I subscribe to [a certain online site] and on it someone discovered someone wasn’t exactly who they claimed they were. (likeOhmyfuckinggod) Part of what’s in question is that she claimed to be a Marine’s wife and the people on this site seem to think there’s going to be some huge military investigation. Uh yeah, ah huh. But I’m pretty sure the Marines have more pressing issues to deal with at the moment.
But I digress… is claiming you’re the wife of a Marine a crime and would there be an investigation?
I don’t know the exact situation that you’re commenting about, but, there are crimes that can occur for claiming to be a military dependant while not one actually:
Fraud - either defrauding people for donations, or trying to get grants/loans from various military help associations. (Navy/Marine Relief Society comes to mind.)
Illegal use of commissary - which, since the exchanges are exempt from state taxes, among other things, is something that is pretty fiercely prosecuted when discovered.
If she was doing it for sympathy just on the boards, then she’s an asshat, but not a criminal.
But, as Ota said, she did it to shop at the commissary and get military benefits, she can expect a knock on the door from the MP’s any day now.
Ivylad was in the Navy, and I had to jump through 16 hoops and give a drop of blood and a lock of my hair before I got my military spouse id. It’s not THAT simple.
(I kid you not, at one point, the clerk told me, and I quote, “You have to go over to the PSAD and get your ID before you can get your DOD.” :eek: )
Aweh, yeah. I didn’t make that very clear did I? Sorry.
None of the above happened in this situation. She simply wanted to seem more interesting than she was by claiming to have a husband in the Military to get people to feel concern for her. I’m assuming that was her reasoning.
Then it sounds like, no, she’s not going to be charged with anything, but she’ll likely be investigated to ensure that none of the possible crimes were comitted. After all, you might not know the full extent of her actions with regard to this stance of hers.
With the war on Terror, the war in Afganistan, the war in Iraq, the (whatever it is ) in Haiti, do you really think the FBI is going to investigate a woman claiming to be the wife of a marine? Even if she was buying stuff from a px (not alleged) without authorization, or even somehow defrauding people (also not alleged) by claiming to be the spouse of a marine, do you really think any branch of the government cares? There is no law that prohibits claiming to be the wife of a Marine.
The women who think they’ve uncovered this whole situation are sitting raking their boney fingers together hissing to themselves about “An <i>invest–i-GATION”</i> the whole time assuming they’re the cleverest people in the world (if you don’t include the guy at the local fireworks stand announcing his Easter Sale).
Since I’m not in any way involved with the military, other than a stanch supporter, I just kind of wanted to see how serious the Marines take this sort of claim. That’s all.
While there are some forums on the net that are comprised mainly of current and former military. Some require you to provide your service history which is linked to your username, and every time you post something, your service history is checked about a hundred times. If it turns out that a user has misrepresented their service experience, they are subjected to flames that are alot worse than I have seen otherplaces, then once the members tire of roasting the jerk, the mods ban him.
But even on those sites, I have not seen anyone care that someone lied about being married to a serviceperson.
I spent many years in the Military and I can’t get to worked up about it,. I might be tempted to roll my eyes but thats about it.
I didn’t mean to imply I cared. Just that IMNSHO the more petty a bureaucrat’s sphere of influence the more fanatically it will be defended, past all point of reason or sanity. I can envision some stuffed shirt decided upon recieving a few email notifications about this deciding that he or she needs to investigate this pressing accusation of fraud for the excuses I mentioned. Besides, think of the risk to free world if this nefarious woman is buying command ballcaps she’s not entitled to!
Since you say Ivylad was in the Navy, shouldn’t you have said SP instead of MP?
And when she gets this knock on the door from the SP/MP just what in the heck are they going to do? Considering they have absolutely no jurisdiction over non- military personel. When SP/MP detain a civilian for illegal activity, that they personally witness, they dial 911, just like everybody else. They summon the civillian authorities to deal with civialians. They are forbidden to conduct investigations of civilians. So I doubt she can expect “a knock on the door from the MP’s”. :rolleyes: