Theodore Kosin – The 49 Day Commando – No NDSM

The folks at Military Phony send us their work on Theodore James Kosin, 33 y/o, who comes to us from Jamison, Pennsylvania.  It seems that Theodore has been telling tales of two tours in Afghanistan, a Purple Heart, and PTSD.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.  First, there are the claims on Kosin’s LinkedIn page.

Then, messages were posted where he claimed he was blown off a cliff in Afghanistan due to a hopper mine. Then, he also claims that he was awarded a Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Medal.

In an earlier post, Kosin suggests a resource for help with PTSD, but says that talking to the person that heads up the program reminds him of bad times in his life and the dark place in his PTSD battle.

Then, there is a service dog involved… aaaannd why not?

In a Dec 2021 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, there is a claim that Kosin did two tours in Afghanistan.

The entire article from the Philadelphia Inquirer can be read here: “Filling the Void” complete article.

DOCUMENTS

We were informed that Kosin supplied the following documents to seemingly support his claims of Afghanistan and PTSD.  We stress that these documents have been obtained via a third party so we cannot speak for their accuracy.

DD-214 Allegedly Obtained from Kosin

There is no Purple Heart listed in the DD-214, however.

VA Certification of Service – Allegedly Obtained from Kosin

Certification of PTSD – Allegedly Obtained from Kosin

Someone pointed out that although there is a Dr. Harry Coslett associated with the University of Pennsylvania, there was no link found to tie him to the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia.  Maybe Dr. Coslett is associated but there is no public information linking him to the VA.  In any case, it was just one more thing that raised some suspicion around Kosin’s claims.

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ACTIONS CONDUCTED BY MILITARY PHONIES

Theodore Kosin’s military records were ordered through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

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FOIA RESULTS

US ARMY HUMAN RESOURCES COMMAND (HRC)

FOIA Result – US Army HRC – Theodore Kosin – DD-214

FOIA Result – US Army HRC – Theodore Kosin – ERB

FOIA Result – US Army HRC – Theodore Kosin – Form 1966/4

FOIA Result – US Army HRC – Theodore Kosin – Orders

The entire FOIA result is provided below.

US Army FOIA Complete Results

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MANPOWER DATA CENTER (SCRA)

We searched the DoD Manpower Data Center database and found the following service listing for Theodore James Kosin.

DoD Manpower Data Center (SCRA) – Theodore Kosin

This database was searched as well for any other active duty to present day. It did not show any other service dates, but sometimes the database is unreliable for recall to active duty from reserve status. This appears to be consistent with Kosin’s DD-214, however.

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OTHER FOIA INFORMATION

(3rd Party) FOIA Results – NPRC – Theodore Kosin

We were provided the above FOIA result that a third party obtained from NPRC but we stress that because this document has been obtained via a third party, we cannot speak for its accuracy.  However, it appears consistent with other FOIA results.  We have also filed with the NPRC but have not had results returned to us yet, probably due to reduced hours as a result of COVID.

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DISCUSSION and SUMMARY

LENGTH OF SERVICE

There are discrepancies between Kosin’s claim of being in the Army and being in Afghanistan for two tours. Several documents point to him being in the Army for 49 days which is not enough time to complete basic training in 2007.

Also, it is odd that he was discharged on the day his military school was supposed to start – 12 DEC 2007.

RANK

Kosin was discharged as a PV2 (E-2) vs. the SGT (E-5) claimed.

AIRBORNE

Although Kosin was guaranteed Airborne training upon his enlistment, no documentation supports him attending or completing that training.

COMBAT

His records do not support the claims that Kosin served in combat.

PTSD

Although we cannot prove or disprove a medical diagnosis of PTSD, if he does have it then it appears highly unlikely that it would have been due to combat, which he claims it was in his posted messages.

AWARDS

Kosin’s records show no award of the Purple Heart – not to mention the Distinguished Service (DSM) medal also claimed.  There is no mention of a Purple Heart in his awards block – in fact, it is completely blank.  There is not even an NDSM listed so that further points to him not completing basic training.

SUMMARY

If Theodore James Kosin has used any of these claims to gain anything of value, he could violate the Stolen Valor Act.

Much like the danger of someone training others with firearms and the trainer does not have the experience that he/she claims to have, it is also questionable if not dangerous practice for someone to advise on PTSD when their own experiences with it are questionable.  Kosin may have PTSD, but it is highly doubtful it is from his imaginary two tours in Afghanistan.

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BUT WAIT… THERE’S MORE
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Here are a few short audio files of Theodore Kosin speaking before a board.  These recordings are from July 27, 2021, Sept 14, 2021, and Sept 28, 2021. The September 28 recording was part of an attempt to get himself a seat on the school board when someone resigned.

14SEP22: “Friends Die in My Arms”

14SEP22: “Taliban MEME”

28SEP22: “Weapons SGT, Infantryman”

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Category: Afghanistan, Army, Army Poser, Purple Heart, Stolen Valor, Taliban