How many of us are ex-military?

Royal Navy submariner 18 years 3 months only 3years 9months to go. thank god, been at this underwater lark too long, miss the bike too much(oh and the wife and kids).

Originally Posted by rastas

Royal Navy submariner 18 years 3 months only 3years 9months to go. thank god, been at this underwater lark too long, miss the bike too much(oh and the wife and kids).

I fancied Submarines once... For a very short while... Then joined the RAF

good choice. all ways fancied the RAF. You guys seem to pick the air staition you want then stay put. i have lived in three different parts of the country, and can be told to move at short notice.
pick your job i suppose, not been that bad. just keep on looking to my pension soon.

Ex-Artillery. Well TA anyway. Yep I was a S.T.A.B.

Ex-RCH armour myself.

Looking at the poll there are more no than yes!

Why is it then, that in my daily life as a truck driver, everyone I meet claims to be ex sas or RAF Regiment. This comes from Fork truck drivers to lowly paid security guards, even to the bloke in the pub after work. :P

And they all claim to have been in a war somewhere.

I know this total tit who goes in the local pub who claims to have been blown up with Simon Weston. He is only about 25.

His face does look a mess though, because people keep smacking him

U.S. Navy Retired 26 years service.

Originally Posted by wheelnut

Why is it then, that in my daily life as a truck driver, everyone I meet claims to be ex sas or RAF Regiment. This comes from Fork truck drivers to lowly paid security guards, even to the bloke in the pub after work. :P

And they all claim to have been in a war somewhere.

It's incredibly common for people to claim they've done things they haven't.
My sister in engaged to an American Vietnam Veteran. He claims to have been recruited while in prison for a special unit of the US army. Claims to have infiltrated into North Vietnam and rescued POWs.
When I mentioned Son Tay and the ONLY rescue mission ever conducted by the US army he got really ****ed off and then refused to discuss it further.... Claims it was too painful to talk about, but wore a denim jacket with about 12 'Nam veteran patches. Wouldn't tell me his unit desigantion so I could web search it either. Total frikkin' liar....

I meet plenty of South Africans who claim to have been in the Recces( SA special forces) Some say they were in Angola same time as me yet can't recall the towns or places that we shelled due to FO from the SF teams.

There are now websites aimed at showing the truth about people who lie about membership in elite units. The most notable was a US politician who said he was in a SEAL team. The SEALs say no, he was in the coast guard.
http://www.nightscribe.com/Military/...nabe_seals.htm

Found on the web;
"We are engulfed in a national scandal. Unknown to most Americans, there is a virtual epidemic of impostors in this country – countless thousands of men (and a few women)who, since the Vietnam War, have been either inventing a non-existent military service, or inflating their war records. Veterans’ benefits amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars are being stolen. Military decorations are being falsely claimed, and often worn, by men never authorized to receive them — the kind earned the hard way by genuine war heroes.

Unless something is done about these “Fake Warriors,” their shameless, self-aggrandizing, and costly conduct will not only continue unabated; it will grow. Anyone who thinks such conduct is merely offensive and relatively harmless is misinformed."
From http://www.fakewarriors.com/

Regardless of the nationality this fake warrior syndrome really winds me up. An ex-friend of mine who had a safe job in EW, never even had to stand guard in his safe border post. Tells a story of having lost a friend during the Calueque bombing, claims the friend was killed in front of him. All this in told in front of me and a girl he was desperate to bed. Knowing he wasn't there, knowing that the incident as he described was wrong. I punched him in the mouth, how dare he sully the memories of those that died with his bull****. He even cried to solicite a mercy shag!

Originally Posted by wheelnut

Looking at the poll there are more no than yes!

Why is it then, that in my daily life as a truck driver, everyone I meet claims to be ex sas or RAF Regiment. This comes from Fork truck drivers to lowly paid security guards, even to the bloke in the pub after work. :P

And they all claim to have been in a war somewhere.

I know this total tit who goes in the local pub who claims to have been blown up with Simon Weston. He is only about 25.

His face does look a mess though, because people keep smacking him

Wheelnut,
The general "rule of thumb" on special forces has always been...."Those who do (or have done)........... don't and those who haven't................ do"

But why would anyone admit to being RAF Regiment, stumps me

Whats the RAF regiment all about?