Sergeant Major Denzel Washington

| October 13, 2021

No, this is not for a film role.  The US Army has given actor Denzel Washington the rank of honorary sergeant major.

Denzel Washington is the US Army’s newest (honorary) sergeant major

Actor, director and Hollywood icon Denzel Washington is the “Honorary Sergeant Major of the Army” for 2021.

“We all are free because of the sacrifices that you’ve made,” Washington said of U.S. military service members at a small ceremony on Sept. 24 in New York City. “We all have the right to agree or disagree or complain or whine or whatever else Americans do these days because of the sacrifices that each and every one of you men and women made. This really belongs to you.”

The Army formally announced Washington as the 2021 Honorary Sergeant Major of the Army recipient at the Annual Association of the U.S. Army conference on Monday. Washington was chosen because of his work with the Fisher House Foundation, a program focused on building homes at military medical centers around the world for military and veteran families to stay in while their loved one is receiving medical care.

Washington has always seemed to be level-headed in his comments and his work with the Fisher House Foundation is admirable.

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Tallywhagger

I don’t get it.

5JC

They started this under Obama. Interesting choices over the years including General Frederick Kroesen a few years back before he passed.

Krosen was a bad ass among bad asses. You want to know why there are CIBs with three stars and Silver Stars have oak leaf clusters? It was because of him.

Sapper3307

He couldn’t do it any worse than the current one.

OWB

No worse than many honorariums given through the years, and certainly better than some. Congratulations, Mr. Washington.

Thank you for recognizing the importance of the military to these United States. And for the good work you do.

TopGoz

“To all who shall see these presents, greetings. Know ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the fidelity and ability to keep people off his damn grass, the Department of the Army does hereby appoint Denzel Washington to the rank of Sergeant Major of the Army (Honorary) on this, the twenty-fourth day of September in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand Twenty-one.”

Hack Stone

The Honorary title of Sergeant Major Of The Army was withdrawn two days later when a check of his training records show that he did not complete his SHARP Training in 2018.

OldManchu

Major coffee spew! That was freaking awesome!

tshe

Newly appointed SGM Denzel Washington was immediately assigned mandatory Critical Race Theory and Extremism Within the Ranks training.

He was rumored to have whispered under his breath “Ain’t this some BS.”

ChipNASA

Nah, nah, nah, nah.
It be like THIS… NFSW Mofos…

Green Thumb

I wonder if he has taken a drug test yet?

Veritas Omnia Vincit

FuzeVT

Great scene from a great movie. I always thought Matthew Broderick was an odd choice to play the colonel, but then I saw a picture of Colonel Robert Shaw (especially the one in profile) and he is a dead ringer. 25 years old. . .

Veritas Omnia Vincit

Agreed, enjoy this movie immensely, back in the day when my Bay State was not a socialist strong hold….

KoB

Worked with and on the production of this motion picture back yonder. They took a whole lot of “Artistic License” on many of the historical facts to, according to the Producer and the Director, “make an entertaining movie”. Not taking away ANYTHING at all from the Courage of the Soldiers of the 54th MA, or Colonel Shaw. The FIRST (ht 2 ND Hoosier) Medal of Honor awarded to a Black Soldier came from the assault on Battery Wagner. Damn shame that Big Army sacrificed so many brave men on a fool hardy, politically motivated, assault.

Thank you Mr. Washington for your work for Veterans and their families.

Veritas Omnia Vincit

I’ve given up on the notion that historical movies will be historically accurate without a lot of added fluff, drama, and simple bullshit….

Thus I find I suspend disbelief and either like the fiction or I don’t….most often I don’t. But there are exceptions.

This movie was enjoyable for me on a number of levels with respect to the difficulties of getting such an organization up and running from a human perspective if not a factual, historical perspective.

Mason

I bet it doesn’t come with a comically ginormous sword like we Zoomies give out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Sword_(United_States)

Claw

Thanks for publishing that Wiki piece, Mason.
Spotted at least a half dozen Zoomie General Officers who are NDSM embellishers.

26Limabeans

So who’s the honorary Spec four this year?

Veritas Omnia Vincit

Joe Biden, because instead of doing his fucking job he’s always hiding somewhere unavailable for comment….

OldManchu

BOOM! Direct Hit.

A Proud Infidel®™

*POW!*, right in the kisser!

Sam

I was an actual Spec 4. Maybe we should get to pick the honorary ones.

https://youtu.be/qH2vbYs6ebc

Sam

Maybe I’ll try an embed. See if it works.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH2vbYs6ebc&w=560&h=315%5D

Claw

I was an actual Spec4 “Man in the Door” at one time. (Over 50 years ago, now)

1st Flight Platoon, C Co, 101 AHB, 101st Airborne Division based at beautiful North Phu Bai, Viet of the Nam.

Black Widows (Fear the Spider, Lest Ye Get Bit in the Ass)/smile

Hatchet

For the much Appreciated and much Exalted CLAW –

“actual Spec4 “Man in the Door”

Whoa… been reading a bit ‘bout that.

https://www.vhpa.org/unit/HHC1BDE101ABN.pdf

Don’t know if this will be of any interest for ya Claw but as you mentioned your ‘brass-balls’ service in the Viet of the Nam and I’ve been reading this pub on and off for the past week or so… Cheers Mate🍺

Claw

“much Appreciated and much Exalted”.

Naw, that’s a bit too overboard, but Thanks anyway.

I was just a kid from the cornfields of Indiana who hoped to turn his skills as a tractor/combine/manure spreader repairman into being a fixed wing aircraft mechanic, but once I got to Fort Rucker Big Army had other plans on how to utilize those handed down from my Father skills.

And the rest is now ancient history.

Hatchet

Claw – a lot my instructors served in the Viet of Nam(ICCS) and while I’ll respectfully withdraw ‘Exalted’ part, the ‘much appreciated’ part must remain… Cheers.

timactual

When I was there, every once in a while there was an opening for door gunners, and there was no lack of applicants. It was considered a sweet job safe in the rear. Nobody thought to ask why they needed volunteers if it was such a sweet job. No leaches, no mosquitos, and no booby traps was the first consideration.

Not quite “out of the frying pan and into the fire”, more like sometimes you get to choose your frying pan. Safety is a relative thing.

Claw

“Safety is a relative thing.” You’re right about that, and sometimes it’s the little things that end up spelling disaster. For example:

At 1905 hrs, 10 Oct 71, Dustoff 904 (326th Med on Camp Eagle) was dispatched to FSB Tomahawk for an urgent medevac. Weather/ceilings were really, really bad, they couldn’t make it in. Even called for 81mm Illum. At 1915 hrs a Vietnamese aspirant reported seeing a helicopter crash into the Cau Hai Bay. Six different units went looking for it and received automatic weapons fire on at least four occasions. Finally at 2230 hrs the crash was located with no survivors and it was indeed Dustoff 904.

All said and done, the crash investigating officer later found what he believed to be the cause: A can of wax lodged between one of the control rods and the forward bulkhead.

RIP to the four Aircrewmen who perished that night.

5JC

I was a Spec 4 too, but you bring a good point. Probably only those who stopped at that rank and counted their days until ETS should get to pick.

But Biden is a great choice.

Tallywhagger

What? You didn’t have a “short chain? 🙂

SgtBob

Negative naysayers: STFU. Washington is a black guy, he was recognized for positive accomplishments, and you snarks grouse. Oh, did I mention he is a black guy? In case you missed that part. Didn’t have any influence on your BS, did it?

26Limabeans

Yes, I did notice he is black. The photo bears that out.
The videos also show that he is black.
Remember the days before color photography?
Everything was black and white or as you might infer black “or” white.

SFC D

I saw exactly zero comments regarding Mr. Washington’s color, negative or positive. What I saw was commenters saying positive things about Mr. Washington’s talent and achievements as an actor. Yes, there is grousing, mainly about the silliness of this award. Let me amend my comments. I did see one comment regarding his color. And the comment was written by you.

David

what grousing? Sounds a lot to me like a “but it’s RACIST!” complaints from the far left over statements like ‘it was a black-and-white photo’. Lighten up Francis indeed. Reread all the comments ant tell us what above targeted Mr. Washington because he is black. We’ll wait to be enlightened.

11B-Mailclerk

Whomever smelt-it, dealt it.

Green Thumb

Whoever denied it, supplied it.

Carlton

Go take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.

5JC

When I wonder what is wrong with people these days SgtBob comes to mind right way.

Deckie

Here we go again, another race baiter….

Sooooooo very clever of you…

OWB

Yeah, well, most of us really DID know that Mr. Washington is black. Strange that you, SgtBob, seem to be the only one who has an issue with the color of his skin. Does it offend you that the rest of us saw no need to comment on that fact? Ever occur to you that it just doesn’t matter to us one way or the other?

No, probably not. You, SgtBob, might want to ponder for a bit why it is that Mr. Washington’s skin color is soooo important to you, but it isn’t to most of us here. Could it be that the real racist here is the guy who focused in on the man’s skin color while the rest of us saw only his accomplishments? Did we notice that Mr. Washington is a black man? Yes, but it just doesn’t matter.

rgr769

Most of us here could care less to which race group Washington belongs. That is not the issue at hand in this posted article and the comments here. Even our beloved Commissar finds this type of award a meaningless bullshit PR stunt. And he is a total lefty lover of Antifa. So, it appears that the problem seems to be with you and your value system. You drink Kool-aid long time, GI?

timactual

He’s BLACK?!?! My God! Yecch! And I used to be a fan.

JarHead Pat

Whats next honorary MOH..da fuk…

QMC

If you have to pick someone in Hollywood, then he’s definitely one of the few decent human beings left remaining in that cesspool.

Man on Fire is still one of my favorite movies of all time.

Green Thumb

I always liked American Gangster.

5JC

He certainly does a lot of good works outside of work. It’s tough to pick a favorite movie as he has such a wide range of talents.

Malcolm X, Crimson Tide, Training Day, The Mighty Quinn, Glory, American Gangster, The Hurricane, The Siege, and The Book of Eli to name a few.

UpNorth

The Equalizer, Two Guns are a couple more.

timactual

I have always thought he should give a bonus to whoever picks his scripts.

timactual

I haven’t made up my mind yet—only seen it 4 or 5 times.

There are some youtube clips of him being interviewed and such. I am a big fan.

(The cynic in me wants to add “–so far”.)
*sigh* Life has crushed my inborn positivity and optimism.

Devtun

Generals Milley, McKenzie, and SecDef Austin nominated for honorary 2LTs.

5JC

Nah, Milley will have to be a CW3 with 25 years, he is way to large to pass for a 2LT. Put a cup of coffee in one hand and some sheet cake in the other and you will find him on the way to the golf course early Thursday morning, if you find him at all…. He will tell you he knows better than his boss about everything and will be happy to call the IG’s office if he is getting “hassled”. Come deployment time a mysterious illness will overtake him that will require months of medical treatment, but stop just shy of triggering a board….

timactual

Heck, even I have more respect for 2nd looeys than to dishonor the rank with their presence. At least 2LTs have potential (mostly).

Hatchet

Got to give Denzel his due – he’s a great actor and his recent movie rendition of ‘The Equalizer’ bears that out(for me).
Really think Big Army made a great PR move in naming him as “Honorary Sergeant Major of the Army”. Congratulations Mister, er Sargent Major Washington – well-worked for and well-earned.

Jeff LPH 3, 63-66 A Gang Snipe

Denzel a better choice than making that A-hole bob hope an honorary US Mil Vet. Reason is that on a USO tour in the South Pacific during WW2, he was asked to do a show onboard an anchored out hospital ship and the dirt bag says that it wasn’t in his contract so he wasn’t going to do the show, but the rest of the USO tour showed up and did the show for nothing.

5JC

Source for this?

ninja

Jeff:

PLEASE PROVE what you wrote.

Give us a source…in writing…

Or was that a rumor you heard that got embellished?

So far, I have YET to find anything what you wrote about Bob Hope.

Thank You.

ninja

We are still waiting for an answer from you, Jeff…

I have YET TO FIND ANYTHING on what you wrote about Bob Hope.

So if you personally know or have this information in writing, PLEASE show it to us.

Fair enough?

timactual

Blasphemy!

Commissar

Almost all honorary awards and titles are ducking dumb.

And I say “almost” because there might be one that it not dumb but I didn’t think of one at the time of this posting.

Posthumous awards and titles are not dumb.

But honorary ones are dumb.

Either they earned it or they didn’t.

The army could reward his exemplary service to the veteran community and their family through a whole spectrum of awards or recognition.

Giving him a rank people work decades to earn is absurd.

Especially since being rich and famous is half the qualification for most of these honorary titles and awards.

Poetrooper

Ed, Mason, anyone, call 911 and send them to ol’ Poe’s residence. He’s having a cardiac event after reading something Lars wrote that actually makes sense and he agrees with.

Hurry…he may have just caused the Big One…

rgr769

Ditto.

A Proud Infidel®™

“*OOP*, *ACK*, *ICK*,…” like Bill the Cat always said.

5JC

Even a broken clock… unless it is a digital clock…

AW1Ed

Agree with Lars. Who are you and what have you done with Poe?

Hatchet

‘ducking dumb’?

Poe, RELAX! Lars is just jealous of Denzel as ALL he’ll EVER be is an honorary twat..

SFC D

I believe Mr. Washington can do better than this guy.
https://www.army.mil/article-amp/251136/ncolcoe_unveils_gainey_seac_display

ninja

This is for Claw.

Well, Well, Well…

Look who is still showing off.

Joe Gainey. Born in 1956. Graduated from High School around 1974/1975.

Who claims to be a Vietnam Era Veteran.

And supported a PHONY Vietnam POW….and PROMISED to return to TAH to show proof that Mike “Baby Killer” Killam was indeed a Vietnam POW…and never returned.

A COWARD.

https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=83229

https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=63422&cpage=1#comments

Joe Gainey…a POS who is just as bad as CSM Rick Cayton, who claimed to have been a Vietnam POW…and went to his grave never admitting his lies.

Both of them…COWARDS.

Claw

And now the NDSM embellishment is posted for all who follow to emulate.

Gainey’s first day of active duty was 17 June 1975, a full 10 months after the Viet of the Nam Times eligibility period ended.

But, Hell, it’s no big deal. The 3rd SEAC did the same thing although he missed out on being eligible for two BSS on his NDSM by six years./s

The Brotherhood weeps.

26Limabeans

It was my first award.
Damn near cried when I received it.

Claw

Oops, my bad. The 3rd SEAC missed out by eight years, not six.

Mea Culpa

ninja

And let us not forgot what Joe Gainey wrote on one of the sited links:

“Oh, by the way, since you do not personally know me, NEVER QUESTION MY DEDICATION TO MY VETERANS AGAIN. Are we clear?”

Joe Gainey. A BIG POS WHO IS A COWARD.

OWB

No, we weren’t clear then and it is still not clear who “MY VETERANS” might be. He may indeed be dedicated to them, but the rest of us nonembellishing, nonlying, nonposer veterans are certainly not HIS veterans.

Oh, wait. I may have changed my position on that one. It looks pretty clear that the veterans toward whom he is so dedicated are liars and posers. That excludes the rest of us.

His is certainly not the sort of dedication any of us needs. Or wants. What a bloviating jerk.

ninja

OWB:

AMEN!

SFC D

#notmyseac

ninja

And this is another comment from Joe Gainey about the phony Vietnam POW:

“I have sent an inquiry to someone that is in the position to find out the truth. If MIchael did fool all of us as you are claiming, I will be the first to say so”.

Joe Gainey NEVER CAME BACK AND ADMITTED HE WAS WRONG. A COWARDLY POS.

Joe Gainey, himself a PHONY Vietnam ERA Veteran.

Thank God the ninja family has our DD214s, because if were still on Active Duty when Gainey was Active Duty, we both would have ripped him two new holes in his behind.

And I am serious. What would the Army do to two Army Soldiers that both served our Country a combination of almost 60 years (with one of us being a Vietnam Era Veteran)?

Now the new saying is “F..K JOE GAINEY…”

ninja

And MORE FECES from Joe Gainey:

“Again, if my source tell me Michael is a “FAKE”, I will announce it LOUD AND CLEAR so everyone on this site can hear it. Until that is done, I believe his story.”

ninja

Joe Gainey wrote this in January
2016:

“I would ask that we step back and think about what we are doing here. Before Michael Killam can be given an opportunity to be found innocent or guilty you have determined he he is lying scum bag. Is this the way we treat each other? I hope not.
I will know next week the truth. The 3rd SEAC in visiting our troops in combat but has assured me he will dive into this a when he gets home Monday. I promise you I will post what I find out. I am turned off as much as the next guy when someone claims to be something they are not. All I am asking is let’s get some facts before we put this Brother against the wall and shoot him. Is that asking too much?
I will sign off until next week. Some of these comments from folks that know the truth are really disturbing to the is old Soldier.”

JOE GAINEY BROKE HIS PROMISE.

Another DIRTBAG and POS, just as Rick Cayton.

Gainey NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED AS A PHONY POSING AS A VIETNAM ERA VET. I don’t give a Rats Ass what his “Official” Documents state. Rick Cayton LIED on his “Official” Documents that he was a Vietnam POW, that the scars on his face were from the Viet Cong when in reality, he cut his own face. Even his Father, CSM Vernon Cayton, went around telling stories that he was a Korean War POW. Like Father, Like Son.

Can we PLEASE Expose Joe Gainey for his Deception?

Claw

“Can we PLEASE Expose”

I second that emotion./s

I’m still curious just how his Bronze Star Medal came to have a V Device attached to it, since it was awarded for his time as a Corps level CSM.

5JC

While not impossible, it would be quite a story.

5JC

Rut-roh Shaggy.

“Awarded the Army’s Bronze Star Medal for Valor for exceptionally meritorious service during 13 months of combat operations.”

There might be some problems with that one. Never heard of service so exceptionally meritorious it suddenly became valorous.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-j-joe-gainey-33b59621

5JC

Richard Cayton died over the summer. He went to the grave claiming two Silver Stars and a five pack of Purple Hearts. They did remove the POW claims.

ninja

Cayton got caight. He never had his DD214 corrected with a DD215. He never admittrd in publc his drceptions and lies. He lied about a buncj of other stuff as wrll. I PERSONALLY know all his other lies. Just as othr Phonies, he went to his grave with his lies and deceits. If you want to stand up fo rthatman, go for it.

ninja

Cayton got caught. He never had his DD214 corrected with a DD215. He never admitted in publc his deceptions and lies. He lied about a bunch of other stuff as well. I PERSONALLY know all his other lies. Just as other Phonies, he went to his grave with his lies and deceits. If you want to stand
up fo rthatman, go for it.

rgr769

POSers who falsely claim to have been POW’s are the worst of the valor thieves. They trade on the sympathy we have for the suffering of POW’s held by ruthless communists, as well as the valor of others. As for Cayton, I joined the LRRP unit he served in when he claimed he was captured by the enemy. As I told the Schantags, there was never anyone captured by the enemy in the five year existence of that LRRP company, period.

I talked to one of the men on that patrol, and exchanged emails with a couple of other members of the unit in January 1971 when Cayton claims he was a POW. They all say he was extracted with the rest of his LRRP team, except for the two men who were killed being pulled through the trees on the strings in a night Mcguire rig extraction that was unnecessary. The company commander who ran that night extraction and the recovery of the rest of his team the next day denies Cayton was captured. Moreover, Cayton attended the memorial service for his two team members who were killed by his malfeasance. It was conducted on a date when Cayton was, according to him, being held by the enemy.

Hatchet

Lower than worm castings under a gestating snake…

ninja

Thank You, AGAIN rgr769, for addressing Cayton’s LIES.

I also heard he pulled the pin on a hand grenade while in Vietnam (might be related to that Silver Star).

Cayton LIED about those scars on his face.

He had “Daddy”issues.

He went to his grave NEVER CONFESSING his lies…and yep, just as Bergdhl, he got two Soldiers KILLED while in Vietnam.

Again…His Father told folks that he was a Korean War POW…a complete Made Up Story.

There are MORE Lies that Cayton told others to include newspaper reporters…

Thank You Again.

ninja

JOE GAINEY IS A POS, A DIRTBAG AND A LIAR.

Vietnam Era Veteran MY ASS.

Another “LOOK AT ME!” type who wants attention and wears decorations/awards they are NOT entitled to.