Lying about your Cdn. Armed Forces military rank
 

I had a former co-worker lie about his military rank at the time of his discharge, claiming first that he left the military with a sergeant's rank. On a second occasion talking with a different person, I heard him admit that he was a Master Corporal.

I called him out on it - saying he'd previous said he was a Sergeant...but then he claimed he was a Master Corporal. He gave me an excuse that he was confused the first time with his answer.

But then I subsequently found out from another source that he went in as a Private, and came out as a Private.

Poor morals and ethics aside - do any Canadian military folk here know if making these false rank claims is illegal?

As someone who comes from a very long line of ancestors who not only served but gave their life in the military - it just burns my ass when someone falsely claims military rank and credentials.

Illegal in usa.

You have to actually parade around with attire and visual credentials falsely for it to be illegal. Also illegal to accept discounts and 'advantages' under the guise of being military.

Stolen Valor Act of 2005
The Stolen Valor Act of 2005, signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 20, 2006,[1] was a U.S. law that broadened the provisions of previous U.S. law addressing the unauthorized wear, manufacture, or sale of any military decorations and medals. The law made it a federal misdemeanor to falsely represent oneself as having received any U.S. military decoration or medal. If convicted, defendants might have been imprisoned for up to six months, unless the decoration lied about is the Medal of Honor, in which case imprisonment could have been up to one year. In United States v. Alvarez the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 28, 2012, that the Stolen Valor Act was an unconstitutional abridgment of the freedom of speech under the First Amendment, striking down the law in a 6 to 3 decision.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Valor_Act_of_2005

More concerned with Canadian law, though.

Not sure how much it differs to the U.S.

I don't think he broke any laws based on what you described. He would have had to take it a step further. Here's a great site where they shame people that do that. Hall Of Shame - Guardian Of Valor

:thumbsup:thumbsup

He fought for his country, which is more then most of us have done...so I would definitely let it slide. As you are a person "who comes from a very long line of ancestors who not only served but gave their life in the military" you should know that being a private certainly doesn't translate to a cushy ride.

I served in the Canadian Armed Forces myself, as did my father and grandfather - and many of my current co-workers are military vets, one of which is a Chief Master Warrant Officer and another a Lieutenant Colonel. They earned their stripes the hard way and are deserving of their titles and rank.

This guy did not do the work nor earn what he claimed to be. He served during peace time (in Canada)...never saw foreign soil...much less "fight for his country". He was a cook, injured his foot after serving only two years - was discharged...and somehow got a lifetime medical benefit pension (also galling).

it would be questionable if he mislead his employer, but the way you described it sounds just like normal bullshitting between 2 co-workers... even if it's illegal, who gives a shit?

exactly... you really shouldn't care what a delusional person says as long as it doesnt infringe upon your actual rights.

People that have served or climbed any ranks take this far more personal than non military folk. They want blood when it comes to this.

However... thats a biased POV and in the end. If the guy is only talking... just stop listening. Easy...

Youre military right? youre disciplined right? Try caring about something that actually matters.

Putting judgement on someone in the canadian military never hitting foreign soil though... that was funny :thumbsup

As already said, if you were just talking; I don't think it is any more illegal than lie about your income or chicks you have laid with. Or any other similar bullshit.

I am of course general in Finnish army, at least armchair one. At least I have been in military, that I can tell, but so have been 80 % of men around here.

agreed, sounds like ya should just file him under stroke category. If I called the police everytime someone attempted to lie to me I'd have a police escort. :2 cents:

If it really bothers ya then call him out on it in front of people and just beat him down so he doesn't do it anymore. You might go to jail and shit but you'll then be classified as General Take No Bullshit. :1orglaugh

You need to be careful with things like this. "Shaming" others says more about you than the other person. There have been many, many cases where veterans have been "shamed" by others only to find out that the veteran was right and the "others" were completely wrong.

Overzealous fucks "shame" others to feel better about themselves.

Everyone's input and opinion is appreciated - even those I strongly disagree with.

I am a retired U.S. Army Lt Colonel with 25 years of active duty. I presently volunteer as an active participant (and sometimes as the actual Mission Commander) in full-military-honors funerals in San Diego (I was in three of them this past week, and have more next week). All are very moving and sad, with the ones for Navy Seals and active duty combat KIA's being particularly impacting for my troops and me.

A few years ago, a guy claiming to be a retired Navy Captain who flew fighter jets in Vietnam, contacted me to get background info for a movie script he was writing about porn production. Bottom line is that his BS about his supposed military days didn't match what I knew from my active duty experiences; then, along came a media story about a "fake" military officer. I emailed the report to him and and cited his claims to me about his service and told him that I needed to see proof of his service (military people always have/keep their documents) or I might feel compelled to alert the military to his situation. He slinked away, never to be in contact with me again.

If I ever come across this phony again, even if he's with other people, I plan to not acknowledge him except for giving him the the two-fingers sign for "Shame on You"---if it's just him and me, I will add the word "Asshole", turn my back on him and walk away.

IMO, his kind are beneath "low", and are an insult to our real veterans and military.

Dave Cummings (my porn stage name).

I hope the guy cited above never used his bs to get an airline seat-upgrade gifted to him by another traveller, or to get free drinks anyplace. As far as I know, he didn't, but.....

Yes, this guy got under my skin!!!!

Dave