Here's another thread liberals can howl about: VA Sec'y lied about military service

[Viligant_Warrior]

VA Secretary Robert McDonald admits lying about Special Forces service

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald has admitted that he lied about serving in the special operations forces in a conversation with a homeless veteran that was caught on camera earlier this year.

McDonald made the claim in January while he was in Los Angeles as part of the VA's effort to locate and house homeless veterans. During the tour, a homeless man told McDonald that he had served in the special operations forces.

McDonald trained at U.S. Army Ranger School and graduated, but never served if Special Forces. That may seem like a fine line to some civilians who don't understand the implication of saying "I'm Special Forces" when all you actually did was graduated Ranger school.

It's like saying, after being in an NFL training camp for a couple days before being released, "I played in the NFL." No you didn't. And McDonald wasn't Special Forces, either.

Seems Obama likes surrounding himself with liars.

 

[Anonimous]

He has such a good track record... or maybe crap record.

 

[Utah]

Excellent analogy. These people have no shame.

Michael Savage is right, liberalism is a mental disorder.

 

[Nautilus]

McDonald trained at U.S. Army Ranger School and graduated, but never served if Special Forces. That may seem like a fine line to some civilians who don't understand the implication of saying "I'm Special Forces" when all you actually did was graduated Ranger school.

It's like saying, after being in an NFL training camp for a couple days before being released, "I played in the NFL." No you didn't. And McDonald wasn't Special Forces, either.

Seems Obama likes surrounding himself with liars.

You need a hobby. Half these stories arent even news.

 

[Viligant_Warrior]

You need a hobby. Half these stories arent even news.

Translation: "STOP PICKING ON MY DEMOCRATS!!"

 

[Human]

McDonald trained at U.S. Army Ranger School and graduated, but never served if Special Forces. That may seem like a fine line to some civilians who don't understand the implication of saying "I'm Special Forces" when all you actually did was graduated Ranger school.

It's like saying, after being in an NFL training camp for a couple days before being released, "I played in the NFL." No you didn't. And McDonald wasn't Special Forces, either.

Well, it's not really. Training is part of military service, so to train with the military and serve that time, whether you were deployed or not, is still to do ''military service''. The Rangers are a Special Forces Unit, he trained, passed and graduated that unit's selection process. He is/was a Ranger.

If I trained in Scotland's highlands for the British SAS and passed the selection process, I would say ''I'm SAS'', regardless of whether I had been deployed to fight with the unit or not.

If I go to school, serve my three years of time and achieve a Doctorate in Music, I'm a musician and a Doctor of Music, regardless of whether I've hit a Top 10 in the singles chart or not.

 

[dcontroversal]

Par for the course...evil men and seducers will wax worse and worse.....seems that MANY governments of the world are full of people who are full of crap!

 

[Viligant_Warrior]

Well, it's not really. Training is part of military service, so to train with the military and serve that time, whether you were deployed or not, is still to do ''military service''. The Rangers are a Special Forces Unit, he trained, passed and graduated that unit's selection process. He is/was a Ranger.

Being British, you are totally clueless here, so your opinion is less than worthless. If an average Joe in the U.S. Army graduated Ranger School and said, upon returning to his unit, "I'm Special Forces" he'd get a soap-in-a-sock party that night in the shower.

If I trained in Scotland's highlands for the British SAS and passed the selection process, I would say ''I'm SAS'', regardless of whether I had been deployed to fight with the unit or not.

So I guess the Scot's military has lower standards, especially if they'd let you train for SAS. And, since I know and have served with SAS, I also know you're full of it. They would be as incensed by your comment, if you had merely passed the training, as U.S. vets are about McDonald's loose relationship to the truth.

If I go to school, serve my three years of time and achieve a Doctorate in Music, I'm a musician and a Doctor of Music, regardless of whether I've hit a Top 10 in the singles chart or not.

That invalid comparison is just plain ignorant, as are most of you so-called "comments" on American culture and politics. Harry Truman said, "It is better to keep your mouth shut and let others suspect you're a jackass than to open your mouth and prove it."

 

[Nautilus]

Translation: "STOP PICKING ON MY DEMOCRATS!!"

Is he a democrat? I didn't see it anywhere in the news blurb you posted or in your op. I just really dont think this counts as news. I mean maybe if you have some sort of love affair with the US armed forces then maybe, but in general, not news.

 

[Lizathrose]

If an average Joe in the U.S. Army graduated Ranger School and said, upon returning to his unit, "I'm Special Forces" he'd get a soap-in-a-sock party that night in the shower.

I'm reasonably certain that most "average Joes" couldn't graduate from Ranger School. As I understand it, Rangers go through exceedingly grueling training, and they are indeed designated as a Special Operations group. I mean, I'm not accusing you of anything here, but your point doesn't really make any sense to an outward observer. Did he return to a non-Ranger unit immediately upon the completion of his training? If he graduated from Ranger School, shouldn't he have been placed in, like, a Ranger unit or something?

 

[Viligant_Warrior]

I'm reasonably certain that most "average Joes" couldn't graduate from Ranger School.

Absolutely.

As I understand it, Rangers go through exceedingly grueling training, and they are indeed designated as a Special Operations group.

That's where you're wrong. It is special to be a Ranger graduate. But it isn't Special Forces.

I mean, I'm not accusing you of anything here, but your point doesn't really make any sense to an outward observer. Did he return to a non-Ranger unit immediately upon the completion of his training? If he graduated from Ranger School, shouldn't he have been placed in, like, a Ranger unit or something?

Simple explanation for you civilians: Of the 2,000 or so selected for Ranger School every year, only 40% graduate. Of that 40%, fewer than 3% are chosen for Special Forces. If you don't get chosen, you ain't Special Forces. McDonald graduated. Nice for him. Wasn't chosen. Not Special Forces. That's why he apologized.

VA Secretary Apologizes for Claim He Was in Special Forces

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald reached out to veterans groups Tuesday to apologize for claiming he had served in the military’s special forces, moving quickly to prevent the gaffe from turning into an issue that could derail his efforts to overhaul the agency.

He should have "moved quickly" to keep his mouth shut, since he knew darn good and well his remark was a lie, as does anyone know, who graduated Ranger School and didn't get selected for Special Forces, he isn't Special Forces.

 

[Human]

Being British, you are totally clueless here, so your opinion is less than worthless. If an average Joe in the U.S. Army graduated Ranger School and said, upon returning to his unit, "I'm Special Forces" he'd get a soap-in-a-sock party that night in the shower.

So I guess the Scot's military has lower standards, especially if they'd let you train for SAS. And, since I know and have served with SAS, I also know you're full of it. They would be as incensed by your comment, if you had merely passed the training, as U.S. vets are about McDonald's loose relationship to the truth.

First, if you'd served with the SAS, you'd understand that they aren't Scottish Military (there's no such thing), nor are their standards lower for selection.

Ad hominems and comparing testicle size aside, secondly, the SAS (a British Military Unit, not Scottish) are the most well trained special forces unit on the planet, whose selection processes and routines the American Delta Force tried to emulate in every possible way. So no, the standard is certainly not lower. It is in fact, higher.

Third, if any member of the Parachute Regiment or the Marines (the two major precursor regiments to SAS membership among British Special Forces) managed to pass the extremely difficult selection process then they deserve to call themselves SAS. It starts with a month of trekking through the Brecon Beacons -- tough terrain for anyone -- with a 45lb rucksack and rifle to begin week one, including a fast march over the highest peak with that weight; then further marches over the terrain during month with increasingly heavy loads until a 40 mile long non-stop march must be undertaken with a 60lb rucksack, rifle and water bottle, no stopping, and with a time limit

After this, providing you pass, you can consider yourself ready for continuation training and intense hot climate training in Borneo, a tropical jungle. All this is amid weapons training, tactical lessons, observation techniques and stealth training. If you pass, and don't die of heat exhaustion, then you're read for the final phase.

The tradition is of throwing soldiers out into, usually, the Highlands of Scotland somewhere for 'escape and evade'', where soldiers are woken in the middle of the night, forced into clothes too small and boots that don't fit, thrown in the back of a truck and taken out and dumped in the fierce cold, given little but a box of matches, and a jacket or blanket, with no Idea where they are, and told they have two hours to run, then they have to make their way back to a given destination while evading the 100 Parachute Regiment Infantrymen that are out with sniffer dogs looking for them. Sometimes it takes a long time, and sometimes people die.

If you make it back you can expect to be coveted above those who don't, and if you are captured you can expect have a sack thrown over your head, thrown in a truck, taken to a dark room, stripped naked and tied up, degraded, water hosed and interrogated for at least 24 hours, mocked, ridiculed and then interrogated some more.

If you don't break, then welcome to the SAS.

I am sure any man who can endure that has earned the right to call himself part of ''The Regiment''.

That invalid comparison is just plain ignorant, as are most of you so-called "comments" on American culture and politics. Harry Truman said, "It is better to keep your mouth shut and let others suspect you're a jackass than to open your mouth and prove it."

I might be a jackass to you, but I can live with that.

 

[Human]

And the quote you're talking about, when you told me I was ignorant of American politics and culture? It's actually from Lincoln. ''It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt''.

Whoops.

 

[AgeofKnowledge]

While we are on the subject of liberals and Britain, '300 victims groomed and assaulted by Oxfordshire gangs, report finds - Serious case review finds failings by police and social services as it identifies hundreds of victims.'


It would be "racist" and unpolitically correct and jeapordize one's government career in jolly old England to actually try and stop hundreds of young girls from being sexually assaulted and pimped out by the diversity immigrants and their anchors the libtards flooded in... so they didn't.

300 victims groomed and assaulted by Oxfordshire gangs, report finds - Telegraph

 

[yaright]

I like your statement because is resonates with anyone who is in need. But, (an observation) I have come to understand Jesus surrounded Himself with people who were known sinners. As it turns out, this was also the condition of His disciples when they first followed. I don't know of a single person who hasn't exaggerated his or her experiences in life; a polite way of saying 'lied'. A person who has been placed in the light of the public eye will not get away with as much as a person who judges him or her. That being said, I am certain this job McDonald has now, will challenge him to become a better person. And in the end, I hope life does the same for each and every one of us.

 

[Viligant_Warrior]

And the quote you're talking about, when you told me I was ignorant of American politics and culture? It's actually from Lincoln. ''It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt''.

Whoops.

No "whoops" about it, and you should have take Harry's advise with your post. The exact quote is in Truman by David McCullough. Try reading an actual book sometime. You might learn something.