Chris Kyle's awards?

[freakazoid]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/american-sniper-chris-kyle-exaggerated-000000271.html?ref=gs
Just saw this. What are y'alls thoughts?

[wmenorr67]

At first I want to really say who cares?

When it comes to awards and such if it isn't on your DD214 when you separate it didn't happen.  With that the DD214 should be drawn off of official records.  There could be a conflict as to what is in his official file and what got entered on his DD214.  But as was stated in the OP, one or more of his awards could be classified and may not actually be available to see via the FOIA.

Whatever his medal count doesn't change the fact that he saved American lives and for me that is all that I need to know.  All "hero's" stories are exaggerated, why should his be any different.

[cordex]

When it comes to awards and such if it isn't on your DD214 when you separate it didn't happen.  With that the DD214 should be drawn off of official records.  There could be a conflict as to what is in his official file and what got entered on his DD214.  But as was stated in the OP, one or more of his awards could be classified and may not actually be available to see via the FOIA.

I know a marine who was awarded some minor medals that don't appear on his DD214.  There is even a process to update a DD214 if you have the proper supporting documentation.  Plus, some awards (especially unit awards) are issued after separation, right?

Of course, in this case the DD214 does show:

SILVER STAR(2), BRONZE STAR(W/"V")(5)

[BobR]

Kind of interesting that this came out almost immediately after an article talking about "secret" Navy Crosses and Silver Stars.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/15/navy-seals-secret-medals-reveal-heroism-during-past-15-years/84242220/


bob

[Balog]

I haven't really looked into this because I don't care that much, by my understanding is that his DD214 accurately reflects the claims he made, but his SRB does not? If that is accurate, then this is a gigantic nothing. DD214 rules all. SRB's are a clusterfvck of epic proportions.

[wmenorr67]

I know a marine who was awarded some minor medals that don't appear on his DD214.  There is even a process to update a DD214 if you have the proper supporting documentation.  Plus, some awards (especially unit awards) are issued after separation, right?

Of course, in this case the DD214 does show:

Yes, sometimes the unit award comes in after a person has been separated.

I haven't really looked into this because I don't care that much, by my understanding is that his DD214 accurately reflects the claims he made, but his SRB does not? If that is accurate, then this is a gigantic nothing. DD214 rules all. SRB's are a clusterfvck of epic proportions.

That is what I tried to state in my response.  My 2-1 is all kinds of clusterfucked up but I know my various 214's are correct and the information that is in my "official" records support what is on my 214's.

[Hawkmoon]

I know for a fact that DD-214s aren't accurate. I qualified on multiple weapons in the Army, but my DD-214 only shows the M14 with which I qualified in Basic Training. I also have multiple medals (not major, no Medal of Honor or Bronze Star), complete with copies of the orders, that don't appear on my DD-214.

The DD-214 is really only good for proving that I enlisted and was honorably discharged.

An unidentified former SEAL officer who knew Kyle told Intercept reporters that it was widely known Kyle exaggerated his record.

“The SEAL leadership was aware of the embellishment, but didn’t want to correct the record because Kyle’s celebrity status reflected well on the command,” the Intercept quoted the ex-SEAL as saying.

This sounds a lot like sour grapes. And the person purportedly making the statement -- supposedly a SEAL -- doesn't have the cajones to be identified. That, IMHO, makes the statement worthless.

[freakazoid]

I know for a fact that DD-214s aren't accurate. I qualified on multiple weapons in the Army, but my DD-214 only shows the M14 with which I qualified in Basic Training. I also have multiple medals (not major, no Medal of Honor or Bronze Star), complete with copies of the orders, that don't appear on my DD-214.

The DD-214 is really only good for proving that I enlisted and was honorably discharged.

This sounds a lot like sour grapes. And the person purportedly making the statement -- supposedly a SEAL -- doesn't have the cajones to be identified. That, IMHO, makes the statement worthless.

Yeah. Depending on your admin people, unless you are always verifying it yourself, they might not enter something in. I would think something major like a Bronze or Silver Star would be important enough that they wouldn't mess that up, but even then I wouldn't trust them.

[dogmush]

I've seen 214's that were missing stuff. (Hell, I have one)  I'd be kinda surprised if you could talk an admin puke into adding a Silver Star without some kind of paperwork to prove it.

Either way, at this point I'm kinda meh.  Awards are *expletive deleted*ed up DOD wide, given out as participation trophies, and generally stupid.  Chris strikes me (from his book, and guys that knew him) as not all that worried about it, and he apparently had a 214 that backs up what he said in his book.  Good enough for me.

Besides, he's dead.  Not like it really matters now.

[RoadKingLarry]

Fun with DD214s.
When I got out in '92 the poor, semi-literate clerk that was processing my paper work had to type up my DD214 8 or 9 times before I would accept it as "close enough".
I still missed a couple of minor items.
Had a little fun with it when I joined the local VFW several years ago. Being qualified to membership by having been awarded a Navy Expeditionary Medal (X2) was an issue because at the time the overwhelming majority of the membership of that particular post was a bunch of Nam vets masquerading as a gaggle of whiney old bitches and didn't think a submariner should be allowed to join.
The way the awards section on my DD214 is typed up is potentially deceiving. The last award on one line is carried over to the next line but if someone doesn't look close it can look like 2 separate awards
...Award. Award. Award, Good Conduct Medal w/
Bronze Star, Award, Award...
Several of the Post Officers didn't look at it close enough to see that it should have been read as ..."Good Conduct Medal w/Bronze Star" and made the assumption that I had a Bronze Star.
When a couple of them asked me about it I just looked at them and said I didn't know what they were talking about. I did eventually set them straight.