Chelle Lynne Anderson-Tesla; female pretender pilot
Meet Chelle Lynne Anderson-Tesla who is currently a major in the Civil Air Patrol in Virginia and assigned to HQ, VA Wing as Director of Aerospace Education. She got that job because she represented herself as combat-wounded Army Aviation Captain, and a UH-60 Blackhawk pilot. Of course, she’s here on TAH, so you already know that none of that is true.
She was a PFC Air Traffic Controller for less than two years;
I don’t know how she got a Good Conduct Medal with less than 3 years service, but there it is.
She claims that she earned a Purple Heart when her Blackhawk was shot down in Iraq and, of course, because of that incident she claims she suffers from TBI and PTS. but, as her records show, she’s never been to Iraq;
She also claims that she had enlisted time before she went to OCS. So, I thought I’d give her time to prove that to her unit who has confronted her with this information, in case the NPRC’s records were deficient. But I’ve just heard that she’s resigning from CAP “because of all of the politics” which means there won’t be any proof forthcoming. So mainly, this post is to prevent her from pulling the same scam in another state when it hits the search engines.
ADDED 11-13;
Category: Phony soldiers
As far as saluting CAP’s, hen i was at 9th Comm Bn back in the mid to late 1990’s, we were doing a filed exercise, and some high school JROTC came out to the site. L/Cpl Schmuckatelli saluted them. Saluted high school kids. Schmuckatelli was sent back to the battalion. I’m just glad Red Dawn did not launch, wiping out our command. I would hate to have to take orders from a JROTC. WOLVERINES!!!!!
This is the same women who sent out a REGISTRY to a fake wedding to people. She told everyone she had a tragic family occurrence years ago and needs help getting back on her feet. I am sure a stranger is going to buy her a 41 inch TV to make her feel better!
http://www.walmart.com/giftregistry/gr_detail.do?registryId=86182772200
Unfortunaley, I looked up to her. One less role model for the 14 year old it seems.
My apologies for going off track on the whole saluting issue. It’s just that when I saw her photo, I had a flashback to a 2010 blog posting discussion on the Air Force Times site, regarding a female CAP Major that demanded an Air Force NCO render her a salute. I couln’t help but place this fraud into that situation. The real issue is that this loser had the nerve to wear an unearned Purple Heart(just to name one).
The CAP is great organization. But they can now place their names with other great organizations that have been tarnished by association with a fraud: The American Legion-Fake Gunny George Lauve; The VFW-Fake Medic Tina Kersten; The NRA-Prison SEAL Jason Truitt; Tim Poe-Defenders of Freedom;Toys For Tots-Michael Frisoli….I think the last guy also mis-represented himself to Save The Whales to help with his legal defense.
Oh, I agree with you, AverageNCO! That angle should definitely be checked. Not that it is the biggest of issues, but one more slam for this chick should it turn out to be her.
#53 maurer172
No worries young’n, there’re plenty of the real McCoy around to emulate. Just sift for BS.
maurer172 – I’m sorry you were bamboozled. Lots of people were. Sometimes people are not what they seem, but I assure you that these cases are few and far between. There are many excellent female role models, in CAP and beyond.
@13 Martinjmpr is correct. Headstart for German is a a book and a bunch of tapes (now digitized and available at the FSI site http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php; the new Headstart is here http://hs2.lingnet.org/). If she had done German basic at DLI it would be a different story. Some Army folks do the Gateway course at DLI Washington, but I’m guessing she didn’t.
Glad she is getting this attention, she deserves it…
Jorge (former MLI at DLI Monterey)
Somebody, Please rip the Aviator Wings off of her. A helo pilot , no way. Federal laws are broken claiming O-rank then the Purple Heart. Joe
Last I heard air traffic controllers in the army had crew wings? Right? Don’t know about in 2002 time though.
Now, y’all – she’s legit. Her records give her duty assignment as “Vehicle Driver”. That’s what pilots do – drive air vehicles. Right? (smile)
Seriously, good job whoever busted her. I’m guessing Jonn’s dead-on-target and that “resignation” from the CAP was a “get while the gettin’s good” and had absolutely nothing to do with “politics”.
Ha ha ha, Hondo.
@ItsMe re #52 – so you know her?
Okay….I’m and ex-Air Force type….but what exactly is the U.S. Army Lapel Pin noted on here dd-214?
Something else is wierd here. The 15Q (formerly 93Q) Air Traffic Control AIT Course is taught at Fort Rucker, Alabama. It’s 15 weeks long now, was a bit longer…so it should have shown up on her records, too, right?
These records are odd. Definately something fishy. Did she produce these for the FOIA request? Who the hell put this record together?!
@64. The lapel pin was (is?) given to Soldiers as they ETS, usually during out-processing. I never knew it counted as an actual award, either.
Then, if she *was* an air traffic controller, they assigned her to the ATC unit (58th is still ATC, i’m certain) as a driver, and for 14 months she didn’t work as a controller?
It’s expensive training and a tough MOS to get, but no utilization?
Smells funnier. Calling in friends who may know her.
If she took the training but proved to be a complete screwup in some way, then no, she would not be put into a position that is high-stress with a high competency requirement.
Why would she have been awarded crew wings if she was only a driver and not a controller? What the hell is going on?
In his book, “Stolen Valor”, BG Burkett documented how some phonies began their scam even before they left the service. They used connections in the personnel offices to spruce up their information that actually ended up making it on to their DD214. I’m not saying that happened here for certain. But there are just some weird things on her record I’ve never seen before, such as the non-DLI language class, and the Army Lapel Pin? Maybe I’m just cluess, but those records just seem off to me.
FYI, after 2000 or 2001, most if not all of the Aviation MOSs in the Army were awarded the newly rechristened “Army Aviation Badge”.
Much like “occupational badges” are awarded in the AF for career fields, the Army has awarded the Aviation Badge for all the Aviation MOSs (If I am not mistaken, and I could be, there aren’t many post-AIT MOSs in the Army that award a badge like that except, maybe EOD or something)
I was awarded “Army Aircrew Wings,” be even back then they were awarded to all AIT graduates from Army Aviation maintenance course (the 67-series), but not he “Allied Shops” courses like hydraulics, sheet metal, etc. So every mechanic got them, even if they were not aircrew. It was only after 2000 did they start with _all_ the Aviation MOSs: ATC, flight ops, the support fields, etc.
Those records are basically the “summary” record from NPRC in lieu of a full DD-214. There may be some reason that the NPRC will not release the full-up redacted DD-214, such as character of service at discharge, any kind of medical or PII, etc.
@58 — Are those DLI links available to everyone, even if we’re not in the service any more?
No 600-9 standards in the CAP, I guess. Maybe you can’t find her Blackhawk because she ate it.
Air Traffic Controller and Linguist – fuckin’ smart chick! LOL
That button seems to be streched. You can see the shirt under it.
#72–Ref the wings, that’s how I understand it.
Still don’t understand why her records don’t show Mother Rucker for AIT and a controller position in Germany. I suppose it’s possible (unlikely) she was TDY from FLW to Rucker for ATC school. Then, either she arrived in Germany and the unit was deployed so she was rear-det and got no ATC utilization (unlikely), or for some reason was unsuited to be ATC (how did she get through ATC school?) and was made a driver until separated from service.
Possible, i suppose, she arrived in Germany pregnant. In her facebook she mentions a son; assume 6 months on limited duty like driver, followed by the usual family-care-plan-rodeo for a few months, then separation from service? Possible.
Magically becoming a purple-heart shot-down Blackhawk pilot? Nah.
#77: I’m not 100% sure why those records read like that. Perhaps due to the length of the school? Maybe if its less than 90 days, its “TDY enroute” versus “assigned to the school Bn”? I honestly have no clue as to the occasional whim of the personnel wonks at DA.
My records reflect every single day spent anyplace from the day I enlisted to my BASD to causal status enroute from Basic to AIT, etc. Maybe DA had a note on my file that said “This one likes to wander away. Keep close tabs.” 🙂
As to the “Driver” thing, remember that every unit has a TO&E or MTO&E, and every warm body is supposed to have a line number. Maybe she arrived and all the “controller” line numbers were filled, so they parked her in a driver slot.
The unit is a COMMZ unit (I believe they did all the flight following and airspace coordination for ALL of Germany, not “air traffic control tower” or even “radar approach control” stuff), so maybe she said “I don’t want to be a scope-dope, I signed up to be a controller in the tower. I’d rather drive a CUCV than fill out flight-following strips..” and *pow* she’s the 1SG’s driver. Or they put her on the controller certification path and she wasn’t able to “certify” in the required amount of time and they reassigned her to be the Bn S1 Driver or something. A guy I knew in my unit was holding down an aviation maintenance slot in a line company while actually performing duties as the Battalion’s S1 driver, schlepping paperwork from one camp to another, back before email made that superfluous.
Let’s not bring her kid into this. That’s fucked up.
ANALYSIS:
Forehead 6 inches in height = more space for air (not brain).
Being in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is like being in Iraq.
Flying a Cessna 150 is like flying a Blackhawk.
Recieving the CAP Good Citizen Ribbon is like being awarded the Purple Heart.
Having diabetes from consumming copious amount of junk food and Mountain Dew is like having a TBI and PTSD.
Being an overweight ugly girl poser is like being a sh*t hot female combat helo pilot.
END OF ANALYSIS
I am a Captain in the Civil Air Patrol. I take it very seriously and I cringe whenever one of these incidents happen, because it makes ALL of us look like a bunch of fools.
We are the volunteer Auxiliary of the USAF (something I am very proud of), and are allowed the privilege of wearing the AF uniform, with AF-prescribed modifications. Unfortunately, our relationship with the AF has suffered over the past 20 years or so, and whenever something like this happens, I despair of it ever getting any better.
Clarify: Military personnel are NOT required to salute us, but they can if they so desire. Most do, but even when they don’t, I’m quite content with a friendly greeting. However, we ARE required to salute all military personnel senior in grade to us.
Whenever a CAP officer falsely trolls for a salute they are not entitled to, the story gets around QUICK (especially with the internet; I remember that AF Times story) and it makes all of us look stupid. However, it doesn’t happen as much as some might lead you to believe.
I don’t know Major Anderson-Tesla. However, if her Army service record turns out to be BS, I really hope she’ll do the decent thing and resign from CAP.
#79 Chosen One,
I didn’t “bring her kid into this” except as a possible explanation for her odd assignment history.
That is NOT f*cked up. That an assessment of possibility.
Being over weight is apparently not something new to this one. That FTU assignment up there on her records is from the Fitness Training Unit. Looks like she went there before she even made it to a BCT unit so it would appear that she was on the weighty side when she got to BCT. And it looks like the FTU didnt help any…..
@ CAPCapt
You say: “I don’t know Major Anderson-Tesla. However, if her Army service record turns out to be BS, I really hope she’ll do the decent thing and resign from CAP.”
I say: “I don’t know Anderson-Tesla, but I know her type all too well. If her Army service record turns out to be BS, the USAF and CAP will fire her and refer the issue to USAF OSI, Army CID, federal authorities, and local police to investigate whether she ever benefitted from her fraud.”
Her resignation is not an option.
We were given the lapel pin upon ETS in the 80s and 90s in the Army. It was a gold minuteman on a red background with a gold circular border, if I remember correctly. Don’t know if they still award them today.
@85 – They do. Putting them on a DD-214 is new to me though.
86 is me. Sitting in for my CPT while he is on leave. His computer, etc.
CAP is a volunteer organization .. She is NOT being paid! Sooo, why?
@83. More likely she couldn’t pass the physical proficiency test given at Reception and was sent to FTU to get in shape. If she couldn’t make weight or tape prior to shipping, she wouldn’t have left the recruiting office.
@88: Because some don’t know the difference between a CAP uniform and a USAF uniform. Ergo, she could have attempted to use the uniform for purposes other then proscribed by CAP regulations. It has happened before and could happen again. Who really knows what goes through the head of some of these folks who are fakers?
@90. Concur, concur, concur. Most Americans have little to no day-to-day interaction with current Servicemembers, so they don’t know what “right” looks or sounds like. To most Americans, a uniform with lots of bells and whistles means military. It’s something that posers of all stripes take advantage of. I’m certain she rocked her CAP uniform every chance she got. “I’m going to the mall. Think I’ll wear my Blues today.”
When I enlisted in August of 01 we had a few fat bodies that somehow made it past the screening and got held back at what our Drills so lovingly called Fat Camp aka FTU. Youre right though, that is where the folks who cant make the initial PFT end up at until they can or they get sent home. Either way, being sent to FTU isnt the greatest way to start your time in the service.
Maybe this was too obvious, but given the margins for the article, I read,
“Chelle Lynne Anderson-Tesla; female pretender”
Wow, stolen valor at a whole new level.
#92: I got sent to FTU cuz the night before the reception station PT screening we’d been so freaked about the “Correct, military-style pushup” emphasis on form that several of us knocked out pushups in the barracks to test ourselves. Nobody told us about “day on, day off” recovery. Yeah, thanks!
This bored PFC (he’d been a CPL the day before.. NJP moves in strange ways) was grading the test and he kept going “7…7…7…8..9…10..10..10” Off to FTU I went for 2 weeks.
Couldn’t have been all bad: I did 10+ years. 🙂
It might be a bad picture, she looks pretty good on her Facebook page.
I’m a 2nd Lieutenant in the Virginia Wing, CAP. I’m also a member of the Army Reserve, so I’m familiar with both sides of this situation.
The issue here with this character (I’ve had contact with her in the past via e-mail and shes…not the brightest to say the least) is that she used her fake “I was a Captain” story to enter CAP as a Captain. While there isn’t financial gain in it for her on a pay level, the Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally Chartered 501c nonprofit, which means she had access to the wing funds as well as fundraising done at the Wing level. I also saw via her facebook that her Uncle is Rich Anderson, a member of the CAP Board of Governors as well as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, so I’m willing to bet she’ll go running to Uncle for help.
Ultimately whoever let her into CAP without asking for her DD-214 is to blame. When I joined CAP, I was asked to send my DD214 from Camp Shelby after OIF, and my NGB 23 from my first term in the NG to the HQ for verification.
*** Correction above, my NGB 22 & 23 in the last sentence. ***
#96:
A) She’s been in CAP since she was cadet as near as anybody can figure.
B) When she moved over to be a senior, she was probably on AD and nobody ever asked for a DD-214 (it is not required, esp if not asking for advanced rank or training equivalents). She made 1Lt, I’m guessing, on the basis of being a Phase IV (Eaker complete) cadet.
C) Rich Anderson is NOT her uncle. Her married last name was Anderson (no clue where “Tesla” comes from. I’m gonna start adding “-Wright” to my last name, you know, cuz Orville & Wilbur were cool dudes) so I’m guessing the “Uncle Rich” part is a joke because of the last names. Rich Anderson has been asked about her.
D) The Aviator Wings, Purple Heart and other decorations and bravado about being shot down in Iraq came after she moved back to VA from TX. Nobody would think to ask CAP Captain who had been in for > 15 years to supply a DD-214 when they show up from another wing. Most people would assume its all legit.
#98
That makes sense. I assumed that she had joined based on her falsified Army record. I stand corrected.
I also assumed based on her facebook listing of Rich as her Uncle that they were related.
Overall, she still serves as a reminder to be vigilant when encountering prior service members in CAP.
Thanks for the corrections!
@92 in ’78 we called them potato boys and made them run road guard…wear the bright orange vest and sprint ahead to every crossing even though there were no vehicles anywhere and made them wait until everyone passed and then made them spring ahead to the next crossing.