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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Stolen Green Beret?: VA Secretary Robert McDonald Falsely Claimed He Served In Special Forces

Serving in the 82 Airborne is honorable service indeed. But, apparently not enough for Robert McDonald who wanted to pump up his volume.

Robert McDonald, the secretary of veterans affairs, wrongly claimed in a videotaped comment earlier this year that he served in special operations forces, the most elite units in the armed forces, when his military service of five years was spent almost entirely with the 82nd Airborne Division during the late 1970s reports The Huffington Post.

U.S. special operations forces (SOF) are composed of exhaustively trained and highly capable troops from each military service, including the Green Berets, Army Rangers, Delta Force and Navy SEALs — but not the 82nd Airborne. They are certified to undertake the most dangerous and delicate missions, including, famously, the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011. Special operators are a close-knit community deeply hostile to outsiders who try to claim the coveted mantle of special operations.

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lying is just an ongoing trait of the Obama administration.

Anonymous said...

Let me guess, another Obama appointment.

Anonymous said...

What's good for Brian Williams...is certainly good for the VA?

Pack it up and take a hike.

Anonymous said...

I would be ashamed to admit what I HAVE done.

Anonymous said...

Brian Williams has said that his lying was a coping mechanism used to help him alleviate the pain from losing his son Robin, to suicide. He tought the comic/actor everything he knew.

Anonymous said...


Dislike every aspect of Obama's regime...but the brief clip I saw didn't seem like malice or attempt to mislead the public.

He was talking with a vet who was described, I think, as homeless or down on his luck. The Secy of VA was reaching out, with some nod to PR, to the vet. Vet said he'd been Special Forces and Secy. said me, too (or close paraphrase). If he'd been exaggerating, OK to thump him.

Reality is he's West Point grad; served with 82nd Airborne Division, and graduated Ranger training. Arguably, Rangers are a part of our special forces.

So, as noted, as much as I dislike Obama's goals and actions, I give the Secy VA a pass on this small point.