I met Gecko45's father this evening

[Jamie B]

Dam what a shame - I just googled Gecko45, and there a bunch of posers with have vids up, F/B pages, etc.

The original creator should have trademarked Gecko45.

[Scout26]

DD214 is your Discharge Certificate.  Proof of Service.  It's never "classified" or "secret".  It doesn't have your "kills" recorded or any other secret squirrel bull*expletive deleted* on it.

It shows what dates and where you served.  Schools and courses attended.  Awards, Medals, and Ribbons.

Oh and type of discharge.

If you're smart, once you get out , you take a copy to the county recorder (that way you or your family can always get a copy) and then to the local VA.

You bring it with you on job interviews and the like.  Anytime you need proof of military service, that's what it for.

[Hawkmoon]

Discharge, I believe, bsl.

"DD214" is the oh-fi-shul document used by the armed forces of the United States to release military personnel from being military personnel in the armed service of the United States. In other words, it's your ticket to being a civilian again. Everyone who was in the military once and isn't now, at one time received a DD214, so any self-proclaimed veteran who doesn't know a DD214 from a Ma Deuce from a deuce-and-a-half from a half-track pretty certainly is NOT a veteran.

[Regolith]

"DD214" is the oh-fi-shul document used by the armed forces of the United States to release military personnel from being military personnel in the armed service of the United States. In other words, it's your ticket to being a civilian again. Everyone who was in the military once and isn't now, at one time received a DD214, so any self-proclaimed veteran who doesn't know a DD214 from a Ma Deuce from a deuce-and-a-half from a half-track pretty certainly is NOT a veteran.

Nor very bright, particularly for one who wants to try and claim to be a veteren (I mean, wouldn't you do at least a modicum of research first, just to make it a little bit harder for those with even half a clue to call you on your BS?)

Hell, I've never served, and even I know what a DD214 is. 

[Scout26]

http://dd214.us/images/dd214-sample-form-lg.jpg

G_d, from Vietnam to Gelnhausen, Germany.  The Army really hated that guy.

[Perd Hapley]

Nor very bright, particularly for one who wants to try and claim to be a veteren (I mean, wouldn't you do at least a modicum of research first, just to make it a little bit harder for those with even half a clue to call you on your BS?)

If people like that do "research," it can't be much more than gun shows and video games. There is no reason for a fake vet to know that such a form is issued. Even if they did, they would not guess that military personnel know the form's number. For that matter, they may never have noticed that government forms have number designations.

[gunsmith]

I knew a guy a few yrs ago who was a very clever fake, he had a whole group of my AA
buddies believing he was a Navy Seal & he had really done his homework as far as what Seals & Vets would know BUT he didn't know .308 or 762 Nato, didn't know 5.56 or 223, & didn't know where the "safety" was on my Glock

I could see a signal guy like I was not knowing this stuff but someone claiming to be a seal better know more about guns then I do or the USA is in trouble.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I knew a guy a few yrs ago who was a very clever fake, he had a whole group of my AA
buddies believing he was a Navy Seal & he had really done his homework as far as what Seals & Vets would know BUT he didn't know .308 or 762 Nato, didn't know 5.56 or 223, & didn't know where the "safety" was on my Glock

I could see a signal guy like I was not knowing this stuff but someone claiming to be a seal better know more about guns then I do or the USA is in trouble.

Someone fakeing a Seal should know that stuff.

And someone faking Army/Marine, should know some.

But i've noticed that most current and former miltary personal know the guns they trained with extremly well, but rarely know much else.

*shrug* and there is really no reason for them too, unless they like guns.

In otherwords, i'd hand one of our AR's over to a Marine with no qualms, but I would not let them strip my AK without supervision and instruction.

[Hawkmoon]

But i've noticed that most current and former miltary personal know the guns they trained with extremly well, but rarely know much else.

To be honest, it depends.

I was inducted in 1966 and was qualified on the M14 in Basic Training and AIT. I didn't see an M16 until I was in Vietnam, and I was never really trained and qualified on it (there's a story attaching to that little fiasco). In between, I was at a CONUS duty station where our "issue" weapon (which we literally saw once, the day we went to range to "qualify") was the old M-1 carbine.

I knew how to strip and reassemble the M14 when I was in Basic (or I never would have gotten out of Basic), but 45 years later? Not a chance. And I never learned much about the M-1 carbine. Sadly, I remember my First Sergeant showing me how easy it is to convert to full-auto by putting a short length of dog tag chain somewhere in the workings ... and I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW TO DO IT!

So the rifle I trained on and was properly qualified on, I don't remember at all (except that the sucker was heavy). The M16, which I was NOT properly trained and qualified on but which I had to entrust my life to I remember very well.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Ok, correction.

Military personal know the weapons they were trained on or used during service.

My point is, while they may (or may not) know those particular weapons forwards, backwards and upside down, it does not make them an expert, or even in many cases, profficient with anything other then the weapons they used during their service.

[kgbsquirrel]

Ok, correction.

Military personal know the weapons they were trained on or used during service.

My point is, while they may (or may not) know those particular weapons forwards, backwards and upside down, it does not make them an expert, or even in many cases, profficient with anything other then the weapons they used during their service.

Ain't that the freaking truth. I never knew true fear until I had to be on the same shooting range as a bunch of Army artillerymen and officers trying to qualify with the M9 pistol.

[GigaBuist]

Yep, a fair number of .mil and I'd say the overwhelming majority of police don't know diddly about their weapons.  People think they do, but they don't.

The police thing I find especially interesting.  True, they carry a handgun all day at work, but they hardly ever use it.  They might fire it once a year for qualification or something.  Meanwhile they use VHF radio communication devices, some rather sophisticated, every day and all day, but nobody thinks they're experts on such matters.  Why people think they're experts on the things they never use is illogical.  Especially when we see events, and I can't remember where this was, where 73 shots are fired, 2 hit the intended target, and 1 hits an innocent bystander.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Yep, a fair number of .mil and I'd say the overwhelming majority of police don't know diddly about their weapons.  People think they do, but they don't.

The police thing I find especially interesting.  True, they carry a handgun all day at work, but they hardly ever use it.  They might fire it once a year for qualification or something.  Meanwhile they use VHF radio communication devices, some rather sophisticated, every day and all day, but nobody thinks they're experts on such matters.  Why people think they're experts on the things they never use is illogical.  Especially when we see events, and I can't remember where this was, where 73 shots are fired, 2 hit the intended target, and 1 hits an innocent bystander.

Note that I excluded the police from my statments above.

[vaskidmark]

Yep, a fair number of .mil and I'd say the overwhelming majority of police don't know diddly about their weapons.  People think they do, but they don't.

The police thing I find especially interesting.  True, they carry a handgun all day at work, but they hardly ever use it.  They might fire it once a year for qualification or something.  Meanwhile they use VHF radio communication devices, some rather sophisticated, every day and all day, but nobody thinks they're experts on such matters.  Why people think they're experts on the things they never use is illogical.  Especially when we see events, and I can't remember where this was, where 73 shots are fired, 2 hit the intended target, and 1 hits an innocent bystander.

That would probably be because we are constantly bombarded with the message that they are the only ones qualified to carry a gun.

Repeat a lie often enough and people will start believing it no matter how outrageous it might be.

stay safe.