SGM John Letuli: info request
We received this last night through various dependable channels. The Sergeant Major in the middle of these Sergeants Major pictured above is SGM John Letuli. He’s wearing a Special Forces combat patch in this picture. According to the folks at Professional Soldiers, they’ve contacted the Special Warfare Center and he’s never served with a Special Forces unit. Letuli is currently an operations sergeant in the North Carolina National Guard.
According to the people who emailed us yesterday, several investigations into this sergeant’s background have begun, but the various commands involved seem to want to sweep this under the rug. Apparently they won’t even respond to an Army Times reporter.
Of course, because he’s currently in the service, we won’t be able to get his OMPF through our usual channels in order to set the record straight, so we’re asking you guys for any information you can provide us. Someone out there knows this guy and can verify or refute his claims. You can contact anonymously with the form at the “Contact Us” link in our header our at the email address.
ADDED: I am aware of all of the possibilities that might have led to the SGM wearing an SF combat patch, I, myself, am authorized to wear either the 1st ID or 2AD patch for the same combat tour. Apparently these possibilities have all been negated by the folks at Professional Soldier, the SWC and the SOCOM CSM.
2nd ADDED:Seems that is not only the thing that is in question.
Besides the SF tab, he’s wearing the Soldier’s Medal and the Purple Heart.
Category: Military issues, Phony soldiers
Really, Is that what the 1st Amendment cover for Professional Soldier’s? This SOLIDER, who may well be a father, son, husband, brother, and friend to many is in the middle of a dessert fighting for freedom and safety for you reporters to have your 1st Amendment rights and the best you can call news is to tear a SOLIDER down for wearing a patch for serving what his country, our freedom, and possibly his life. Does the rank miss leading or not make a difference if he is fighting this war? does he get paid more for it? do his children miss him less? will his life mean more or less if he loses it for you? Some of these comments are a waste of space and time. Can you honestly say that a patch or the color of his skin make a difference if he is out there away from his family, his children & friends making and income that can never measure the worth of this man. To have pathetic home bodies, has been’s scare the spirit of this SOLIDER. YEah, get off of your little job, go home, to a warm meal, kiss your wife and your kids goodnight and thank GOD their’s a SOLIDER like him guarding your gates and then ask is this freaken patch worth it?
Like the man said, 3rd grade spelling. I’d love to know where the last post originated.
Just sayin.
#102,
I doubt anyone here will detract from whatever sacrifices Letuli has made in the past, but consider the following quote: “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”-Benjamin Franklin
Most of us one here have served or are serving. As a junior NCO I realize that there is no excuse for a failure to uphold to adhere to the standard. I guess my honorable service in Iraq gives me the right to just throw on whatever patch I want so long as I am willing to deploy again, in your world at least.
I can respect the rank, but in the case of this sorry POS I cannot respect the man. I have buried men who were not even old enough to buy cigarettes, much less achieve the rank of SGM. Even a Future Soldier awaiting their ship date knows not to claim something they have not earned. Letuli has stained the NCO Corps and is a discredit to the uniform.
Ref: Post 102
In the middle of a “dessert”? Really? In the middle of a big old dessert? What, a hot-fudge sunday from Dairy Queen? Letuli…learn to spell…CAN YOU SMELL IT?
The Rock is cooking dessert?
For those defending him, sure he may have been a soldier but if one is a soldier that needs to embellish on his own medals, badges, and patches. He does not deserve to be a soldier at that. I served with the National Guard for a short period and would NEVER even think of adding items to my uniform that I did not earn. I apparently have a conscience.
This is disgusting who the fuck cares if he was overseas he was a CSM over there working as what a desk jockey such a sacrifice… not. Those that you should be defending are those who have actually earned the right to wear and display the medals, badges, and patches in which he is falsely wearing. His act takes away from what honor and respect those fighting men and women have earned.
Sure defend a coward and a proven lair but you are taking away from those that are Heroes and professionals.
To the real soldiers fighting overseas
Hooah and take care brothers and sisters
What a shameful way to live! I’ve known John Letuli for many years and always knew something was not right about his stories but could not quite put my finger on it. Now outcomes the truth. Not only has he proven to not having any honor or integrity but he has shamed his family as well. How can you do that to your children? Apparently quite easily. I think that the “dead horse” has been beaten enough on his embarassment to the military, the NCO Corps, etc. The fact of the matter remains that the NC National Guard needs to take a great portion of the blame as well. Why? You ask? Because having spent sometime in the 30th BCT myself I know alot of the way they operate. The majority of them, not all, are an embarassment to the military they pretty much run the organization they want to and thrive on the “good ol’ boy” network. They are undisciplined and would not know a military regulation if it slapped them. No, I am not a disgruntled employee, LOL, just stating the facts. That should pretty much sum up why John Letuli has gotten away with what he has for so long.
I agree with the last comment. Beating the man down is over and done with. As time has past since the initial investigation, many of you locals that have been or are involved with the 30th BCT, already know that this has been swept under the rug. I am a Sanford, NC local and the last time I saw John a few months back, he was still CSM, in uniform and working full-time for the NC National Guard. There are many people above him whom are just as guulty, but remain hero’s or respected leaders in your eyes. The whole situation was just the “good ol’ boys” getting caught up in favors for friends…
I am now in the unit this guy was the 1st Sgt back in 2008 and 2009 for the train-up. The guys say he was a good first sergeant but that doesn’t matter he completely disregarded the army values and the fact the NC National guard did basically nothing is very disturbing. But they did what they do best, covering up and looking out for their buddies.
This is an embarrassment to the 30th BCT but not surprising. That’s why I am getting out next year, it is just a good ole boy club. I don’t consider myself a disgruntled employee but as a Junior NCO their actions against Letuli (or lack thereof) gives me no faith in their leadership ability. And supposedly this guy still works at the NC Military Academy on Butner Rd.
Iron Knight the only group I know of who went to combat with 1AD in the time frame you speak of was 1st brigade who’s orders were cut by 3rd ID, and since I was in first armored but was pinned for my CMB by the 3rd ID division commander I sometimes will choose to wear that patch, and yes I actually worked with the 1/30th and yes I feel I’m more than authorized.
For all of you pieces-of-shit that are defending Letuli, I’d like to give you all a big FUCK YOU! I don’t give a flying fuck if you were friends w/ him or how “good” of a “leader” he was. The fact is that he was NEVER an SF soldier & that he’s NEVER earned the right to wear the Special Forces tab.
And for ANYONE else who’s wondering why he hasn’t been properly punished is b/c it goes way deeper than just Letuli. A big chunk of his fucking guard unit is in on it & that’s why all the bullshit that he’s done has been swept under the rug. Also, a big chunk of the asshats in the guard unit that he belongs to all have dirt & they’re all doing damage-control by giving Letuli a slap-on-the-wrist punishment so that they themselves don’t get investigated. And once again, for all of you that are defending Letuli, I’d like to give you all a big FUCK YOU!
The background appears to be a DA photo. Ok, he can fake the picture, how in the hell do you get the shit onto your OMPF??? I have a feeling this guy has faked his way right up to the CSM ranks! And as many of you have already stated, there is nothing more upsetting that seeing a reservist with an active duty combat patch. What is wrong with wearing your own patch? Don’t you have any pride? I once saw an 82d snatch the AA patch off a reservist and told him “go ahead and get it back”. It was classic!
[…] he didn’t earn. Our buddies at Professional Soldiers alerted us to the case just days before my post two years ago. Of course, Letuli had defenders in that post (one of whom we suspect to be Letuli himself), so […]
I read this whole episode about John Letuli, and it saddened me of the fact that some of you are caliing him the Samoan coward. Please Samoa is the name of the islands far in the Pacific and I don’t think it’s people are cowards. Maybe John is but please leave aside the name Samoa.
A concern citizen: if you’d bothered to read a bit more carefully, you’d have noticed this comment thread had been dead for 3+ months – and the comments you find objectionable were over 2 years old. All you’ve done here is bring them to the forefront.
And remember: it was Letuli who dishonored his heritage – not those commenting here.
Thanks Hondo, I fully agree with you. I am also a retired paratrooper and I know exactly why everyone were upset. I hope the matter is dealt with and for everyone to move forward.
I had the unfortunate pleasure of serving with SM Letuli during the 2008 train up for the 30th HBCT’s deployment to Iraq from 2009-2010. He was a good person, but quite frankly a shady soldier. He had a tendency to create false stories in which he implicated his false qualifications, in a unconscious effort to boost the morale of his soldiers.I was always leary of him, and spoke to several other soldiers who did not believe that he had acquired such qaulifications. SM Letuli was promoted to SM during the train up while in mississippi at camp shelby. He was then moved to battalion as the operations SM. During the deployment, he was very rarely seen as if he was constantly hiding from the people who knew he was a poser. He is completely and utterly a disgrace to men and women that wear the uniform. He has brown nosed his way to success by pencil whipping military award documents and creating a false resume for himself. Lets see how far he gets now.
I had the unfortunate pleasure of serving with SM Letuli during the 2008 train up for the 30th HBCT’s deployment to Iraq from 2009-2010. He was a good person, but quite frankly a shady soldier. He had a tendency to create false stories in which he implicated his false qualifications, in a unconscious effort to boost the morale of his soldiers.I was always leary of him, and spoke to several other soldiers who did not believe that he had acquired such qaulifications. SM Letuli was promoted to SM during the train up while in mississippi at camp shelby. He was then moved to battalion as the operations SM. During the deployment, he was very rarely seen as if he was constantly hiding from the people who knew he was a poser. He is completely and utterly a disgrace to men and women that wear the uniform. He has brown nosed his way to success by pencil whipping military award documents and creating a false resume for himself. Lets see how far he gets now.
11 Bushwhacker: you might want to follow the link in comment 115 above. Bottom line: he didn’t retire as a SGM.
I write a leave a response when I especially enjoy a post on a site or if I have something to valuable to
contribute to the conversation. Usually it is caused
by the sincerness communicated in the post I read.
And on this post This ain’t Hell, but you can see it from here ? Blog Archive ? SGM John Letuli: info request. I was actually moved enough to write a thought 😉 I do have a few questions for you if you do not mind. Is it only me or does it look as if like a few of the remarks come across as if they are written by brain dead folks? 😛 And, if you are writing on other online social sites, I would like to follow anything fresh you have to post. Could you make a list every one of all your social sites like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?