Special Forces ?

[Ashlar2006]

My wife has a job where she works with the public . She meets many veterans and I have a question , why is it that most all who have been in the Army were "Special Forces" ? She said almost every Army vet who comes to her store makes this statement . When she asked me this I just laughed , it seems almost every soldier I have ever talked to who is my age or younger were either Snipers or Special Forces .

 

[Zack]

And they all played high school football.

 

[Ashlar2006]

And they all played high school football.

LOL , how true !

Now , I know not every Army vet was "Special Forces" . If you were a mechanic in Motor T , a cook , desk jockey , armorer , worked in supply or any other rear echelon job , STAND UP and be PROUD . If it were not for them , those of us in a combat MOS could not do our jobs !!!!

 

[Gary]

The short answer is because they are "special". The even have a rank structure that parallels the normal enlisted ranks. They are called "Specialists".

So, Yeah they were in a "Force", and yup... it was "Special".... i.e. Special Forces! LMAO.

 

[Ashlar2006]

The short answer is because they are "special". The even have a rank structure that parallels the normal enlisted ranks. They are called "Specialists".

So, Yeah they were in a "Force", and yup... it was "Special".... i.e. Special Forces! LMAO.

LOL , now that was a good one .

 

[Hiram's Scouter]

Could be for the same reason every Marine was a Scout sniper or Force Recon, everyone in the Airforce was a Para Rescue or some high speed security force or everyone in the Navy had either been a SEAL or claims to have tested for them in boot camp, it probably has something to do with the age of those claiming. Who knows why people see the need to make false claims to inflate the ego. How many high profile political personalities have made false claims, latter disputed, about military accomplishments?

 

[Ashlar2006]

Could be for the same reason every Marine was a Scout sniper or Force Recon, everyone in the Airforce was a Para Rescue or some high speed security force or everyone in the Navy had either been a SEAL or claims to have tested for them in boot camp, it probably has something to do with the age of those claiming. Who knows why people see the need to make false claims to inflate the ego. How many high profile political personalities have made false claims, latter disputed, about military accomplishments?

Though I know a few Marines who lie , most Marines I know are more than proud of the title Marine alone and never seen the need to lie about our MOS . I was artillery , and most will tell you their TRUE MOS . Most of us view Recon/Force Recon nothing more than infantrymen with above average map reading skills and were unimpressed with them . And snipers ? crawling around on ones belly for days at a time is for the birds , as the old artillery saying goes , "If you can't truck it , F**K it !"

 

[Bob Franks]

Special Forces...

...that's like Special Education, right?

 

[Windrider]

My Cousin was in Force Recon in Viet Nam.The only time he ever talked about it was one evening on a cruise ship sharing a bottle of 151 rum with me. I think the real heroes, like the real Masons, don't just toss it around. If anybody asked him, he would just say he went to 'Nam.

 

[Ashlar2006]

My Cousin was in Force Recon in Viet Nam.The only time he ever talked about it was one evening on a cruise ship sharing a bottle of 151 rum with me. I think the real heroes, like the real Masons, don't just toss it around. If anybody asked him, he would just say he went to 'Nam.

Agreed . I have never seen the need to "pad" my service in the Corps . I was nothing more than a gun ape . And to brag I was something I was not or won medals I never earned is a slap in the face of those , who came before me and who are serving now , who did .

 

[Winter]

Having served in the USAF and the Army I am very proud of my service. When I was at Basic 20 years ago I volunteered for AF Special Forces to try and be either a PJ, ETAC, FAC, or Combat Controller. I was young and in shape but I still washed out. I've never been good at long distance running. But it is a great source of pride that I took a swing at it. I got lucky and slotted as a Helicopter Crew Chief in a rescue unit. (My actual title right of tech school was an Apprentice Helicopter Maintenance Technician but I worked my way up in less than two years to be the Crew Chief of my own Huey as an E-4)

My point to all this rambling is that USAF helicopter rescue units are part of the Air Force Special Operations Command. And this is not just the PJ's (who rank just under G-d in badassery) and the helicopter pilots and Crew Chiefs (like me) who get them in and out. All the members of the command can technically claim that they were "Spec Ops" in the Air Force. From the AGE mechs to the BPO personnel. It is a gross misrepresentation of the facts yes, but there you have it. When I meet these posers in the pub I just coin check them and have done with it.

P.S. In the Army I was Field Artillery and very proud!

 

[Hiram's Scouter]

Though I know a few Marines who lie , most Marines I know are more than proud of the title Marine alone and never seen the need to lie about our MOS . I was artillery , and most will tell you their TRUE MOS . Most of us view Recon/Force Recon nothing more than infantrymen with above average map reading skills and were unimpressed with them . And snipers ? crawling around on ones belly for days at a time is for the birds , as the old artillery saying goes , "If you can't truck it , F**K it !"

Didn't mean any offense, have many good friends in all branches. However, having spent 23 years in the Army and having come in contact with a lot of military men over the years, I know of no branch that is immune to over exaggeration. I, like youself, have never seen the need to lie about my service record,because most of us can see through this over embellishments and all of us that spent time in the military are such a small percentage of the population we shouldn't have the need for any further elaboration. I spent the first years as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and ended as a First Sergeant with a Combat Engineer Company, never regretted any of my career choices.

 

[Bob Franks]

Posers and heros

[snip]I think the real heroes, like the real Masons, don't just toss it around. If anybody asked him, he would just say he went to 'Nam.

In the mid 70s, we had 2 Corpsmen in my USNR medical unit who were a good contrast.

One wore a chest full of medals and told all within earshot how tough it was "in the 'Nam" and all about Marines, leaches, malaria, and 30 day recons.
He came back from lunch one drill wearing only the National Defense Medal. Our C.O. had ordered him to wear only decorations he had earned.
We never saw him after that day.

The other was a very quiet seminary student, only drilling until he finished school. He wore no medals at all. One weekend we wore working uniforms to practice The Art of Self Defense, as taught by our Senior Corpman, John, a new brown belt. I got paired with "JB," and try as I might, even under direct instruction from John, I couldn't throw him. John questioned him if he had martial arts training, and he was evasive, but eventually admitted that he had been a SEAL. He didn't want to talk about it, he just wanted money to finish school, so he'd gotten the agreement that he could wear his uniform without medals or his BUDS device.

Dad didn't talk much about the Pacific war, either.
Me? I never heard a shot fired off the rifle range.
I was just the insurance policy that never had to pay off.

S&F

 

[removed12612]

In my line of work, we call those that like to brag and talk a big game but havent really done anything...... Engine Guys.....



sorry....I just had to throw in a jab at my good Brother..... luv ya Bro....

 

[Gary]

In my line of work, we call those that like to brag and talk a big game but havent really done anything...... Engine Guys.....



sorry....I just had to throw in a jab at my good Brother..... luv ya Bro....

Yeah, cuz when your single story house is on fire, the thing that shows up is a bunch of clowns on a ladder truck. In my district, the only time a ladder truck rolls is to turn the wheels so the tires don't get flat spots in them from sitting so long.

 

[removed12612]

Yeah, cuz when your single story house is on fire, the thing that shows up is a bunch of clowns on a ladder truck. In my district, the only time a ladder truck rolls is to turn the wheels so the tires don't get flat spots in them from sitting so long.

Hey.... dont be a hater...lol..... you know you need the truck guys to open the doors and show you where its at...... EUREKA!!!!.... it just dawned on me.... Truckies are the shepherds and the Hosedraggers are the sheep....

 

[Ashlar2006]

Didn't mean any offense, have many good friends in all branches. However, having spent 23 years in the Army and having come in contact with a lot of military men over the years, I know of no branch that is immune to over exaggeration. I, like youself, have never seen the need to lie about my service record,because most of us can see through this over embellishments and all of us that spent time in the military are such a small percentage of the population we shouldn't have the need for any further elaboration. I spent the first years as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and ended as a First Sergeant with a Combat Engineer Company, never regretted any of my career choices.

No offense taken , just chatting here . I created this thread in jest for the most part .

Paratrooper huh , one thing I never dreamed of doing is jumping out of a perfectly good airplane LOL .

 

[Hiram's Scouter]

Ashlar, that is assuming their is such an animal as a "perfectly good" military aircraft. I do know what you are saying though, I had a guy that drove a boat for SEALs claim he was Special Ops ( dead give away); a guy that was truck driver for 19th Group tell me he was Green Beret ( that's headgear) and a former Marine in my old Combat Engineer Unit; who was just a few years older than myself claim to have been in Guadalcanal ( got a real good laugh on that one); and during my deployment to Iraq in 2004 I was asked by a spouse of one of my troops why Engineers were kicking in doors in Baghdad? The stories really get embellished when you add a little drinking and inter-service rivalry to the mix -all in good fun as long there are no civilians around. Glad to see so many military brothers on here. Good conversation, thanks for the topic.

 

[Ashlar2006]

Talking about "perfectly good airplanes" , we were once doing training helo raids from ship into Africa . I noticed fluids dripping from lines overhead . Just a drip every so often , as the crew chief was working his way passed me , I grabbed his arm and yelled "It's dripping fluids !!!" . He looked to where I was pointing , turned around and gave me a thumbs up and yelled back "Don't worry about it until it quits dripping , then we are in trouble !" I sat and watched the drips the entire flight onto the African coast .

 

[Winter]

Ashlar, that is so true! The Huey I was CC on saw service in Nam and had numerous leaks! I learned that right away in my training that a helo NOT leaking is a problem. LOL