Posted on 02/24/2015 5:49:46 AM PST by Kaslin
The head of the Department of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald is under fire today after admitting to the Huffington Post that he lied about serving in the Special Forces.
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.
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.
“Special forces? What years? I was in special forces!” McDonald told the homeless man. That exchange was broadcast in a Jan. 30 CBS News story about the VA’s efforts to find and house homeless veterans.
In fact, McDonald never served in special forces. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1975, completed Army Ranger training and took courses in jungle, arctic and desert warfare. He qualified as a senior parachutist and airborne jumpmaster, and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division until he retired from military service in 1980. While he earned a Ranger tab designating him as a graduate of Ranger School, he never served in a Ranger battalion or any other special operations unit.
“I have no excuse,” McDonald told The Huffington Post, when contacted to explain his claim. “I was not in special forces.”
In June 2014 McDonald was appointed by President Obama to clean up the VA system after it was revealed dozens of veterans had died as result of long, covered up wait times.
Since assuming his position at the VA, McDonald has claimed 900 people have been fired and held accountable for the VA scandal. That also isn't true.
Seems that if it wasn’t for lies, the Left would have nothing at all.
Here’s my shocked face!
Is there ANYONE in this Admin that isn’t a pathological LIAR??
The guys an odumbo appointee, what the hell did we expect?
No. Honest people will not work for a crook.
“He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1975”, This FIGURES! The 1960s and 1970s US Military WAS F*CKED beyond belief!
Appointed by Obama... from a pool of democrat liars and criminals... did he double dip like Gruber?
When will he be forced to resign in disgrace?
I don’t know much about this guy...but it seems like he made one statement and quickly admitted it was wrong, with making excuses.
His brief military career was fairly ‘high speed, low drag’ - he was an Airborne Ranger. And I’m sure he found himself alongside people who were in SF - if nothing else, many of his instructors surely wore the insignia. I can see the admiration/hero worship...being so close to the elite group...that he would want to be a part of it.
No excuse - but its not like he was a desk clerk completely making up a resume.
In a former life, I marched to the Hot Gates with Leonidas. Can anyone prove I didn't?
Wow. An Obama administration member lying? Say it ain’t so. /sarc
:(
One can now ask that same question of him.
“His brief military career was fairly ‘high speed, low drag’ - he was an Airborne Ranger”
We don't know if he was an ‘airborne ranger.”
Not all in the 82nd went to Ranger school. No all in the 82nd went to jump school.
He very well may have been a desk clerk. I wish there was a true bio I could trust and review.
Any any rate, NO ONE is ever confused as to what he did and with whom. . .never.And if this guy had a bad case of hero worship and overly identified with special ops (which ones, by the way), then he is too weak-minded to serve in the military or ‘lead’ the VA.
“We don’t know if he was an ‘airborne ranger.”
Per the article he was.
“Not all in the 82nd went to Ranger school”
Check. Got it. In fact, probably less than 5%. Never claimed anything different.
“No all in the 82nd went to jump school”
Check. Got it. Never claimed anything different.
“He very well may have been a desk clerk.”
We know he made Captain, so much of his five years was spent in training - Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, Ranger School, Jumpmaster certification, and the Officer advanced course. He didn’t have time to sit at a desk. When I get home, I can look up his USMA Cullum number and see what branch he went.
As to his lie. He introduced himself to a homeless guy, who had been in SF. His reply, off the cuff ““Special Forces? What years? I was in Special Forces!”
I can understand this. Sounds like he was genuinely excited at a possible overlap of service...might know the same people, etc. Again, its not like he was riding a desk his whole career...he was ‘running and gunning’ with these guys. SF were his instructors...many of his Ranger School peers probably went on to the Ranger Regiments...and as a jumpmaster, he may have manned the door a few times when SF made jumps.
And he owned up to it. Not a half-hearted apology. No deflection - owned it.
I’m ok with that.
We disagree.
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