Phony soldier in KY
1stCavRVN11B sent me this link to a story about a guy who wants to be a state senator in Kentucky by the name of Mike Cope.
Cope, 36, spoke to the Stanford Rotary back in August and before he talked to the lunchtime group, there was time for some questions. Cope’s bio says that he served in the Air Force during Desert Storm, and when asked what he did in the Air Force, he replied, “I was a PJ.”
PJs are Air Force Pararescue – the Special Forces of the Air Force. It takes almost two years of training just to qualify to join a pararescue unit. Some studly stuff.
Well, it turns out that Mike Cope completed Air Force basic training then injured his knee at the Pararescue Indoctrination Course. Nothing wrong with that, actually – since they wash out about 90 percent of their classes, it’s pretty common. But then to put in his bio that he was a PJ, well, that’s just disingenuous.
Oh, and the “Desert Storm” part of his bio, well, that’s even more disingenuous;
The other question, about Desert Storm, is trickier. The “war” part of Desert Storm lasted a very short time; it began on Jan. 16 1991 and ended on April 6, a full four years before Cope signed up with the Air Force. Cope’s claim of having served during Desert Storm is based on him beingeligible for the National Defense Service Medal (NDSM). The NDSM was awarded to those members of the armed forces that served anytime, anywhere, between Aug. 2, 1991 and Nov. 30, 1995. Cope’s military record indicates that he started active duty on Nov. 29, so he is eligible to claim Desert Storm era service for exactly one day.
So with all of this information suddenly becoming public, you’d think that Cope would apologize and correct his bio, wouldn’t you?
Cope said Saturday that he was sorry if there was any misunderstanding but he doesn’t intend to change his biography. “I was there, I don’t think it’s misrepresenting at all…I was never proud that I had to leave, but I did the best I could.”
He should be proud that he served, he should be proud that he was selected, but he washed out before qualifying. And joining the military four years after the shooting stopped doesn’t make you a veteran of the war. Dingus.
Oh, it looks like he changed his bio anyway. Now it simply states that “he was a member of the United States Air Force”. But I wouldn’t vote for him – do we have to investigate each part of his bio to get to the truth about him?
Category: Phony soldiers
Why is serving never enough? It sort becomes this alpha male, “big dick” contest between these schmoes, where you have to justify your service by lying. You served, you did something not many Americans have done.
Hell, I was a paper pusher in the Marine Corps. I served in Iraq and sat behind a desk. I am comfortable with my service to the Corps and the troops I led. Do I feel some regret and guilt of not being out there with other Marines? Sure I do, but I am not going around telling people I ran through Fallujah with 1st Recon smokin’ insurgents and kickin in skulls.
You served honorably, that should be enough. The veteran community will welcome you with open arms and take you in like you are family. No shame in any of that.
I would like to thank you for exposing these Stolen Valor guys.
I’ve never been to the Gulf, and I make it very plain I never served IN Desert Shield/Storm, but that I was on AD at the time. Bit of difference there. Chesty is right–I don’t understand why people need to overplay their service. You did what you did. Not everyone can be Rambo, fer Chrissakes. Hell, I don’t want to be Rambo! Being on a neutron-powered sewer pipe with 120 other guys for up to 2 months at a time was frightening enough!
I e-mailed Mike Cope, cutting and pasting from the post above, questioning him on it. He surprised me with a reply. Seems to me like typical politicians shuffle n dance act, but for the readers, here is his response:
Hello Mr. Cee,
I sorry to say Sir, the facts were misrepresented by the reporter. He ask me what my M.O.S. was and I replied PJ. I nerver told this reporter I was a PJ and I have never told anyone that I finished my training. I did receive the NDSM for Desert Storm and I am proud of the training I completed. I give all credit to those guys who were getting shot at and I applaud their service. I posted in my BIO that I was a member of the Pararescue training unit and I have never said I finished my training. As you know, most of the guys that enter PJ training either quit or get injured and I was one of those, but that doesn’t mean we were never there. As for my BIO, I changed it because I am sympothetic to the views of Veterans. I am proud of my service Sir and none of my BIO was a lie. This artical was seriously misleading as to who I am and who I claim to be. The media isn’t always true Sir, but I do appreciate your feedback. Thank you.
“Learned all I need to know about Islam on 9/11!”
Interesting. With this sort of logic of being a veteran of wars that already ended, I could be a Vietnam Vet. Maybe I could be the next John Kerry.
Well… a friend of mine had a Gulf Gas Station once… do I qualify?
I’m with NHSparky… I listened to fish flatulance for months at a time on a Boomer. (Fact is, I’ve had Airborne troops look at me, roll their eyes and say “I could never do that” LOL, damn man, you were jumping out of perfectly good aircraft and you think I’M crazy? LOL) Never felt the need to tell people I was anything else. I confess, I don’t know how the Air Force does things, but in the Navy you don’t get the MOS until after you’ve finished training. (though that would explain the enormous number of “SEALs” I’ve met who couldn’t run a mile if a sabortooth lion was chasing their ass.)
Frankly Opinionated, I am curious what Cope said I ‘misrepresented’ in my article.
Awesome post. It’s absolutely ridiculous. Here’s an interesting write up on on another faker. But from WW2. And the french love him…….of course.
http://doodiepants.com/2009/06/08/dday-fake-82nd-airborne-paratrooper-french-legion-of-honor/
Message from Mike Cope
Michael Broihier attempt at political slander is pretty evident. He sent his story to military blog sites to invoke a response. He even stated on one of those sites “, It wasn’t as hard hitting as I would have liked, but you take what you can get”. The fact is, I have never said I finished my training to become a PJ and I never claim to be a war hero. I was a member of the Pararescue Training Unit 342 TRS. I was injured during my training and was forced to leave my training. My web site Bio stated that I was a member of the Pararescue training unit and served during Desert Storm. My wording for Desert Storm was meant to give a timeline and not to promote being war hero. This man is a retired Marine who apparently didn’t learn the meaning of Integrity. I would even say his actions are cowardly, because he is hiding behind his articles to promote his political agenda. That fact is Mr. Broihier had all my service information and he didn’t include the facts in his article. That Folks, is called the half truth. His politically motivated smear is sad, but the worst part is we should be able to expect more from a retired Marine. I will gladly show my service docs to anyone and answer any questions. The article Michael Broihier wrote is a political smear! Don’t believe everything you read Folks!
Here’s a link to the speech that started the story. Cope provided it to me himself. The only changes made to it are the addition of highlighting to point out the place in his speech where he claims to have been “member of the Pararescue Special Forces Unit.” Cope was never in a special forces unit, he never went further than the Air Education and Training Command at Lackland AFB.
http://www.theinteriorjournal.com/stories/2009/09/16/1102_copespeechhighlight.pdf
My new web site is coming soon folks. It will have a copy of my service docs and also a audio recording of the Rotary speech. You can see and hear the truth for yourselves. The fact that I said I was a member of the Pararescue Special Forces Unit is true ( that doesn’t mean I was a PJ)and the 342 TRS is the special forces unit for the Air Force. I pre-qualified for the job of Pararescue even before entering the service. Mr. Broihier fails to mention those facts. To suggest that I was not in the Pararescue training program is an outright lie by Mr. Broihier and to go as far to suggest stolen war valor is ridicules. Being friends with Ed Worley is one thing, but to stoop to this level is shameful. You told me you weren’t out to play “got ya” journalism Mike. Looks that way to me. Why not drop the silly games.