Hey guys, I'm the OP. Person in question wears a Veteran hat (like one you can buy at gas station) and has airborne tats on both arms. We got to talking about concealed carry and I asked him what sidearm he carried in the service and he said he never carried a sidearm....because "only sergeants did" "cause we were in tanks". That stuck me as odd....I thought most combat soldiers had sidearms and why is an airborne dude in a tank (I have not been in the armed services...so forgive me if I'm off base on my assessments) so I got to questioning a few other things he said. So I was trying to figure out if there was a database somewhere I could check.
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OP. Navigate this with a Vet you know. If he is even 10 percent legit and gets called out by a civi it could get real ugly. Most non vets would still have his back against you. He is most likely former service over exaggerating his standing in the world. But he probably is a vet. I wouldn’t call him out honestly.
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Originally posted by J.B. View PostHey guys, I'm the OP. Person in question wears a Veteran hat (like one you can buy at gas station) and has airborne tats on both arms. We got to talking about concealed carry and I asked him what sidearm he carried in the service and he said he never carried a sidearm....because "only sergeants did"
My point is...the fact that he didn't carry a sidearm doesn't prove he wasn't in the military. If he didn't even know what sidearm was standard issue to the Army when he was serving though then yea that would be strange.
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Originally posted by billythefish View PostIt is true that a sidearm is only used by certain soldiers in certain roles. Sometimes it is only medics/sergeants/officers/guard duties. It also depends on commanding officers- some may strive to get as many or their men pistols as possible and others see it as a waste of time.
My point is...the fact that he didn't carry a sidearm doesn't prove he wasn't in the military. If he didn't even know what sidearm was standard issue to the Army when he was serving though then yea that would be strange.
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Originally posted by Ætheling View PostOP. Navigate this with a Vet you know. If he is even 10 percent legit and gets called out by a civi it could get real ugly. Most non vets would still have his back against you. He is most likely former service over exaggerating his standing in the world. But he probably is a vet. I wouldn’t call him out honestly.
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Originally posted by J.B. View Postwhat about the airborne/tank deal? really just curious for my own edification
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Stolen Valor?
Airborne is really just a school in most cases. Lots of people go to airborne and never jump again after that. He could have just got a school slot based off a bunch of different scenarios. I haven’t talked to very many tankers but the ones I have had sidearms as a primary weapon. In units I was in only squad leaders carried a side arm and sometimes vehicle gunners would carry one or a shotgun. They seemed to help with traffic/crowd control better than larger weapons.
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkLast edited by tonyt79; 03-13-2019, 09:10 PM.
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Originally posted by tonyt79 View PostAirborne is really just a school in most cases. Lots of people go to airborne and never jump again after that. He could have just got a school slot based off a bunch of different scenarios.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I wouldn't worry too much about the sidearm, different times had different requirements.
Sent from somewhere
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Originally posted by J.B. View Postwhat about the airborne/tank deal? really just curious for my own edification
Turns out he was a tanker who dropped into Panama with the 82nd. They still had the Sheratan, a small air drop tank, but didn't take them. So they assigned all the crews to the HQ companies of the other units and sent them. When they got rid of the Sheratan he wanted to stay with the 82nd so he converted to infantry. He got his first CIB in Desert Storm and his second in Iraq.
As far as sidearms go, it's hard to tell. That is determined by the MTOE for the unit type but those change and depending on when he was in and what unit he was with could be very different from today.
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Originally posted by Dave View PostFirst unit I got to, a cavalry unit mostly full of tankers and scouts, had an old operations master sergeant who had his jump wings with a mustard stain, meaning he had made a combat jump, and his combat infantryman's badge, CIB, with star meaning he had been awarded the CIB in two conflicts.
Turns out he was a tanker who dropped into Panama with the 82nd. They still had the Sheratan, a small air drop tank, but didn't take them. So they assigned all the crews to the HQ companies of the other units and sent them. When they got rid of the Sheratan he wanted to stay with the 82nd so he converted to infantry. He got his first CIB in Desert Storm and his second in Iraq.
As far as sidearms go, it's hard to tell. That is determined by the MTOE for the unit type but those change and depending on when he was in and what unit he was with could be very different from today.
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Originally posted by Bullseye07 View PostI served in the one and only USMC. We absolutely did not have service numbers as other people have also attested to here. Things change all the time. I didn’t wear tricolors or have black boots. Does that mean I didn’t serve?
All I’m getting at is saying someone didn’t serve because they don’t have a service number is spreading misinformation. If someone tried that crap with me, we’d discuss it outside.
Also, I never said you or anyone else didn’t serve...period. Take a breather, it’s all going to be okay, I promise!
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Originally posted by Ætheling View PostNo but I was always curious as to what they replaced the 2 weeks of Basic/Boot
that was spent shining boots with? More waxing floors or something more outdoorsy like picking weeds out of the rocks. 😂
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