"Oh yeah I'm Special Forces"

[Notorious]

No poser stories, guess I have been lucky. But I have 3 stories of guys who were there and didn't let on.

I know this guy who is built like a fireplug and has a very quiet mannerism about him. Then we all learn he was RTO for his Ranger battalion. The clue was sometimes he would wear his SF Oakleys which were built just slightly different than the civilian version and he would wear the Ranger BN tee shirt every so often. When we tried asking him about some of his OIF/OEF stories, he would give something vague and talk about Ranger's primary missions like taking airfields and that's about it. Never anything specific like if he shot people or wore a necklace of ears.

I work with a former Marine. Funny guy. I messed with him once. He was in Nam but didn't talk about it much. Saw some pix of him from Da Nang. So one time, while we were chatting with another coworker, I started talking about my time in the Nam. The former Marine got very excited and asked where I was stationed and what outfit I was with and so on and so on. I told him about me being in the Ia Drang valley and how we assaulted Hamburger Hill with the 1st Air Cavalry and after a few minutes... he looked at me and realized that when Hamburger Hill happened, I wasn't even born yet. He got a good laugh out of that one.

My other coworker was SF Green Beret in the Nam. Also never talked about it. I heard a few things here and there about it but he never said much other than he carried some specialized equipment on the team and his SF medic skills qualified him to be as good as a doctor from 1879. When he retired, his wife brought out some photos and that's when I finally heard some stories about his exploits. That's when I realized I had been working and joking with a true man among men.

Guys who have been there done that don't need to talk about it and share it with the world. They know what they've done. They know it's enough for them to know what they did.

Thank you all for your service.

[11Bforme]

have worked with SF guys before and they for the most part are the coolest of the cool. I think the funniest thing is seeing guys wearing SF combat patches. They tell the "best" SF stories about what they did.

[olhunter]

'mafmike' on leatherneck.com got busted...

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68329

[professionalcoyotehunter]

I love when they weed those guys out.

[winnre]

Off to get my picture taken I stopped for a haircut on the way. While under the barber smock another gentleman walks in and gets the chair beside me. With two male barbers and two customers the talks go from women to cars to guns. Then the fun starts.

My neighbors says he is in the Army. Great! What MOS? I ask. Oh that's classified. He speaks 4 languages, has a level 38 top secret clearance, and is a green beret.

He actually was believing himself. I had to let him continue.

Wow green beret? Clearance? Languages? Ooooh! Ahhhhh! Oooooh!

He took the bait. He has been all over the place but can't say where. Any question I posed to him that required one week of basic training to answer was automaticlaly classified, level 38. He briefed presidents, had secret compartments in his house and car, and several computer chips in his body.

You know the car salesman on True Lies? Like him, times a hundred. By now even the barbers were rolling their eyes.

My haircut was done first. I told my neighbor that I have to go get my picture taken in hopes of getting promoted. The barber worked the timing well, and pulled the smock off of me in a grandiose move.

I stood up in my Class A's, put on my jacket with my E-7 stripes, 6 service stripes, 20-odd ribbons, and the other standard stuff fr those of us not lucky enough to have a level 38 clearance.

Sad part is, the guy still had answers. Oh you're regular Army, yea you are basically our cover, I do things while the enemy is looking at you....

Some people are just mental.

[Fjold]

If we stepped outside, we'd drown.

[rromeo]

I know a few special operators. My folks live 40 minutes from Little Creek where the SEALs are based, in Virginia. One of their neighbors is a former team commander. As most of you can guess, his stories are rare, and not very detailed.

[Nordschleife]

I know a few special operators. My folks live 40 minutes from Little Creek where the SEALs are based, in Virginia. One of their neighbors is a former team commander. As most of you can guess, his stories are rare, and not very detailed.

I bumped into a former SEAL while i was visiting the USS Arizona memorial. I spoke to him but, like your neighbor, his stories were very vague. Same with a few current operators I met while an acquaintance was introducing his M14 EBR to them at a local range. Quiet guys, very understated....yeah you know they're hardcore.

[ZombieTactics]

I'm related to very high-ranking retired naval officer on one side of the family, and a bunch high-speed/low-drag types on the other side ... never served myself.

As such I've had enough contact with that personality type that I know what to expect. I don't know a single one who likes to tell war stories. Someone too loud, too free and easy with the exciting tale ... probably not the real deal.

[Rwnielsen]

There are many stories out there, some real, some not. My career was rather unorthodox, and I served with Special Forces, Marines, etc because nowadays "joint ops" is a way of doing business in our military. Not that it matters, but I have awards, certificates and orders in my file to prove it. In my travels, I have been in conversations with many young folks returning from or going to war. However, I usually just keep quiet, and let those young studs be young studs. Bravado is part of the culture, and unit pride is an important thing. I do thank them for their service.

I know I can tell within about 2 minutes if a guy (or gal) is straight-up, telling a few war stories, or is a true imposter. Imposters, those who steal valor of others, should be exposed and dealt with harshly.

Well said

[HowardW56]

My two best stories:

1. My co-worker got a divorce from her ex-special forces in Vietman husband. Had all kind of uniforms and medals. None were his. It came up in the divorce that he was never even in the military. He lied for over 15 years.

2. I started working with little guy who was kind of quiet but I knew used to be in the military. He was currently in the guard. One day he was talking about doing HALO jumps, Marine Dive school, Ops with SEAL's and Green Berets, Hi-Speed this and that. When I asked what branch he was in he said Air Force I laughed....then found out he used to be a Combat Controller and it was all true. He has been my best friend for the last few years.

I guess you never know.

A friend went on about being in Iraq as a Marine and he had a special assignment with a British unit... OK... Then I found out what ANGLICO meant... (Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company) He coordinated Air & Artillary support...

[HowardW56]

I'm related to very high-ranking retired naval officer on one side of the family, and a bunch high-speed/low-drag types on the other side ... never served myself.

As such I've had enough contact with that personality type that I know what to expect. I don't know a single one who likes to tell war stories. Someone too loud, too free and easy with the exciting tale ... probably not the real deal.

I know a guy like that, was a Master Diver/UDT before there were SEALS, then he was a SEAL He didn't like to talk about it at all...

[California Major]

Quiet Professionals

They call themselves Quiet Professionals for a reason...The first thing that sets off the BS-meter is guy that steps up to tell his war story.

Been around my share of operators, and they really don't volunteer stories. Unless you get several of them together...

[Cpl.Park]

When I was getting a tat about 6 years ago. Some guy was talking loud about being a former special forces in the Marine Corps and how CIA + blackwater wants him to work for them. So, while I was getting tat, I asked him so what was your MOS?
He said, I do not remember what is MOS stand for because it has been long time since I got out. (he looks like 23 years old the most).
I said, thats cool, sometimes people forget stuff like that (not really)
I asked him this question, something that no service member will ever forget. When was your EAS and who was your Drill Instructors?
He said, after being special forces for too long, I do not care about those stuff.
I straight out told him, you are full of ****, stop wasting my time before my marines friends who are waiting for me outside will beat the crap out of you.
He just left.

[Donk310]

When I was getting a tat about 6 years ago. Some guy was talking loud about being a former special forces in the Marine Corps and how CIA + blackwater wants him to work for them. So, while I was getting tat, I asked him so what was your MOS?
He said, I do not remember what is MOS stand for because it has been long time since I got out. (he looks like 23 years old the most).
I said, thats cool, sometimes people forget stuff like that (not really)
I asked him this question, something that no service member will ever forget. When was your EAS and who was your Drill Instructors?
He said, after being special forces for too long, I do not care about those stuff.
I straight out told him, you are full of ****, stop wasting my time before my marines friends who are waiting for me outside will beat the crap out of you.
He just left.

I've always been told "you will never forget your Drill Instructors" Funny, because I can't remember mine to save my life. I always have to go to my red book to read their names.