How to Spot a Phony Military Veteran

Don't be fooled by a poser. These are phony military veterans, people who never served, or people claiming to participate in an operation they never conducted. Watching these guys get evasive and tap dance around probing questions is entertaining. Learn how to recognize one; they're leaching from real heroes for their own personal gain. Do our troops a favor by letting these posers know that the gig's up.

Instructions

1. Track your behavior as well as that of other veterans if you've served. Talk to friends or relatives if you've never served and get to know how military people think and do things. Project your observations to military and veteran personnel you've never met.

2. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for people that constantly brag about being SEALS, pilots or any specialty that requires danger and action. Pay attention to their rank and specialty claims. They're expecting you to tie them to the recent blockbuster military film you saw.

3. Be observant during military appreciation days. Seeing enough genuine veterans should give you an idea of what these guys look like. Stop someone that looks out of place, like someone that isn't wearing his uniform properly. Also, stop a person that looks like an overstuffed potato bag in uniform. Or a "vet" in uniform who doesn't look professional; military personnel and veterans look sharp partly because of the inspections they've experienced.

4. Talk to a "veteran" if you suspect him to be a phony. Listen to his stories. Then ask him basic questions about his jobs. Every service member knows their job specialty and number, or remembers it if they were veterans. If they can't figure that out, they're a phony. Ask a "SEAL" what his BUD'S class number is. They're a phony if they can't spit that information out.

5. Ask them what they did in between missions. They should relay a description that sounds like they did administrative duties. Use your own experience and knowledge if you're a veteran. Find out from a veteran if you're not one.

6. Inquire from them their name, rank, where they were stationed and what years they were stationed. Ask them where they went to basic and specialist training. Ask them detailed questions. A veteran will spit these out without effort. A phony will have a little difficulty answering you.

Tips & Warnings

• Job specialties are public knowledge-even if parts of the job description involve working with classified material or procedures. Mark a person as a potential phony if they tell you that their specialty is "classified," and/or they can't tell you unless you have a need to know.

• Military records aren't classified; their treatment and protection is similar in many aspects to that carried out by civilian human resource and pay departments.

• Generally speaking, missions are classified to prevent the media from giving troop movement intelligence to the enemy. After this happens, it becomes public knowledge through news reports and enemy statements and missions are declassified. Be suspicious when someone describes their past activities as "still classified."

• Employers can verify someone's military information. Have that person fill out a Form 180, then send that request to the National Personnel Records Center at St. Louis, MO. If they refuse, they're either a phony or they're trying to hide something.

Resources

• Authentiseal has access to the SEAL data base and know who successfully graduated training.
• Committee of Concerned Journalists webpage offering advice on obtaining someone's military information.
• Soldiers for Truth webpage talks about spotting phony veterans.