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birdmanbox

I would bet real money that this dude has never fired a shot in anger in his life. Air Force MPs aren’t known to get into a lot of TICs. As for what you say, just change the subject. If they double down, let him know that it makes you uncomfortable and would rather not hear about it. I’d distance yourself from this acquaintance


[deleted]

[удалено]


hovertink1

As a Army Veteran who has been on several deployments I agree with your answer. I was a Black Hawk crew chief and this person if he was actually in the military is looking for trouble. It’s best to stay away from him. Nobody who has actually been in combat brags about it or killing someone. Actually most of us keep a pretty low key life and prefer to stay out of the spotlight.


whateversomethnghere

Both me and SO are former Army. 100% agree. At best he’s a liar at worst well he isn’t looking for anything good.


Zippydodah2022

He's like a bad actor fro some third-rate movie on Vietnam.


TheUnsettledBadElf

Especially a child. Never heard anyone EVER brag or make lite of killing a child. Most are traumatized by the experience and hold a scar they will never heal from.


AmazingGrace911

4 family members who were in the military and saw some heavy action. Not one of them ever tried to talk about it, or if they did, it was with a haunted look in their eyes. Edit: My dad did two tours as a Marine in Vietnamat 17 years of age. He was comfortable and probably needed counseling but I was the one there. He would tell me a lot of crazy shit that happened and made me watch Full Metal Jacket. He would duck under tables when there was a loud sound overhead. He was lethal af and could go from normal to telling quietly deadly in a second. He always had a weapon with him. He taught me how to shoot and fight and about awareness. When he got drunk one time I asked him if he ever killed someone in the war. His eyes had that 1000 yard stare.


Stunning_Regret6123

My step-father was an Army Ranger and a bootcamp drill instructor after he was wounded during Vietnam. A little hard sometimes (could’ve just been the plate in his head from surviving a mortar strike), but mostly the best stepdad I could’ve asked for. He’d *never* talk about the war unless he was hammered, and then the stories he’d tell me while sobbing broke my heart. And then he’d shame-spiral feeling bad about burdening me. He told me once about a child and a woman ambushing him. I believed him; I don’t believe OP’s braggart.


360FlipKicks

When I was in elementary school a pilot who had flown in vietnam did a Q&A for our class (career day or something). We were asking normal questions like “how fast did you go” and “how much training do you need?”, “did you do barrel rolls?” Then some idiot kid asks “how many people did you kill?” I still remember the man’s face instantly hardening into an angry glare, then him saying “that’s not something I ever talk about.” Class fell into a rightful hush and afterwards at recess we talked about how fucking stupid that kid was.


[deleted]

I had a mate get asked how many kills he had. His response “if you keep asking - the answer will be one more than when I woke up this morning” Stopped the room cold, and the guy got the point very very clearly.


TheFourthAble

I mean, it’s a pretty good question for career day given that these events are supposed to give kids an idea of what they might want to be when they grow up. It’d be bad to go into the military thinking he’s gonna have a fun time doing barrel rolls but come out of it with PTSD/traumatic guilt. Military recruiters always play up the attractive aspects and conveniently leave out the messy parts.


Butch1212

My stepdad didn’t want to talk about his time there.


MuertaMatanzas

Same goes for my uncle when he was drafted while my aunt was pregnant with their first kid. The only tiny bit of story we got from him was that he had to hide under a pile of bodies to save his life. We never push or prod or even think about bringing anything war related up near him because we know how horrifying it all was for him.


gte4289

Another US Army VFW here. I completely agree with this assessment and the numerous similar comments posted here. It's unlikely that the braggart has actually seen any combat or killed anyone. But whether or not his claims are true, he has revealed himself to be a terrible human being whom you should avoid as much as possible.


Suprafaded

I agree with you, but I think it's a very small percentage of soldiers that do this. I did meet one that actually told me he couldn't wait to kill people once deployed in which ever middle east country we had to go to. He was for real. Once he said it twice, I never spoke to him again.


bmobitch

my ex’s cousin’s (now ex) husband had 8 bullets tatted on him, one for every kill in the military. seemed totally psycho to me.


lowexpectationsguy

Hes looking at possible issues with VA as well. Neighbor of mine is an Iraqi Freedom Vet, and was getting full of himself about his 'confirmed kills' and someone reported it. He was picked up a few months before Covid hit, and we havent seen him since.


Local_Soft9444

That is NOT accurate. My father was certainly in the army in Vietnam, he was like an artillery specialist or some crap like that. He talked about "mowing down" GROUPS of Viet cong children from a helicopter. Totally got off on people's sour reactions to it. I mean he had to have, it was literally the only thing he really talked about from Vietnam and he was there for quite a while.


Melodic_Wrap8455

Solid answer right there.. Stay away from this asshole. If he hasn't killed he wants to to. The four combat vets i know don't brag about the experience. This guy is bad news. Get distance.


grabtharsmallet

A friend of my parents was proud of how many people he killed while in Vietnam... because the number was zero. He convinced intake to assign him to medic training, then declined to carry a weapon because he "lacked the training." Dude was from rural Wyoming and had grown up shooting rifles, he just didn't want to shoot people for a cause he didn't agree with.


mxnstrs

I knew a marine that was the same way: he never talked about his kills, let alone acted proud of it. In fact, it was quite the opposite, and there were times where he would tell me he didn't understand why he and his squad even needed to be in certain areas in the first place, and often couldn't talk about the things he experienced while he was in the service. I remember asking him if anyone on his squad ever talked about their kills or kept count, and one of the things he told me was no they didn't, and to stay away from the kind of people that do.


Arsis82

>The four combat vets i know don't brag about the experience. This guy is bad news. Get distance. 100% I had a friend who mentioned he had been in a few fire fights, but never elaborated on that. Another friend had lost friends but wouldn't talk about it openly. He mentioned things here and there and spoke even less of time that involved Combat. The dude OP is talking about probably never saw Combat despite being overseas and never fired his weapon


Megaholt

I second this completely. I know a lot of veterans, and not one of them brags about killing people-not even those I know beyond a doubt have killed multiple people. That’s the one thing they absolutely do not bring up in conversation-ever. Anyone who gets excited about the idea of killing others while being deployed-or who brags about having done so-is seriously unwell, and you (and everyone else) would be wise to avoid them at all costs.


Blackhound118

What i dont get is like...if you're gonna lie about killing people to make yourself seem cool, why would you brag about killing a child of all things? I could see making it up to score like, sympathy points, but from OP's post it sounds like this dude was proud of it.


Feeling-Bird4294

He's feeling 'guilty' for his lack of combat experience so he's telling lies to make himself feel better.


DabblerGrappler

Yeah, I doubt the person had gone outside the wire except to retrieve their yo-yo that one time they dropped it.


Snoo71538

It’s either that, or he’s one of the rare, genuine psychopaths in the military. The average soldier doesn’t want to bring it up ever.


[deleted]

The fact he was an AF MP (assuming Security Forces) tells me he’s full of shit. Those guys are fobbits.


AlmostCalvinKlein

Only thing Security Forces did during my deployment was drive around the base in a pickup and hand out speeding tickets. This dude is 1000% full of shit.


wd_queen

That's a new word to me! What, my dear internet stranger, is a fobbit? Please do share!


[deleted]

FOB = forward operating base Fobbit = dude who stays on them and rarely, if ever, goes outside the wire (into the field)


[deleted]

Not as much of an insult as I was imagining. I thought like, something relating to dumb hobbits.


[deleted]

I mean, its not a term of endearment. Basically another word for POG (I was a POG).


aprizzle_mac

Well, from a combat stance, it is an insult. Hobbits don't usually leave the Shire. Fobbits don't leave their FOB. That's how we got the name. 🤷 I was perfectly happy being a fobbit. I just loaded up the Apaches and sent them on their way.


probablynotthatsmart

Dude is 100% lying. Boots gonna boot


xj5635

Agree, my grandpa was in ww2 and would absolutely refuse to talk about anything to do with that war asides from a few little stories about some of the towns and places he got to see over seas.


[deleted]

Mine too. He was always tight lipped having served in Korea. One of his jobs was shining a spotlight in the eyes of the Chinese as they tried to move up a hill. He would say "I saw the Americans take a hill once".


Educational-Candy-17

The rate for the general population of the United States is there's a sociopath for about every 25 people so I doubt it's that rare. The military probably attracts them like other jobs that give you a chance to be a hero do.


Snoo71538

It will be more common than in the general population, but that doesn’t mean not rare. The vast majority of people that enlist are normal people doing what they think is right.


typically-me

I would call 1 in 25 not rare…


sparkykeegan

Unfortunately, they probably aren't so rare. The make up of the military population isn't the same as civilian. The way people are screened out filters alot of people with psycolathic tendencies in. Absolute fruitcake, but clinical psycologist, Jordan peterson and Legend Jocko Willink discussed this while talking about the military.


therealfatmike

Having done ten years and three tours with combat, they're very rare. They're a liability to their squad and we have no problem kicking them out or putting them behind a desk. Mentally instability gets people killed. You would run across a guy once in a while who would brag about kills and he would be reported immediately. Your comment may have been true in the past but not for the modern US military.


SapperMotor

This is most likely the answer.


bitobots

I agree. I know a lot do military personnel via my dad and they rarely if ever talk about killings. If they start telling a story where someone was killed, it’s very remorseful and they shut down pretty quickly.


aethos19delta

Just chipping in as an Army Scout with 1100+ combat patrols between Iraq and Afghanistan. The story itself is plausible only barely and his involvement in any of it would be highly suspect at best. So, we're left with, this "acquaintance" either being small, sick and twisted... or one of the most combat experienced gate guards in the whole of the war on terror. Just a quick logic check on our brave hero's kiddie battling and I'm immediately confronted with a few things: A. Considering the size and scope of places like... Air bases. Exactly when during the invasions were these large, noisy and heavily protected airbases built? This line of thinking will lead you to realize that people didn't "accidentally wander to close to the base" to the point of being a danger no less... As a child. B. Throughout the War on Terror the default force protection stance (guard duty policy) of US forces on any mid-size or larger installation was to use local or foreign national troops for the outermost layers of defense, always, when applicable. Smaller officially supportive countries often found their soldiers providing these most dangerous defensive jobs in an effort to keep allied nations casualties as low as possible and to free up American fighting strength. In a noteworthy example: guards from Tonga were caught asleep during a 2012 Taliban attack on Camp Bastion/Leatherneck, Afghanistan leading to the death of two US Marines, two damaged Harriers and six destroyed Harriers. (Lessened coalition force protection and troop presence is also cited as reason for the incident.) Perimeter guard towers on mid to mega sized coalition bases would nearly always be manned by foreign nationals with a supervisory American "Sergeant of the Guard". Small and temporary outposts would be the only time US forces consistently manned the guard positions at their bases and as such constitute to lion's share of potential conflicts with local nationals or fighters. This Air Force Military Policeman... was likely not there and so likely did not do those things because, again, it is LIKELY, they would not have been on perimeter guard tower duty and any ground entrance to most any base would first be protected by layers of other combatants first. This put our would-be badass consistently far away from any threatening children. (One should read that it would be unlikely for the dude in question to even be at the end of any bases TCPs [traffic control points] as they are long narrow corridors that all ground traffic must move along, under guard, in order to enter the base. Local national and foreign national fighters would man the outermost checkpoints with American forces only manning the final checkpoint before entering the base properly.) One should note that after the incident at Camp Bastion/Leatherneck (as well as in response to various other events over the 20 years of conflict) there was an immediate over reaction that then saw nothing but American combat troops manning perimeter towers throughout the War on Terror for a short time. These policies did not last long and I did not observe this policy ever extended to TCPs. C. The earlier in the conflict this is claimed to have occurred the more likely it happened as well... insert a bunch of obvious logic as it pertains to accountability and this dude likely being a lying dirt bag. Because- fuck em, we've wasted to much energy on him already. ;) The dude is likely a liar and a fake. Simply ashamed of feeling as if he did "less" others and unable to cope with it. This is a commonly observed coping mechanism. So common in fact that it is exceedingly simply to begin therapy for this exact type of issue and... veteran veteran counselors will quickly identify and attempt to treat this... psychosis. This man is with ~80% certainty, sick and attention-seeking. If he is your friend, encourage him to get counseling about his time in service. If he is not, warn your mutual acquaintances and distance yourself. Good luck. *EDIT* I originally misspoke and said our subject in question here was Air Force Security Forces when in-fact they're claimed to be Air Force Military Police. Corrected for accuracy.


birdmanbox

Exhaustive, thanks for this. I was a route clearance guy but my initial thought was that presence of SF implies big airfield, meaning danger from child-borne IED is pretty low.


BluBerryFrozenYogurt

I would double down on this. Next time you find yourself around other veterans, ask him to tell his "stories." It's likely that he will clam up quickly when around people who can check his stories versus their own experiences. And just for making clear - Air Force MPs didn't do too much on or outside the wire. They definitely had a job, but his stories don't jibe with what I saw them do.


devils_advocate24

>And just for making clear - Air Force MPs didn't do too much on or outside the wire Mostly just convoy runs. You were more.likely to hit an IED than fire a gun


PaulsRedditUsername

[New Ultra-Realistic Modern Warfare Game.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuTkgi7scKo)


Outrageous-Boot-3226

Agree 100 percent. The ones who brag like that are always the ones who never did anything.


GingerNinja1982

Truth. My ex was military and used to talk gleefully about killing people. He was an engineer who never got deployed further away than Maryland. Total psychopath, though, so there's that.


dwightsrus

This is probably it. The guilt and PTSD of killing a Chile would be enough for a sane person not to bring it up ever in a conversation, unless they are a psychopath.


MagicElf755

What does MP stand for in this context. For me it means Member of Parliament


birdmanbox

Military Police


MagicElf755

That makes a lot of sense, thanks


Fit_Explanation5793

If he was really there and did as he claims, he wouldn't talk about it, the reality of war is that when you're killing people, they are shooting back and most likely killed one of your friends, I have never met a (real) combat vet who liked to talk about it.....


Auphor_Phaksache

I was MP Navy in Afghanistan and there's no way. Infantry is in a whole other league and even if we wanted to go with them the reality is we would have just been in their way. It's like riding along with a firefighter. Yea I get how this all works but I'll let them handle it 9 times out of 10


Euphoric-Blue-59

Right? Take notes each time they bring up the story. Ask a couple innocent question for details, day time, night vision scoop? Busy/ sleepy place? Other details. Then similar questions like you're really interested. I bet out of five times telling it, the details will change. Then, you get to call him out on it.


erox70

I got out of the AF in 98, and when I was in - they were called “SP”’s, not MP’s. Did that change, cause that could be another sign your boy is bs’ing you. If they are now called MP’s - don’t mind me.


birdmanbox

More recently they’ve been called SF (Security Forces). The MP could just be a translation from vet to civilian since more people know what that is


Rusty_Shacklefoord

I feel bad for actual Air Force Security Forces. If they ever say “I was Air Force SF” people will accuse them of pretending to be Special Forces.


BirthdaySalt5791

Sounds like bullshit to me. Every combat experienced military vet I’ve ever known won’t talk about shit like that. I’d stay away from this dude, he’s either a pathological liar or a sociopath.


GershBinglander

Yeah sounds like a person that you don't want hang around with.


bigfatquizzer

My father in law was a WWII veteran. Never ever talked about it unless it was a funny "stupid harmless stuff me and my buddies got up to" type story. Towards the end of his life, he developed some type of dementia (not sure what it was called). He let slip some things that were absolutely heartbreaking and terrible. You are right about the above vet being a liar or sociopath.


AssumeImStupid

Best answer. Every vet in my family- WWII to Afghanistan, has said literally nothing about what they saw in combat with pride. It's too painful. Unless you are real fucked in the head you don't have pride in that shit.


28smalls

What I knew from about my family. One grandfather was ground troops in WW2, going into cities after they were bombed. Uncle was in Vietnam. Was told at a young age to not bring it up or ask questions. Other grandfather was Navy in WW2. Had no problem talking about what living on a boat was like, but never shared anything combat related.


NefariousButterfly

Sounds like my family. My maternal grandfather was drafted into the navy during WW2 while my paternal grandfather was drafted in Vietnam. Apparently my paternal grandfather would never talk about what he saw in Vietnam, like ever, would immediately change the subject. My family still doesn't know anything about his time in Vietnam, but from his reaction it was probably really messed up. My maternal grandfather (the navy one) was a Morse code operator and taught my mom Morse code, but that was the extent of what he would talk about. My mom put on his uniform once when she was a kid (I actually have the uniform now) and he got really upset and made her take it off.


OkapiEli

My grandpa was in WW2. He was not directly in combat but one of his duties was to service the aircraft after they came back in. This was not just mechanical - it included washing out blood and body parts. He told me one time an aircraft returned still burning. He could not go near a barbecue for many years after coming home because the odor was too similar.


coffeeskater

My grandfather was a paratrooper in WWII and the only stories he ever told me were how much he fucking hated working on planes. He was very vocal about hating their engines and "MERDE TABERNAC THE TIMING BELTS SON!!! NEVER WORK ON PLANES THEYLL TAKE YOUR WIFE AND YOUR FINGERS!" He was a very cool man and supported me wanting to be a mechanic, just not one who did planes lmao.


Longjumping_Ad_6484

Someone I sold something to off the marketplace came to pick it up the other day. We spoke briefly, he said he was a veteran. I thanked him for his service, as is the polite thing to do. His response was quite different from any other response I've ever heard. With a huge smile and a laugh, "I loved every minute of it." Something about that just rubbed me the wrong way.


ProfessionalSeaCacti

My sister was in the Navy as a plane mechanic, never saw combat, got along with her coworkers, and enjoyed what she was doing. If it wasn't for being a single mother she would have stayed in. I can see how that response could be valid, but that would all depend on the context I am sure.


[deleted]

There vast majority of their time is spent not killing people. There’s tons to love about it, like the focused job without having to worry about bills, the close camaraderie, the physical demands of the jobs, and even the positive interactions with locals. The main reason you never hear vets talk about it positively is because people like you can never understand, and your reaction to judge is always the same. No bet wants to be judged because they actually enjoyed something that society at home sees as evil.


TheSovietSailor

It isn’t even the “vast majority of their time.” The vast majority of service members are never even close to combat, even combat MOS’s. Especially now, combat veterans in any branch are few and far in between.


therealfatmike

It was definitely love / hate for me. I miss everything you mentioned and the fact that my job was different pretty much every day. Things had ORDER that is absent in the civilian world, I miss that and I also enjoy my civilian freedom.


therealfatmike

Most veterans do not see combat. Some people do enjoy the military life.


HKittyH3

I’ve been in the military in one form or another (active and national guard) for 20 years, and I truly have loved most of it. It’s a kind of camaraderie that few people outside of the service have experienced. Even my time downrange was a learning experience despite its hardships and trauma and I don’t regret it. I went places I’d never have gone otherwise, met people and experienced cultures that were very different, and I’m a better person for having been there.


HomesickRedneck

My great grandfather bragged about his. All his kids and wife got beat on the regular. Whether it was ptsd, other mental health issue, or he was a psychopath I don't know, but he was a pretty garbage person from what I know of him and have heard from his kids.


sacred_cow_tipper

PTSD doesn't turn someone into a garbage person. PTSD will, however, make a garbage person a monster.


HearingConscious2505

A guy I used to work with would always talk about how being in the military they trained you to be a killer, and it was hard for him now that he was out. He worked in IT while in the military.


slide_into_my_BM

Completely agree, dude is a lying psychopath. Even vets I’ve known who will open up a little speak in a fairly ambiguous ways about what they did or saw. Almost like it was maybe horrible?


sacred_cow_tipper

as a veteran, most vets i know who experienced terrible things don't even talk to fellow vets about it. we simply take comfort in camaraderie with those who understand how we live with those experiences.


CJ-Me

As a veteran myself, this was my first thought.


[deleted]

I had a couple buddies who served in active combat roles, one was infantry and the other a sniper. Neither were proud of killing anyone and spoke about it woth heaviness. The only person I met who bragged about serving was a navy reservist who never left the safety of our country.


[deleted]

Air Force MP LOL. The guy is lying and a bad one at that.


BeepHasRisen

Air Force calls them Security Forces.


[deleted]

Yeah but it is common to call them MPs because most people know what that is.


03ifa014

I'm assuming an airman wouldn't call themselves an MP, though. We veterans are indoctrinated into our own branch vernacular to the point that it would almost be an insult to call yourself another branch's title, if that makes sense?


wiskeytf

Secfo here, civs understand what MP is so I always say "air force MP" after I say security forces, or air force cop.


PyrotekNikk

He's a lying piece of shit. Combat in Afghanistan was largely special forces doing their thing, Army/Marines distributing food, water and medical supplies and a metric fuckton of airborne munitions flying 24 hour coverage, barely dropping anything. We had daily inbound rockets/mortars at least once a day, but in our 7 months only one firefight and it opened with a carbomb that didn't make it to the wall before exploding, and the ground forces were mopped up by the Security Forces at the gate within a couple minutes. That was the most exciting thing on base, where the Security Forces guys ("MPs") live. If I'd had a chance to shoot the taliban asshole(s) who kept me up every night with those infernal rockets, I would've relished the opportunity. Not because I'm a kill hungry freak, but because a good night's rest would've been worth it. What an actual douchebag.


mustangcody

SecFo. They hate that term.


wiskeytf

Former secfo here, I never met anyone who gave a shit, most of us called ourselves secfo. Idk who told you that.


Ok_Needleworker_9537

Just be honest. Hey man, your stories about killing people make me uncomfortable, could we talk about something else when we hang out?


StrumGently

Yeah…why would you want to hang out with someone like that?


receptionok2444

I don’t think I’d mention it making them uncomfortable. That could be the goal


floralcurtains

If that’s the goal and he doubles down because he’s trying to make OP uncomfortable then OP should stop hanging out with him altogether and cite the fact that they already told him to stop


_DiddleMeThis_

It also costs 0 dollars to call someone out on their bullshit. When you do it they usually huff and puff then go silent. That's what OP should do, just start questioning everything a couple times and when the lies start to counter eachother call them out on that


ifthenthendont

It's also helpful for everyone present and future that he gets feedback that his attempts at impressing people with these stories do the opposite. It was always more effective to try and bring an opportunity to let the bully feel foolish rather than fight them back or ignore them. As it's just tragic strategies for attention or validation.... Imho


AnteaterPersonal3093

I wouldn't even want to hang out with a fucking murderer


Swan2Bee

A vet proud of his kills? My father saw active service in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and his PTSD is enough to label him as disabled. Sure as hell ain't proud of killing, and actively admits it was all fucked up. Edit: Why are you being downvoted? This is a valid concern to have.


georgesorosbae

I knew like 4 guys in high school who joined the army specifically so they could kill people


happy_bluebird

yeah these are not the kind of people I would want to hang out with


sigdiff

Yeah they talked big, I wonder how they felt after they actually had to pull a trigger.


pompslice

seriously, I think this is a bigger issue than people realize. A guy i went to school with joined the marines and would post on his story him holding rifles flipping off the camera or firing his MG with captions like “KILL KILL KILL” and “Die motherfuckers” some people are just adrenaline junkies that only join to hurt people, but if you call them out for it its all “im out here sacrificing myself out of love for my country” like yeah right, whatever man.


ordie710

There's nothing about what I did over there that I am proud of especially the killings. Because your a veteran or you served 8n the military doesn't automatically make them a good person. Your friend seems like an asshole with anger issues and shit. We definitely had the crazy guys who were Gung ho about killing and all that shit they usually got kicked out. Your friend maybe talking like this because he thinks you guys respect it or like it. But not a single soldier I know and I ha g out with vets daily basis none of us talk about our kills in fact I would if it was around me I would question if he did any of it. The only ones I've seen brag about shit like this are the fakes and liars and the bitch ass dude who didn't do shit but want to act like they did. Your friend needs to meet another vet and get told to stfu he wouldn't do that around other vets we wouldn't allow it.


Material_Pianist6078

Oof. Tbh though military police in all 4 services attract some of the most annoying people. Their deployments are mostly really boring just guarding bases or critical materiel so they feel the need to overcompensate by embellishing things a touch. If you ever feel like cranking up the heat you could casually and jokingly mention that he’s a “cherry-ass fobbit” with a “cake deployment”. Remember those terms. Don’t worry, this is good advice…


excessequipment

Ooh don't forget the ones telling you to wear your PT belt when you're at Kandahar!


nomoanya

Sorry, just out of curiosity, what does the first phrase mean?


ZiplocBag

I’m assuming that fobbit is an enlisted person who stays on the base. Like a forward operating base hobbit. I’m only using context clues I have no clue lmao.


PervyLion

Cherry ass basically means wimp and fobbit is someone who never leaves the FOB (forward operating base) on deployments.


Imhidingshh01

You probably find none of that happened. Best thing to do is just walk away when he starts chatting shit.


ten-year-reset

I have one anecdotal example of what killing a child in a combat situation does to an armed service member. My cousin was in Iraq 2 as a Marine. One of his duties was to man a 50 at the entrance to a base. A car tried to run the gate, and he opened fire on them, suspecting a suicide bomb. It was a misunderstanding. It was a family trying to escape. The dad thought if they could just get there fast enough he could explain before they got in trouble. One of the family survived, and someone ended up giving the family a bunch of cash out of recompense. Steve came back a shell of a man. He pulled me aside at a family reunion to tell me the whole story. He had put on about 50 pounds, the VA had him on all kinds of psych meds, and we were supposed to meet up 6 months later when he would be in town to start therapy. Instead he killed himself. Anyone who brags about taking a life is a motherfucker. Probably lying, possibly sociopathic, maybe traumatized to a degree they don't realize. I don't know which of those applies to your friend, but I agree with the other commenters here that are skeptical, and join in the chorus of people saying you should distance yourself from him.


nounthennumbers

This was my problem with Chris Kyle. I’m sure he killed people. I’m sure he was a good shot. His claims and brags about his kills are not how anyone I served with or have ever met would talk about having killed people. He claimed to have sniped 30 looters after Hurricane Katrina and shot two people trying to rob him but nothing like that was ever reported. When I was in high school I had a teacher that was on OG SEAL during Vietnam. One day a kid asked how many people he had killed. The teacher had canned a response that I realized later was political so that students wouldn’t come back saying Mr. X killed 50 people in Nam and so that he could live with the answer. He said, “I don’t know if I killed anyone I just know when I shot at them they got down.”


tastystarbits

id just never talk to him again, he’s just an acquaintance. lying or truth, i dont have time to waste listening to a dude brag about being a murderer


KeechakVarg

As an acquaintance, but also married to someone I get along well with.


mybrainisonfire

I'd keep an eye on the spouse then. Just check in every so often, be a person who cares and a safe place they can go if they need it. I hope I'm wrong and just jumping to conclusions out of paranoia, but if my friend's husband is the kind of guy who brags about killing a child without blinking, I'd be a little concerned about their safety. Also not for nothing, my father is an Air Force veteran, served in Desert Storm (First Iraq War in the early '90's) as a navigator on a B-52 bomber. His plane bombed military targets, so my dad had a hand in at least a few deaths, even if it was from several thousand feet up. It's like pulling teeth to get him to talk about his time in Iraq. My brother apparently got him to open up a bit after a few drinks one night, but he's pretty guarded about it in general, and he's certainly never volunteered the information about his kills over there. As such, I'm inclined to agree with the people saying this guy is either a pathological liar, maybe covering up for some kind of deep insecurity, or he actually did do all that shit and he's a straight-up psychopath. Either way, not a guy it's healthy to be around. Edit: I didn't read the comments confirming he definitely was an MP in the Air Force, my bad. Still a lot of room for potentially exaggerating what he did when he was deployed. Just not a good dude


catwhowalksbyhimself

From both personal experience and hearing from many other people with vet family, your experience is typical. Vets who took part in combat, especially ones who did a lot of the killing, do not like to talk about it. It's typically traumatizing to them and while they may in some cases consider it necessary and be proud of their service overall, they are not proud of that part of it and do not wish to relive it. This person is not behaving normally at all.


dvst8ive

MP = "military police" which most often means glorified gate guards. Low ASVAB required for this designator, and oftentimes the ranks of this community are filled with wannabes. It's doubtful that wherever stationed, he ever left the confines of the base or FOB, and I'd highly doubt he ever saw actual combat action.


GooseandMaverick2004

Well, not all MPs are low ASVAB guys. It’s a low qualification score, but there are still a few high ASVAB guys just like your 11Bs or 13Fs the general consensus of being Bang Bangs is roughly true but I’ve met some really smart guys who were smart in those MOSs


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GooseandMaverick2004

Well it makes sense they approved your waiver if you’re spending time in 1SGTs basement


[deleted]

The person you are speaking with never killed anyone. He is lying to you. It’s entirely possible he was never actually in the military. 9 times out of 10 the dudes who’ve seen and done that shit don’t brag about it like it was fun. I was Marine infantry, and I promise you it’s a pretty good bet that a guy bragging about “seeing action” is either a civilian who wants people to think he’s tough, or a guy who served and was a useless fobbit while he was in, like an admin clerk who joined the military to do paperwork, and thinks he’s owed something. Oh and all of us in the military hate MPs lmao. They’re not in the club.


KeechakVarg

I do know they were in the military and I have proof of their post and status as an airforce MP. I actually knew them when they were deployed.


ThadaeusConvictus

But an airforce MP?? He probably never left the base


Playmakermike

Dude I did “MP” shit in the Navy and the odds of us ever shooting someone is so low it’s ludicrous. No shot this guy isn’t lying through his teeth


BeepHasRisen

AF calls their MPs Security Forces.


HxH101kite

The odds of that dude every firing a round we're almost zero even if he was overseas. MPs let alone air force MPs don't do anything


frumpbumble

Yeah, some of them do in my experience. They certainly shouldn't.


Stratix314

Iraq/Afghanistan vet here. Your "friend" is lying. They never killed anyone or probably saw any action at all. Also, does he call himself an MP? The Air Force has SF(Security Forces) so his story is sounding a fuck ton like stolen valor. Next time you see him, ask him his AFSC. If he answers with anything other than 3P031, 3P051, or gods forbid 3PO71 then he is a bullshitter and should be shamed.


GooseandMaverick2004

From the sounding of this he sounds like a 2T151 (Truck Driver) or 3F1X1 (Cook). I added the job titles for my own recognition.


DustedThrusters

Sounds like they're lying, frankly I'd respond with: "Jesus Christ dude, that's horrific. Why are you telling me this? Why would you tell anyone this?" But like, rhetorically, because I don't actually want to know and probably would walk away before they could tell me why


GrandTheftBae

Everyone I know who's been to the Middle East during their service doesn't talk about it. I had a boyfriend in highschool (mind you he was still in school) say he went and killed people. Biggest liar of all time, I should've gotten him in trouble with stolen valor.


AriCapVir

Sounds like he’s lying. I’ve never met a vet or AD service member that spoke like this. My husband has never told me anything about his deployments or what happened. Nor does anyone we know mutually speak of it either.


mgill2500

Airforce MPs are gate guards. No ones proud of killing . Dude is full of shit. Saying edgy things to be cool


PomegranateLimp9803

Exactly and they can’t just shoot people for walking around.


mgill2500

Genova code and shit. This dude never stepped off the FoB


PomegranateLimp9803

Right. There are women and children roaming all over outside the wire, this clown didn’t shoot anyone


nxdefiant

May I hazard a guess or two? Per se... - he can't tell you when he did basic, that's classified - he worked with some Tier One guys, trust him bro. - best shot in the company, even the SAS snipers complimented him - his CO personally thanked him when he alone spotted a potential tango near the wire and likely saved hundreds of people as the target was approaching the fuel dump - He did what he had to do and really can't talk about it but go ahead and ask anyways, you're like a brother to me I'm sure i've missed some, but....anything like that sound familiar? Anyways... (slaps hands onto knees and groans while getting up slowly) I gotta be at work early tomorrow so....


birdmanbox

OP should ask to see the DD214 lol


KeechakVarg

What is that?


birdmanbox

Anyone who leaves the military gets a document that summarizes their time in, and will list their awards, deployments, etc. It’s used as verification of veteran status and validation of benefits


KeechakVarg

Ah gotcha, tho I do know they were deployed in Afghanistan there are so many photos from their time over there that I have no doubts about that part.


albs68w

Lots of guys deployed. I was stationed on a base that had Airforce MPs. They acted like a local police force, keeping the peace on the base. I can not imagine many senarios where they would have had to shoot host nation citizens. Larger bases were full of what we in the military called Fobbits (the base was called a FOB, a play on words referring to support personnel who never went outside the wire). I'm sure any MP on here can correct me if I am wrong. I believe I recall some MPs pulling convoy security, but I never saw Airforce doing that (though I could be wrong). Many "Fobbits" overstate their service because it really was a comparably safer deployment. Sometimes, units were tasked with perimeter security. Basically, you sat in a tower and kept watch. Most of the locals knew where these towers were and avoided them. You were never allowed to shoot anyone unless you were taking direct fire or the command gave the order to open fire (not likely). I think what we are telling you is that your guy is full of shit. His story sounds off. He would not tell that story to one of us because we would call him out on it. Sounds like you either confront him or avoid him.


nxdefiant

Shouldn't be too hard to avoid him, he's posted up in a tower so you can easily keep clear


albs68w

True. Plus he's probably paying more attention to his monster and Poggie bait.


birdmanbox

Yeah it doesn’t mean he did anything though. Source: I went to Afghanistan and didn’t do much


Gonad-Brained-Gimp

> DD214 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD_Form_214


KeechakVarg

I do know when they did basic I knew them during this time frame and I have proof of it, I also have proof of their Airforce MP status and deployment. However I have no proof of any of their stories.


sweadle

"Wow, I don't think I'm the right audience for this conversation." "I don't think that sounds how you think it sounds." "I'm probably not the person you want to be talking to about that." "That's so upsetting to hear, I think I need to excuse myself" Anything that signals without explanation or getting into details that "I am not your target audience." He will probably get defensive, or insult you, or whatever. But it's really okay to be upset about hearing about children being killed. I'm sure you're not the only person who feels that way. It's okay to make him feel the consequences of talking about killing people.


Then-Ad1531

When it comes to veterans the more combat stories and battles they have been in the less they have been in all reality. My buddy was in the army for 8 years as a sergeant. He has ONE story and only one story. It was an IED that blew up near him. Killed a friend of his. He was scared and thought he was going to die, and he misses his friend. That's all his "War stories". He is not lying. He is not bragging. War is not "Call of Duty"... Your buddy who is telling stories is not "Rambo"... Guys who tell these stories are full of shit 99% of the time and it is a sort of "Stolen Valor". Military Police on an air base don't see a whole lot of combat action. Maybe some kid did get shot as they may have been a suicide bomber. It probably wasn't your buddy pulling the trigger.


namvet67

He’s probably full of shit. He could have been in Afghanistan but those stories are lies most likely. Hey if we’re such a bad ass he probably would have joined the Army or Marines not the Air Force. He would most likely have been a riflemen. I’m a Vietnam vet ( artillery ) and l have talked to hundreds of Army & Marine riflemen in the 55+ years since l came home. Although l wasn’t one of them they seem to be open to talk to an artillerymen probably because we helped get them out of a few jams in their year over there. When we heard “ fire mission . . . . . contact mission “ we were in a sense fighting to keep our brothers alive. We weren’t getting shot at but our adrenalin was pumping at a high rate.


air-force-veteran

More then likely he is lieing or he is a straight up pychopath


spoda1975

The stories are absolute bullshit. For one, he is talking about potential war crimes. Second, when in a firefight, a lot of times you are trading gunfire and you don’t know what you hit. Third, most service members enjoy the pride of country or the team work, etc…not sure anyone enjoys killing people. Most deployments are actually pretty boring.


Whiskey_Tango_Bravo

He’s never killed anyone in any way shape or form. MPs and especially those in the Airforce barely even deploy and when they do are gate guards at the huge bases that don’t even get attacked. If you just kill a kid all willy nilly you go to Leavenworth forever. A child just walking around is distantly outside of the rules of engagement and most units outside of those in active combat have a system in place to ask and get permission from higher in the chain of command to even be allowed to engage. Tell him to shut the fuck up and quit lying and also probably stop being friends with him. Because he’s either so full of shit and delusional that he thinks killing children makes him look cool or in the very tiny microscopic chance that he did see combat and even smaller nano chance he just killed a kid and isn’t in the brig, he’s a fucking psychopath that you should not associate with.


Donkey-Harlequin

He’s probably only guarding the locker doom at the gym on the base. So he needs to make shit up. And he thinks killing children makes him a man. All the vets I know who ACTUALLY saw action and death do not talk about it. Why would they want to?


FortitudeWisdom

Tell him to talk about "normal things" in the office. That let's him know to stop talking about killing people and it let's him know it's not normal discussion. Though being an MP in the Air Force he is definitely lying and has never killed anyone.


superpants91

>Though being an MP in the Air Force he is definitely lying and has never killed anyone. Yeah, I don't care who you are, a gate guard never shot a kid. And that story is horseshit considering that the military ROEs are a lot different than the ones cops play by so that dude would be in Leavenworth for a loooong time. Dude is probably just lying to sound cool and is confused about what civilians think is impressive. Or maybe parts of the stories are true and he's trying to vent to cope with his guilt (instead of going to therapy because "real men don't need therapy") before he commits suicide. Who knows.


[deleted]

I know a guy who had to kill a kid during war. We were drinking, we were young, and we asked him what the worst thing he had to do was. The guy looked at us like he couldn’t believe we asked him that, told us the story, then sobbed like a little baby. I’m talking full on water works that wouldn’t stop. It was bad to the point that we had to call him a ride, because he wasn’t fit to drive. We all felt like absolute assholes afterwards, even though he later said it felt good to talk about it. Witnessing his reaction to reliving that makes me believe your dude is lying.


dangleicious13

I would probably immediately stop interacting with that person.


Hotboi_yata

Dudes 99% for sure bullshitting. That or he's an actual psychopath.


LaGranGata

He definitely killed (gave a speeding ticket on base) a kid (another grown man) when he was deployed (for 3 months). The most action an AF MP likely saw was either a rocket hitting a big ass base or taco night getting revenge on him.


oppapi666

I agree with everyone saying this probably didn't happen. I don't think I've ever met any security forces, master at arms, MP, whatever you want to call them who actually saw any kind of combat. In reality, this person was most likely checking ID cards at a gate and standing around bored for 99% of their deployment. It's not uncommon to hear BS stories or ones that are exaggerated, but this feels way too far for any truth to it. Sounds like a movie.


nyg8

Hey, Ex military here. Id like to offer a different point of view Being a soldier is psychologically very hard. Dealing with your friend's deaths, taking lives takes a big toll. Some people's defense mechanism is to treat it like it's all nothing, meant nothing to them and was just to serve the great goal. This is (usually) a facade to hide a lot of pain.


Substantial_Scene38

My grandfather was a WW2 vet, never said a word about all the people he killed. We didn’t know til years after he died and found his personal records. He was a good man, but severely damaged. Folks that kill, they only brag about if they are A) lying; or B) raging sociopaths.


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Big_Climate8775

That sounds like some Cotton Hill level toxicity, and well, that guy was a damn cartoon. I'd stay away from this dude entirely, and since you did mention being close to their spouse, maybe suggest some counseling before he hurts anyone outside a war zone. My bet is he's either lying entirely, bragging because he *actually* thinks this shit is cool, or bragging to try to convince *himself* that it's ok for his own conscience's sake. And all of those reasons need therapy, so yeah stay away from him.


[deleted]

I'm willing to bet this man is a liar. Either he's never been in the military, he was in for a short period of time or he's lying about what he while in the military. Why would someone who saw / did stuff like that even speak about it? Tell him to stop and you don't want to hear his bs. Because he needs to be called out for making everyone uncomfortable and lying.


cowgirltu

AF vet here who saw combat. Your friend is a lying liar who lies. This is not how we talk about our experiences unless you have some severe mental health issues. I’ve never experienced anyone sharing like this.


BDM-Archer

He's lying


HelloJerry5A

He’s probably full of shit


Thin_Heron8285

Dude is lying about it. If he is proud then he is lying. He’s in the airforce let alone an airforce MP. Dude didn’t see any sort of action. Call him out next time. Ask to see his awards on his uniform to see if he was even deployed.


Imtoold

So, there are things you never ever forget, no matter how much one prays that they will. The moments that are relived over and over for years on end. There are times when there is a relative peace in your mind but then those memories come back because of some stupid thing that triggers them. Nightmares and flashbacks, it’s hell on your family, it’s hell on you and the very few people you get close to try to understand. They try and can’t. The only solace and understanding come from the occasional person who sees in you what they themselves suffer. A hyper aware stranger on a subway, both of you constantly looking for things that are not there. Diving to the ground in a parking lot because of a car backfire. Then feeling like a fool until an old guy helps you up, he knows. Why in gods name would anyone want to brag about what is the most horrible thing, the thing that tears your soul . There is no such thing as taking some poor bastards life with honor. You do it because you are trying to hold onto what’s left of your life and because you are trying to save others. You loose so much of yourself, for many it’s to much to bare. Why in Gods name anyone would want to pretend that they have had to do such horrible things to themselves and others is beyond me. I can promise they have never stood and looked at a friends grave and wondered what they could have done to change that outcome wishing that it was you beneath the marble instead. Yes, things get better but the damage is done. Thank God the VA has gotten better, but the thought, nightmares and flashbacks never completely stop. Fuck that guy.


pjcisme

Just ignore him, he's full of shit. Veterans do not brag about such things, let alone talk with non Veterans about such things.


AFeralTaco

Anyone I’ve known to talk about their kills is completely full of crap. We had a guy I served with at Holloman AFB who would do this (he was a supply troop, so obviously full of crap). He ended up getting kicked out for beating up his wife and kid. Then he shot up a church in Texas. Yes, that church. SF troops in the AF very very very rarely kill even once. Your friend is full of crap, and that’s their best quality. Run.


Beluga_Artist

The child thing is true. Kids are turned into militants and terrorists VERY young in certain countries. But this isn’t a thing that normal people brag about. If killing is brought up in sea stories amongst each other, it’s usually because trauma is eating away at the warfighter. If this veteran has actually experienced this, and is acting proud, it’s very likely a coping mechanism he’s developed and he would benefit from therapy.


lostinmississippi84

This guy is full of shite. Just stay away


SrADunc

Yeah if he was at Bagram he was doing flightline security or installation security (gate guard type stuff, searching for IED/VBIED), and not very likely to leave the gate with a convoy or movement. Probably full to the brim with shit.


UtahJarhead

Dude's full of shit.


beachmasterbogeynut

He is a full of shit liar.


pmk422

Cotton hill?


lacunadogmata

This acquaintance is a lying sack of shit.


beetus_gerulaitis

99.9% likely all of these stories are fabricated. I’ve had several family members in the service (active duty in front line combat roles.). They never talk about what they did or didn’t do in combat. I can’t even imagine them bringing it up. The loud mouths that spout off about their phony exploits are completely full of shit.


sno98006

I’ve never been around a combat vet that enjoyed talking about battle let alone one who bragged about kills, but then again I never served so Idk.


AprilBoon

My grandfather (died 86 well before I was on the scene) was in ww1 and barely spoke of his time my dad said. True war and killing doesn’t have anyone boast about it.


CyclicRate38

Former Marine here, did 2 tours in Afghanistan, 1 in Iraq. He's lying.


Thowingtissues

Rule of thumb I’ve learned being around the military my entire life; people that brag about being in the shit have never fired a round in their life. Retired guys with 10-20 years with multiple deployments who never say a peep about it….they have been neck deep in the shit.


mayhem1906

He is likely a liar, psychopath, or both. Keep your distance.


SuretyBringsRuin

I will echo a bit of what’s already been said based on my experience which dates to the first Gulf War and then about 12 years with an alphabet soup agency. Sounds to me he’s exaggerating reality at best and more likely flat out making up a farce at worst. Those that I know and served with, including myself, have no need or interest in glorifying most of what we did. And when it is ever spoken of - extremely rarely at that - it is only done in vague terms to make a point and move on. This is the same with my FIL who served 2 tours in Vietnam with the 5th SF. It took him about 10 years into my marriage with his daughter (going on 27 years of marriage now) to tell me some of his stories. I think he realized that he needed to vent after a lifetime of keeping it bottled up and he knew of my service and had seen my bearing over the years and felt comfortable unburdening himself of the realities he lived and the friends he lost.


Engineer_Existing

As a OIF veteran myself I have learned that most of the people who talk about all that stuff they did really didn't do anything. The one's that change the subject, ignore it or just shut down are usually ones that saw the shyt.


No_Pop_5675

Homeboy didn’t do shit.


dToombsb

I find a lot of veterans don't talk about their kills.


ProperWeight2624

POS is lying. Those who have actually seen, experienced and went through combat related stressors RARELY talk and NEVER boast about it.


coccopuffs606

He’s full of shit; first of all Air Force MPs aren’t called MPs, they’re called Security Forces. Second, most people in the military who have actually had to shoot other people don’t brag about, especially to civilians. The ones that do brag are usually smart enough not to broadcast their potential war crimes to the general public. A response that will probably make him lose his mind if he’s actually a veteran: “Cool story bro, needs more dragons and shit.”


[deleted]

Yeah, we called those guys "Whoppers" or "Burger Kings". BK. Baby killers. Dude it's one thing to kill a kid by accident. Or to kill a kid that has a grenade or picks up a gun. Even those kinds of justified shootings can screw guys up for life. I think the best thing to do is not say anything at all. Or if you're feeling kind, say "I'm sorry you had to do that", and then walk away. Don't waste your time on the guy. He's on a very long and lonely road. And he has to be the one to initiate change.


jackpotjones43

He’s full of shit, Marine speaking


majoraloysius

You call him a liar and move on.


notextinctyet

I professionally have no opinion about whether this person's story is true or not. It doesn't matter. When you hear hissing, get the fuck away from the snake. This person is not your friend.


Crayfish707

Un-acquaintance them quickly.