighting for M’erica!
Don’t think that is a Schuetzenschnur unless the angle is very fortuitous – there is an inset plastic disk in the upper section which I am not seeing here. Should be pretty obvious from almost any angle.
@39. Yeah, it’s kinda hinky. I always thought a jumper had to use the host nation’s equipment and aircraft. When we did foreign jumps when I was in LRS in Germany that was always a stipulation. The coolest was jumping out of a balloon in Belgium.
Integrity and honor are not selective virtues, either you have them or you don’t. If an individual will lie about military service….
@19.
I am thinking this turd needs to be worked into one of your novels.
Also possibly being the recipient of a cold, steel beatdown by an angered parent.
Fucking ticklemonster.
EllTee Thumb, thank you for reminding me of the existence of this noxious and oozing scum. He is a fitting assistant villain, indeed.
Hello All! This information was provided by me as I was the idiot to marry the guy at 19 & have his children. Unfortunately I did notify the sheriff’s office upon his hire about his fake military claims, they unfortunately didn’t listen. Hopefully this time someone will!Thank you to the honest military men/women and your families.
Hello All! I am the mother of the 17 year old that he was found guilty of sexually assulting. I am a pround Army vet myself and even prouder daughter of a Wounded Vietnam Veteran and Purple Heart recipient. I am only just now finding out about this stolen valor allegation and it just sickens me more. I only wish he was sentenced to more time. How does a person like this get hired to be a sheriff deputy???
In reply to Crystal’s post about being the unfortunate woman to marry him. You had no idea at the time what he was capable of… UNLIKE THE IDIOT THAT MARRIED HIM A FEW MONTHS AFTER HE WAS CHARGED AND ADMITTED GUIT AND TRIED TO HANG HIMSELF IN THE JAIL CELL….
The incidents that occured with my daughter all happened at her home while my daughter was visiting or having a sleepover with her daughter. Be thankful that you are no longer married to him… my thoughts are with your children who are innocent in all of this as well as my daughter who has to live with this the rest of her life.