Spotting a Faker

[mnathan]

Hi Folks,

First-timer here, so apologies if I'm posting in the wrong area. Figured this was general enough for the general board.

So yesterday I'm sipping coffee at my favorite coffee shop and two men walk in, one in his mid-50s, the other in his late-20s. Seemed like an informal job interview of some kind--the older guy asked the younger guy about his military service, the younger guy said he was in the Army, older guy said, "Oh? What branch?"

Younger guy: "Well, did you ever see Zero Dark Thirty?" Older guy: "Oh! You did that kind of stuff?" Younger guy: "Yep. Army Rangers. I've served all over the world. Iraq, Afghanistan..."

Then they walked out, still talking.

My radar went up for several reasons, and here's where I'd like some input from actual Rangers:

1. The younger guy didn't look the part. Had a bit of a gut, was slouchy, looked like he could maybe pump out three chin-ups, max.
2. The younger guy name-dropped Zero Dark Thirty.
3. The younger guy seemed really eager to let it be known that he was a Ranger.

I've never met an actual Ranger or if I have, I didn't know because it didn't come up in the course of discussion (and why would it?). I've worked with several former Marines, my great-uncle was a Marine and lost his leg from a German bullet in WWII, and no matter how long they've been out of the service, they still have that "look." It's hard to describe but you know it when you see it. At least, that's what I think. I could be wrong.

So: given the little I've told you, what do you think? Would any true Ranger refer to a movie as a way of explaining what they do? Is it unfair to judge a Ranger (or any special forces) on their appearance? Is it frowned upon within the Ranger community to talk about your service in public? Am I totally off-base?

Thanks for your time.

-micah

[RangerX]

1) Hard to say. Many soldiers develop a gut after leaving the military. When serving we consume a lot of calories and burn them off in short order. After we get out, the habit of mass consumption takes some time to break. Slouching would be a flag to me, even if they weren't rockin' a beer gut.

2) Generally don't bother trying to tell those who are unfamiliar with the military about the Rangers unless they press, then I usually reference actual operations, not movies. Just Cause, Gothic Serpent, etc. and news items that would be associated with those. I've only ever referenced Blackhawk Down to explain fast roping.

3) See #2. If it was a job interview, the interviewer would have seen line items on my resume, which include service in the 75th. If they ask about it, I would tell them more, but otherwise I generally have that stuff on there to make sure they are paying attention.

It's not frowned upon (and when I was younger a method of trying to get laid - unsuccessfully), but generally it's a waste of time. Those that get it need no further explanation, and those that don't..don't

[mnathan]

I like those answers. Thanks for the response.

-micah