# "I'm not allowed to discuss my military service." Always a bullshit line? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555 "2011-03-22T02:42:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/21 "2011-03-22T04:42:12Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > It seems to me that if someone really, truly could not talk about his service, he’d just say something like: “Oh, I was just a supply clerk at Fort Dix the whole time.” Hmmm…for the past 40 years, my Dad has been telling everyone that he spent his entire army career as a paymaster at Fort Dix. :dubious: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/22 "2011-03-22T04:49:21Z")
If he was in the military there is a good chance that he was assigned to a heavy mess kit repair battalion out at 29 Palms, or some such semi-glorious unit. “Hell, I wish I could tell you about the incredible adventures I had straightening the tines of mess forks, but that’s all classified; sorry.” ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/23 "2011-03-22T04:51:15Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Hmmm…for the past 40 years, my Dad has been telling everyone that he spent his entire army career as a paymaster at Fort Dix. :dubious: 😃 That wouldn’t have been around the time of the Kennedy assassination by any chance, would it? ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/24 "2011-03-22T05:01:55Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > He said that when he applied for a job, he checked “no” on the application to the question of if he ever served in the military. He also claimed he was told “right up front” that “no medals would be issued” for anything that he did during the service. > > I feel like there is something about my personality that makes people think they can trick me. (They can’t.) But the fact that I give off the vibe bothers me. That tells you the answer. If he served he is intitled vet benifits. If a service man is in black ops he does not start in black ops. I doubt that there are many E2’s in seal training. He would be able to state which service he was in and for how long. He could state his rating and rank where he was station without giving away secrets. My guess, he was in the service, but he got out with dirty paper. Now as to how do you handle it. No one is perfect, you have your faults he has his. Can you live with that knowledge? I know a woman who brags that she understands electricity, after all her dad was in the See Bees in the Army. I have never corrected her, would serve no purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/25 "2011-03-22T05:08:46Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > My guess, he was in the service, but he got out with dirty paper. My guess is that he never served but is trying to ride the coattails of those who have. In other words, he’s looking for respect and doesn’t have a clue as to how to earn it. > [@](#): > > Now as to how do you handle it. No one is perfect, you have your faults he has his. My faults don’t include lying about being in the military. And when I encounter people who do, when they’re touting obvious BS, I out the obvious BS. If it hurts their feelings, well, maybe they should consider the feelings of those of us who’ve actually served in the military before they tout their obvious BS. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/26 "2011-03-22T05:16:44Z")
Ask him if it involved staring at farm animals for extremely long periods of time. ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/27 "2011-03-22T06:16:07Z")
It is not always a lie when a vet can not tell you. (I think your friend is lying though.) I have a good friend. We were both in Vietnam. I have seen his uniform. A soldier can read another soldier’s dress uniform like a civilian can read a newspaper headline. I am pretty sure he was also in some countries to the west of Vietnam. He will say things like: “I lost the hearing in that ear when my interpreter opened up on them with the barrel right next to my head while I was asleep.” But if you ask : “what did you do in the war ?” He will always say: " I can’t tell you." He even does this when we have both drunk copious quantities of beer. He is telling the truth. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/28 "2011-03-22T06:23:25Z")
I could tell you. But then I’d have to…well, you know what. Let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/29 "2011-03-22T06:48:30Z")
> [@T.Slothrop](#): > > It is not always a lie when a vet can not tell you. (I think your friend is lying though.) > > I have a good friend. We were both in Vietnam. I have seen his uniform. A soldier can read another soldier’s dress uniform like a civilian can read a newspaper headline. > > I am pretty sure he was also in some countries to the west of Vietnam. > > He will say things like: “I lost the hearing in that ear when my interpreter opened up on them with the barrel right next to my head while I was asleep.” But if you ask : “what did you do in the war ?” He will always say: " I can’t tell you." He even does this when we have both drunk copious quantities of beer. He is telling the truth. Yeah, but that’s a whole lot different than checking “no” about if you were in the service on an application. Can’t even talk about ever being in the military? I call BS. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/30 "2011-03-22T09:13:20Z")
(OP’s story reminds me of Chapter 10 (“Cufflinks for the Sergeant-Major”) in John le Carré’s _The Secret Pilgrim_.) > [@drachillix](#): > > In addition only a handful of ops probably are even worth concealing 10 years after the fact. Surely some ops(\*) are kept secret much longer to conceal techniques, technologies, and moral decisions. For example, WWII’s Ultra secret (Enigma decoding) was kept secret for 33 years. (Though Wikipedia mentions a possible reason for this long secrecy: > [@](#): > > the British gathered up all the Enigma machines they could find and sold them to Third World countries, confident that they could continue reading the messages of the machines’ new owners ) ETA: This doesn’t contradict **drachillix** ’s point, at least for sufficiently large handfuls. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/31 "2011-03-22T09:37:57Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Surely some ops(\*) are kept secret much longer to conceal techniques, technologies, and moral decisions. For example, WWII’s Ultra secret (Enigma decoding) was kept secret for 33 years. (Though Wikipedia mentions a possible reason for this long secrecy: > ) In the case of Ultra, I think it’s simply that it fell under the [Thirty Year rule,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_year_rule) which was standard at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/32 "2011-03-22T09:51:13Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I feel like there is something about my personality that makes people think they can trick me. (They can’t.) But the fact that I give off the vibe bothers me. Maybe that’s linked to your obsession about finding fake war vets. Maybe you draw them. That must be your third thread on the subject in a month or so. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/33 "2011-03-22T09:57:54Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I can’t imagine a scenario where someone would say “yes I was in the military but no I can’t talk about it.” That’s stupid, unless the guy simply hates talking about his wretched time in the service. I’ve been tempted to say “it’s classified” a couple times because someone was annoying me. Actual recent conversation: (the workplace discussion turned to Viet Nam) Me: “I don’t like to talk about Nam.” Young co-worker, wide eyed: “_You were in Viet Nam?!?_” Me: “No. I just don’t like to talk about it.” mmm ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/34 "2011-03-22T10:06:15Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Some yokel who claims to be an ex-SEAL or former Force Recon, and is now working fast food or a clerical job? That’s smearing it on thick. Most retired operators go into private security or consulting, for which there are no lack of jobs. > > Stranger Well my ex-asshole SEAL retired to sell Amsoil and work for the SEA Org in Florida [Scientologist, go freaking figure] He didn’t admit to being a SEAL normally, he said he was a deck ape [BosunsMate, a pretty generic MOS in the Navy] and was on shore duty at the Amphib Base, with some sort of nonsense unit that did warehouse inventory. I am sure that the specific unit does exist, and they do conduct inventory 😃 but I also knew that he was a SEAL, and which unit he belonged to as we all hung out together and I went to his actual duty station to drop him off and pick him up, and do unit parties. Amsoil and Scientology \ ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/35 "2011-03-22T10:23:22Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > My guess is that he never served but is trying to ride the coattails of those who have. In other words, he’s looking for respect and doesn’t have a clue as to how to earn it. > > My faults don’t include lying about being in the military. And when I encounter people who do, when they’re touting obvious BS, I out the obvious BS. If it hurts their feelings, well, maybe they should consider the feelings of those of us who’ve actually served in the military before they tout their obvious BS. I’m with **Monty.** Out this guy. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/36 "2011-03-22T13:29:11Z")
My half-brother pulls that shit. (You should see his collection of Ranger t-shirts, by the way.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/37 "2011-03-22T14:37:48Z")
I spent my last four years in the military working with the Department of State’s diplomatic security section. There were aspects of the job at that time that were classified, such as equipment that we used, etc. But as mentioned above, pretty much all of that stuff has been superceded by newer gear and techniques and I’m pretty sure nobody would come knocking on my door if I discussed it. I knew other guys in the military that were involved with special ops, and some of it was quite sensitive, I’m sure. But telling someone that “I can’t talk about it” pretty much means you’re disclosing that you were doing something clandestine. It’s just as easy to say something like “Hey, it was the Navy. I did sailor stuff haha.” Anything else is just someone trying to puff themselves up. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/38 "2011-03-22T15:26:35Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > He said that when he applied for a job, he checked “no” on the application to the question of if he ever served in the military. He also claimed he was told “right up front” that “no medals would be issued” for anything that he did during the service. The guy’s either lying to you about having served, or he’s admitting lying to employers about having served. It boils down to which one of his lies you want to believe. Jesse Ventura claimed he was a Navy SEAL. Hell, he never stops claiming he was a SEAL. He was elected governor. If simply telling people you served in a SECRET OUTFIT was such a terrible thing, wouldn’t The Powers That Be have silenced Ventura by now? ---
**Author:** ![Submerged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Submerged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Submerged)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/39 "2011-03-22T15:43:17Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > TJesse Ventura claimed he was a Navy SEAL. Hell, he never stops claiming he was a SEAL. He was elected governor. If simply telling people you served in a SECRET OUTFIT was such a terrible thing, wouldn’t The Powers That Be have silenced Ventura by now? Was he a SEAL? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555/40 "2011-03-22T15:53:53Z")
> [@Submerged](#): > > Was he a SEAL? Not really. I think he served before the SEALs actually existed. From what I’ve heard, he did participate in SEAL-like covert ops. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-not-allowed-to-discuss-my-military-service-always-a-bullshit-line/575555.md?page=3)