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http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morn ... ry-record/

By Fred Barbash February 24 at 1:08 AM

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald in November 2014. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)
Robert McDonald, the secretary of Veterans Affairs, misrepresented his military record in a recent TV appearance, falsely stating that he was in an elite special operations division.

McDonald, a West Point graduate who served with the 82nd Airborne Division during the late 1970s, has issued an apology for the misstatement.

The story was first reported by the Huffington Post’s David Wood. There was no suggestion in Wood’s story of any pattern of misstatements by McDonald. The comment in question came while McDonald was being filmed by a CBS News crew as he toured Los Angeles during a count of homeless veterans, one of whom told McDonald he had served in special ops.

McDonald replied: “Special Forces? What years? I was in Special Forces.” The segment aired Jan. 30.

[CIA job interview leads to criminal investigation of Green Beret]

In a statement provided by VA, McDonald said: “While I was in Los Angeles, engaging a homeless individual to determine his veteran status, I asked the man where he had served in the military. He responded that he had served in special forces. I incorrectly stated that I had been in special forces. That was inaccurate and I apologize to anyone that was offended by my misstatement.”

“We take him at his word and expect that this will not impact the important work he’s doing to promote the health and well-being of our nation’s veterans,” said a statement from the White House, according to the Associated Press.

The special forces claim, which came in the middle of the controversy over the honesty of NBC News anchor Brian Williams, was noticed by some retired military officers.

McDonald told Wood: “I have no excuse. I was not in Special Forces.”

Special operations forces, drawn from all branches of the military, include the fabled Green Berets, Army Rangers, Delta Force and Navy SEALs. “Special operators are a close-knit community deeply hostile to outsiders who try to claim the coveted mantle of special operations,” wrote Wood, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2012 for his reporting on the “physical and emotional challenges facing American soldiers severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan during a decade of war.”

Wood reported that McDonald, the former chief executive of Procter and Gamble who was brought in to shape up the embattled VA, completed Army Ranger training but “never served in a Ranger battalion or any other special operations unit.”

I was bought up to call it a lie, not a misstatement or a "claim".

Beer Jew wrote:I was bought up to call it a lie, not a misstatement or a "claim".

X2

He served in a unit that some called "The Jumping Junkies" in Vietnam.

Maybe he was high?

Not good at all. First the guy was a Woop, 82nd, and had a Ranger Tab. He did not need to enhance his resume.

Really hoped this clown would be the guy to fix the VA. It has never been a well run institution and exactly what happens when you mix bureaucrats, politics, and medicine. But it has never been worse, and why is another conversation, so what now?

Have given up on ever getting any response or care from the VA, and have sought alternate treatments. Have waited going on 3 years for a simple post retirement ortho exam. But i continue to email, call, and petition the VA and my Congressman so the really hurting severely impacted Vets who need the care can get it and i can help keep the heat on these bastards.

And the Secretary is Bastard 1.

Not being of the grunt ilk myself, what is and isn't special forces? If you are an intel weenie and you do a 3 year tour with special forces deployed, are you special forces? Aviator detailed as a FAC to a SEAL team, boots on the ground getting shot at? 82nd Airborne with Ranger tab not cutting it, obviously.

Guy should have just kept his mouth shut.

I find the whole psychology of people expanding their expertise and experience fascinating, whether it is Brian Williams, O'Reilly, or this guy. In the age of Google, too easy to get exposed.

A Secretary Of The Navy in the Clinton administration did it, was called out by David Hackworth, then offed himself.

nafod wrote:Not being of the grunt ilk myself, what is and isn't special forces?

Special Forces, Rangers, and maybe SOAR. Inside legs (the intel weenie you mentioned) are not Special Forces, but they often get more respect than the guys with similar jobs who served with conventional forces.

EDIT: ignore my answer, I misread the question; Sua nailed the answer.

powerlifter54 wrote:Really hoped this clown would be the guy to fix the VA. It has never been a well run institution and exactly what happens when you mix bureaucrats, politics, and medicine. But it has never been worse, and why is another conversation, so what now?

So did I, but I also knew he wasn't the guy to fix it. They need someone with an executive experience in the health insurance and/or medical management businesses. He has neither.

Shape was special forces. He rode in a short humvee and had a padded helmet

There is only one Special Forces, Green Berets in common parlance. The general term is Special Operations Forces (SOF). SOF are generally the units under SOCOM; SF, Delta, SEALs, Rangers, MARSOC, SOAR with guys like PJs and CCTs in the mix as well. Although the term 'operator' sees more civilian usage than in the military units in question, unless you went through the assessment, selection and training for the unit, as opposed to being an 'enabler', you generally aren't considered to rate calling yourself special operations. In recent years, the Ranger Regiment requires all MOS's to go through RASP to include a basic skills package of close quarters pistol/rifle marksmanship, breaching, fast roping, driving, etc. Still, if you're not a door kicker, on the ground regularly (to include medics, fire support...) on missions, people don't take well to you calling yourself something that you're not.

All that said I have no idea why people aren't proud enough to call themselves what they were-paratroopers, Marines, Ranger-qualified, whatever. No combat 03xx or 11x MOS need hang his head low before anybody.

That's "Extra" Special, Bux.

Whatever. I save my outrage for all my fellow draftees whose names come in bunches on the Wall. Rest of it, what patch you wore or group you belonged to doesn't mean shit to me.

From my pal, Doug Peacock

RE: Sec. of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald. I spend almost half my time working with veterans, disabled, homeless, whacko, whatever. I would have said anything to connect with a homeless vet pushing a shopping cart, saying I also served with a troop of orangutans or anything else he claimed as his unit. The Sec. was Ranger, Airborne and went to special ops school at Ft. Bragg. Please give him a break.
Doug Peacock, 5th Special Forces, 1967-68