"I can't tell you about that"

I only know bits and pieces. A couple years ago he went to the Boscawen veterans cemetary by himself on Veterans day.When he asked to march with one group they eyed him suspiciously and asked him many questions. When he answered they said"you can march with us anytime". Another showed up with jump wings and a story ,he was told to "move on". My FIL doesn't wear his uniform but rather a black suit with mini ribbons and badges when he attends functions.
 
I did a lot of stuff that I can't talk about. None of it is exciting in the slightest. I'm convinced that at least 90% of "classified" information is about as interesting as a long list of SSN's. I used to have to sit in our battalion's vault and type up reports for a few days at a time each month. Other guys in my platoon would walk up to me as I was taking a break outside the vault door and ask me what sort of cool stuff went on in there. I told them it involved readiness reporting for HQMC. When they asked what that meant, I'd say "You know how f***ed up this battalion is and that if we ever had to go to war we'd be up sh*t's creek? Well, I write that down on paper, slap a SECRET sticker on it, and send it to Quantico."
 
ochmude said:
I did a lot of stuff that I can't talk about. None of it is exciting in the slightest. I'm convinced that at least 90% of "classified" information is about as interesting as a long list of SSN's.
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Wanna talk about Mode 4 IFF transponder codes? Me neither. Even if I could. Seriously, I'm pretty much incapable of discussing them. I just handle the comsec gear.
 
ochmude said:
I did a lot of stuff that I can't talk about. None of it is exciting in the slightest. I'm convinced that at least 90% of "classified" information is about as interesting as a long list of SSN's. I used to have to sit in our battalion's vault and type up reports for a few days at a time each month. Other guys in my platoon would walk up to me as I was taking a break outside the vault door and ask me what sort of cool stuff went on in there. I told them it involved readiness reporting for HQMC. When they asked what that meant, I'd say "You know how f***ed up this battalion is and that if we ever had to go to war we'd be up sh*t's creek? Well, I write that down on paper, slap a SECRET sticker on it, and send it to Quantico."
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That right there makes me glad I was just another wrench in the motor pool. My days were always different and fun.
 
I was never in the service, but those that I know were, and saw combat, dont talk much about it.

My grandfather was in Korea. He didnt tell me much about it when I was a kid but in the past few years has been more open to telling me about it. Most of what he tells me are the stories about screwing around. Booze cut with kerosene, winning a nice luger in a poker game, picking up a full auto chinese copy of the C96 with a broken spring and rigging it up so it would fire, mystery meat from street vendors etc. He did mostly demo work, blowing up roads etc. (I think I had a better understanding of how to crater a road than most 10 year olds.[laugh]) When I was a kid, and didn't know better the question "did you ever kill anyone?" was usually met with some vague form of "no". Now that I hear some of the other stories. Getting over run while sleeping, and coming back to find his Lt pinned to a bunk in the hut with a Mosin bayonet through his neck; his Garand freezing on him at the Chosin Reservoir kicking it open, and pissing on it to get it to work. I think the answer to my ignorant childhood question is a bit different, but he never says anything directly, and I know better than to ask.

I have a friend thats a Marine, saw two tours and absolutely will not talk about it. Someone asked him a stupid question when we were all hanging out having a few beers, he didn't react that well to it, and ended up kicking everyone out.
 
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Saw a great quote in some recent articles about the flood of people claiming to be SEALs after Bin Laden's death. "There were about 500 SEALs that operated in Vietnam, and I've met all 20000 of them."

My late grandfather was in the 82nd Airborne in the Korean War era. He never said anything about seeing combat and the 82nd never deployed to Korea. He had great stories about jump school and life at Ft Bragg. I remember looking at a yearbook he had when I was a little kid. When he passed, my grandmother gave me his Parachutists Badge. This thread has made me curious to know more about his service. I'll ask my grandmother next time I'm home.
 
Gonzo said:
Wanna talk about Mode 4 IFF transponder codes? Me neither. Even if I could. Seriously, I'm pretty much incapable of discussing them. I just handle the comsec gear.
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The only cool part about Mode 4 classified is when you're deployed, and you convince them the only sure way to destroy material is to burn it!!!

The Air Guard paid me to be an arsonist.....[smile].....where's my lighter?
 
Man Accused of Living on Base as Impostor

A civilian contractor lied his way into MacDill Air Force Base near Tampa, Fla., and got close to top commanders, prosecutors charge.

Scott Bennett, who went on trial in federal court in Tampa Monday, claimed to be an aide to Adm. Eric Olson, chief of U.S. Special Operations Command, while saying he could not produce his orders because they were top-secret, prosecutors said.

He got himself assigned base housing in January 2010 and stashed 10 guns and 9,000 rounds of ammunition there, the government says.
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Ok...so, let me get this straight...a reservist shows up at the base housing office, says that he's an aid to the Chief of SpecOps Command, that his boss said he needs base housing immediately but he can't produce his orders because they're top secret, and that didn't raise any flags for the woman in charge of base housing? She's an idiot.
 
Seriously, wow. Instead of a phony wannabe, that could well have been another Ft. Hood in the making. People are always the weak link and most security is an illusion.

Back to the topic: In infosec, you meet just as many fakers, by which I mean people who "worked for the NSA," have published lots of articles, or "worked at" one of the famous early infosec joints (including ones that were not actually employers), etc. Occasionally, one will claim to have been a marine sniper or a SEAL, too. Some of them have decent real chops on their own, so one really has to wonder about their unnecessary charlatan behavior.
 
strangenh said:
Seriously, , one will claim to have been a marine sniper or a SEAL, too. Some of them have decent real chops on their own, so one really has to wonder about their unnecessary charlatan behavior.
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I have never understood why people with decent records, experience in the field, have the need to embellish, and some do as you have indicated. It seems sad and also only destroys their credibility when they are found out.
 
mark056 said:
I have never understood why people with decent records, experience in the field, have the need to embellish, and some do as you have indicated. It seems sad and also only destroys their credibility when they are found out.
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I agree. You serve honorably it doesn't matter what MOS you have/had.
 
strangenh said:
Seriously, wow. Instead of a phony wannabe, that could well have been another Ft. Hood in the making. People are always the weak link and most security is an illusion.

Back to the topic: In infosec, you meet just as many fakers, by which I mean people who "worked for the NSA," have published lots of articles, or "worked at" one of the famous early infosec joints (including ones that were not actually employers), etc. Occasionally, one will claim to have been a marine sniper or a SEAL, too. Some of them have decent real chops on their own, so one really has to wonder about their unnecessary charlatan behavior.
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The irony to this is that one of the most badass guys I know who actually does spook shit in various places is with the Air Guard. Attached to a tanker wing. Go figure.
 
I fixed obsolete radars and fire control systems for HAWK missiles during the Clinton years. I can't tell you much about it because I've forgotten pretty much everything I ever knew about them, but even if I could remember it wouldn't matter because they're all in the scrap heap now. [grin]
 
smcnally said:
Ok...so, let me get this straight...a reservist shows up at the base housing office, says that he's an aid to the Chief of SpecOps Command, that his boss said he needs base housing immediately but he can't produce his orders because they're top secret, and that didn't raise any flags for the woman in charge of base housing? She's an idiot.
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I know a guy that stayed in base housing for a few months after being off orders because he had nowhere else to go. It took them that long to figure out that he was no longer on active duty.
 
Since May there seems to be an increase in former SEAL Team 6 members outing themselves... but they are not allowed to talk about it.
 
Gonzo said:
The irony to this is that one of the most badass guys I know who actually does spook shit in various places is with the Air Guard. Attached to a tanker wing. Go figure.
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When I was a freshman in College, I was picked up by a couple friends so we could go home shooting. They told me over the phone they were bringing their frat brother "GI" with them, because he had to go to Westover AFB. The next this I was told was "don't ask questions, he wont answer them, and don't ask if hes killed anyone" After we dropped him off, they explained that hes a Green Barrett (he mentioned he was army and going to school on the GI bill, but nothing more than that). Apparently all he ever said was he was in the army, and that was it. But every now and then they would agree to meet up at a bar, or go out and do something, and he simply wouldn't show up. (When I saw him he had orders to go to the base with him, and we dropped him off to check in.) He would be gone for a couple weeks, and then just reappear at at the bar with them unannounced. At first they asked,but the answer was always the same, "Work stuff, I cant tell you so don't ask"
 
Years ago, I was in a bar with a few old buddies in Albuquerque. We were all Vietnam Vets, and we had a reputation for busting out posers and kicking them out of this particular bar.

This young guy came in, and started talking shit about being a Navy Seal.

Being the skeptic I am, I started asking him some questions.

I asked him what his BUD's class number was.

He blew me some shit, and I started to get pissed off.

Then he couldn't even tell me where he went for his Jump Training (Fort Benning)

I was gonna call him out, but just wasn't in the mood to deal with it that night.

I just told him I thought he was full of shit, and then left the bar in a huff!

The next day, I decided to check him out on a site called VeriSeal.......

Turns out he really was a Navy Seal!

I called his office that same day (he was a lawyer) and apologized profusely for questioning him.

He busted out laughing![rofl][rofl][rofl][rofl]

He then told me he knew my oldest daughter (who worked in the US Attorney's office), and that he was just f'ing with me because he
knew I was famous for busting out posers and he just had to meet me!

He thanked me for checking up on him, and asked me to "Promise him I would check out every swinging dick I met in a bar that claimed to
be a Seal, and let me know if you find any SEAL posers!"

We became lifelong friends after that and busted out more than a few Navy Seal posers through the years![rofl][rofl]
 
Skysoldier said:
[post full of pure gold]
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That was pure gold. Keep'em coming.

Here's a funny one given the timing:

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=323373
The administration in May quietly hired Laura Callahan for a sensitive post at the U.S. Cyber Command, a newly created agency set up to harden military networks as part of an effort to prevent a "cyberspace version of Pearl Harbor."

The move raises doubts about the administration's vetting process for sensitive security positions. In 2004, Callahan was forced to resign from Homeland Security after a congressional investigation revealed she committed resume fraud and lied about her computer credentials.
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Once a SEAL officer was our acting platoon commander for 3 weeks while waiting to get orders to ANGLICO. He liked beach runs and pullups. It sucked.
 

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