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You are here - PHONY NAVY SEALs Verifications > THE SCOURGE OF NAVY SEAL IMPOSTERS
THE SCOURGE OF NAVY SEAL IMPOSTERS Since the beginning of Naval Special Warfare in early 1943 there have beenroughly 18,000 men who completed training of some sort and served with theNaval Special Warfare Teams (including the Underwater Demolition Teams, theSEAL Teams and the earlier NSW units of WWII). Of those 18,000 men, roughly 10,000 (or fewer) are still living, andapproximately 2,400 of those living members are currently serving on activeduty. There are only about 7,000 former (i.e. non-serving) Navy SEALs scattered amongour nation’s population of 313+MILLION. That’s approximately one (1) formerNavy SEAL for every 45 THOUSAND citizens With that said, the FBI estimates that there are 300 SEAL Imposters for everyliving Navy SEAL. Verifying at least a dozen and often over 20 fraudulent SEALClaims each day, I put the number much, much higher than 300. All classes taught by a SEAL Instructor, in BUD/S or SEAL Team, always beginwith a "War Story" from the Instructor to establish creditability onthe subject matter being taught by him, or to entertain the class and keeptheir attention. I’m no exception to the rule Shooting a game of pool with a few SEAL buddies one night in the Philippines,our game was interrupted by a few guys (jerks) who had consumed a couplebottles of Loudmouth and a shot of Bruce lee and they wanted the pool table. Imoved in close to the biggest guy who was blocking my shot, as he obviouslyseemed to be the Ring Leader of the gang. I asked him what command he wasassigned to and he slowlyyyy began to scan the bar left and right as if what hewas about to say would shock me and he didn’t want anyone else to overhear it.Secret Stuff Before his lips were even closed after saying the word "SIX" my fistimpacted his ugly mug and he was down in an unconscious pile of Fleet Sailor.We then proceeded to beat up all his friends from the U.S.S Paint Me Daily forgood measure. I don’t really recall how I got my start exposing fraudulent SEAL Claims; whatevent sent me over the edge, but I’ve always liked a good fight and defendingthings that needed someone to STAND UP.
You have far greater chance of meeting a former NFL football player than youhave of ever encountering a real Navy SEAL.
Looking me right in the eyes he quietly muttered the words "SEAL TeamSIX."
At 50-years old, I’m not as fast with my fists as I used to be,but I’m lethal with a Keyboard and anyone who attempts to steal the Honor ofSEAL Team has their hands full with me Military Imposters are NOT a new phenomenon and men throughout history have claimedparticipation with Roman Legions in battle and claimed to have served withWashington at Valley Forge when they did not. What is NEW is the Internet andcenturies of phonies who were only able to spread their B.S within theirvillage and projecting it no further than a few barstools down in their localpub are over.
With the Internet now, they can be whatever they want to be and spread theircrap World Wide
A Census taken during August, 2000, showed the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteranpopulation estimate to be: 1,002,511. During this Census count, the number ofAmericans falsely claiming to have served in-country is: 13,853,027. By thiscensus, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE Vietnam vets are not.
VERIFYING A SEAL CLAIM
Many believe it’s not possible to verify if someone was ever a Navy SEAL due tothe secretive nature of their work. That their records are sealed or that onlythe President has access to them. Much of it comes from the Phonies themselvesby pulling out the Trump Card and saying "It’s Classified, I can’t tellyou."
The "It’s Classified" line is a good one and an end allin most cases. I mean really, how do you call "Poser" on someone whoclaims "It’s Classified?" How do you know for sure? Well, it’s pretty easy SEAL Training in the Navy, BUD/S, (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL School) isan "Unclassified" Navy School and much like any other school in theMilitary. It’s no big secret where BUD/S is located and it’s no big secret whatis taught there.
When a man graduates BUD/S Training in the Navy, or even begins it and fails,he is listed in a "database." Records are kept
It’s NO different than when you graduated High School, College,worked at Home Depot or spent some time in the Gray Bar Hotel on a trumped upmurder charge. There are records of you for about everything you do or havedone.
The fact that a SEAL goes on to more secretive work with moresecretive Teams, has NO IMPACT on him being listed as a graduate of BUD/STraining. That being said The "Database" of Navy SEALs is considered"Sensitive" and will never be posted where just anybody can view itfor obvious security reasons. The "SEAL Database" is an alphabetical listing of EVERY man who evergraduated any form of training for Navy Combat Demolition Units, UnderwaterDemolition Teams, Scouts and Raiders and SEAL Training and dates back to 1943at our inception during WWII. EVERY MAN, without exception is listed there. When asked if Jimmy Crackcorn was ever a Navy SEAL I just scroll down to"Crackcorn" and look for James or Jimmy. Some names are easier thanothers as there are a number of Jones, Smith/s and Johnsons as an example, so amiddle name and approximate age is sometimes required. A lot of people usemiddle names as their first names to friends and acquaintances, my wifeincluded and we are always extremely careful to thoroughly check to see ifthere is a Robert "Jimmy" Crackcorn listed. Recently the Internet blew up over a former Navy SEAL named "NeilSmit" and his new position as chief executive of Comcast Cable. It was aBIG DEAL and SEAL Verifiers like myself were going NUTS at how brazen a guycould be in such a high position and claiming to have been a Navy SEAL. SEALVerifiers are meticulous and we do our homework before raising the Phony Flag.We check, check, and check again
There was NO LISTING for a "Neil Smit" as ever being aNavy SEAL. CLASS NUMBERS Class 100 graduated Training in Coronado in January, 1979.
Looking closely, there WAS a listing for a "Cornelius" Smit, thoughand I saved myself a punch in the face by Neil AKA Cornelius who was in fact aSEAL
Not many outside of the SPECWAR Community, and VERY few in the Community, canaccurately rely on asking someone for their BUD/S Class number as proof if theyare/were a SEAL or not. BUD/S, UDTR, UDTB and UDTRA Training Classes have beennumbered starting with Class ZERO that became the first Class to train inCoronado, California in 1950 but Class ONE graduated Training in 1947 at LittleCreek.
Class 200 graduated Training in Coronado in August, 1995.
Class 300 will begin Training in Coronado in 2012.
Everything in between is a jumbled mix of 5 SEAL Training Classes a year andalso for a short while it was 7 SEAL Training Classes a year. East CoastTraining Classes in Little Creek, Virginia and West Coast Training Classes inCoronado, California. Training Classes that were 16-weeks long, 18-weeks long,26-weeks long and everything in between. Some Navy Corpsman during the Vietnamera were only required to complete the Diving Phase of SEAL Training beforeassignments to SEAL Teams. Some Classes had no "Official Hell Week."Class 50 graduated SEAL Training in Little Creek in December, 1970, Class 50"also" graduated SEAL Training in May, 1969 in Coronado...
No one Graduated Class 78 and no one Quit in Class 80. Anyone in the "know" would "fall over" when someone wouldclaim BUD/S Class Alpha 18, Special SEAL Tactics, Section Charlie, knowing thatSEAL Training Classes are "numbered" ZERO and up Many others wouldnot, and those numbers and Military Jargon would lead to an apology by thequestioner for inquiring about the persons (Phony’s) Navy SEAL background inthe first place. When I went through Training in 1984 there were no books written by SEALs, nomovies and no Internet and it was easier to pick out Imposters. With theInternet today and numerous SEAL books it’s easy to read and pick up Classnumbers and dates and many Imposters use those to better their B.S. story. Theyeasily discover Marcus Luttrell’s, the "Lone Survivor’s" Class was228. "What BUD/S Class were you in?” I was Class 228" Ohhh, Ok sorry tohave questioned you Mr. SEAL, now let me buy you drinks all night and listen toall your TALL Tales of Heroism." Most SEAL Phonies are pretty dumb, others are not and they "lurk" onSEAL Websites for information and ask questions in forums. They study, they arerefined and they get away with it for decades. MANY will read and learn fromthis article I’ve written. A survey was conducted by a Beer Distributor for a Men’s Magazine article. Theyasked Bartenders around the Country for the "Top Ten" pickup linesthey’d heard used on women. Number One was "I was a Navy SEAL." SWIM BUDDIES AND COMMANDING OFFICERS Another old way of verifying SEAL Phonies, that never worked very well, wasasking them who their "Swim Buddy" was in BUD/S. "My Swim Buddywas Ollie Ollieoxenfree," replies the quick thinking Phony. Ohhh OK, letme buy you those drinks now How would you know if he was lying or not??? You don’t Same with asking"Who was your Commanding Officer." When the Phony comes back with"Captain Crunch" was my CO, now what are you going to do??? More thanlikely you’ll open a tab at the bar and start buying those drinks. HOW DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE The ONLY 100% way to ever know for sure if someone was a SEAL or not is toverify them through a SPECWAR Insider, a SEAL Verifier like myself or averification from the Naval Special Warfare Center in Coronado, CaliforniaPublic Affairs Office. A number of years back, a SEAL Buddy of mine was stationed at Boot Camp inGreat Lakes, Illinois with another SEAL as "Motivators," giving swimtests and the like. On the ENTIRE Base, there were only two Navy SEALs. Needinga new Trident for his uniform, my Buddy goes to the Navy Exchange on Base tobuy one and quickly discovers there are none for sale. Asking a cashier whenthey might have some, she replies, "Good Luck, those are our bestsellingitem!" Outside of an official "Verification," is a SOLID photograph album.SEALs all have an "I Love Me Wall" and lots of pictures of themselveswith other SEALs all over the World. Clear pictures showing "That’shim" right alongside a bunch of Rag-Tag, Pirate looking guys with guns, divegear, explosives, BUD/S Training pics and award ceremonies. One or two pictures means little as verification. It’s also an unfortunate factthat many Imposters have worked at SEAL Teams or have tried BUD/S and failed.They have enough of a working knowledge and lingo to sneak past most verbalrequests to verify them. YOU’RE AT A DISADVANTAGE With most people not being liars, we are at a HUGE disadvantage whenencountering a liar and we tend to believe their stories. Human Nature is tobelieve what people tell you. When someone says they are/were a Police Officer,we believe them; "Why would he make that up???" Same thing with beinga SEAL, "Why would he make that up," but they do It also seems themore OUTRAGEOUS a story is the more we tend to believe it. I busted a guy who had all his coworkers convinced that his SEAL CommandingOfficer made them all take cocaine in Iraq and they’d hang from the rafters andcut Iraqi throats as they came through the door Then a former EXTREME SEALTrainee of mine was hired there and employees warned him to "Go Easy"with that guy; He’s a SEAL, PTSD, killed a lot of dudes Cocaine Boy doesn’t work there anymore Liars tell lies All day long, every day and they are very good at it. They arealso very good "Table Turners" and have others who question themspinning in circles as the Phonies raise doubts in the questioners mind byhaving him second guess himself. "I never said I was a SEAL, I said Iworked with SEALs, remember?" When raising doubt and Table Turning doesn’t work, the Phonies resort to anger,"HOW COULD YOU QUESTION ME, HOW DARE YOU, I LOST A LOT OF GOODFRIENDS!" And not having "Solid Proof" the Phony usually winsthat battle The frustrating part for me is often the Ping-Pong game I’m forced to play withfolks who inquire if So-and-So was ever a Navy SEAL. I send out a detailed formletter explaining "who I am" and "how I know" that Mr.Robert So-and-So was never a Navy SEAL. PING The reply often comes back,"Did you check for a Bob So-and-So? PONG "Yes I did, there are NOSo-and So’s listed in the SEAL Database PING Back it comes with, "He saidhis Class was 180, can you check?" PONG Back it goes, "NO RECORD ofhim in Class 180, he is NOT a Navy SEAL, NO mistake." PING PONG PING PONG Finally, the requester is 100% satisfied and the "Intervention"begins with the Phony on their end. "I have a letter here from a RetiredNavy SEAL saying you were NEVER a Navy SEAL." "Well how would he knowif I was ever a SEAL, how do you know he’s a SEAL, my operations were"Classified" there are no records of me." Here they come again. "He says it’s classified, Senior Chief are yousure???" PING, PONG, PING, PONG The State of Georgia has more SEAL Imposters than any other State based onrequests for verification I receive. Martial Arts Instructors are the numberone profession for fraudulent SEAL/Special Forces claims. GOOGLE ALERTS The MOST frustrating ones are reporters and editors who print stories aboutlocal SEAL Hero’s in the news. Many of us are set up for "GoogleAlerts" and anytime the words "Former Navy SEAL, X Navy SEAL, RetiredNavy SEAL, I was a Navy SEAL, He was a Navy SEAL makes the news we find outabout it in SHORT order and the games begin attempting to get a"Retraction" of the story. I go through this long explanation with the reporters and editors about how theSEAL guy they just wrote about is not really a SEAL and he lied to them and HEREIT COMES as no reporter likes admitting mistakes and correcting stories alreadyin print. It’s a loss of creditability EACH AND EVERY REPORTER I speak with begins questioning me. "How do I knowyou’re a SEAL, how do I know you’re telling me the truth." It’s veryfrustrating for me, but understandable. I just wish that the media would workthe Phonies over as hard as they work me before writing SEAL B.S. stories. Try this Next time you enter a "Cheers" type bar where everyonearound town hangs out, ask the waitress or bartender "Who is a Navy SEALin here?" Most times they will quickly point to some local drunken fatbastard at the end of the bar swilling a Schlitz.
You just don’t know for sure in MOST cases unless you’ve been to BUD/S andserved in the Teams
No grainy old photos with the "That’s me WAYYY in the back of thepicture." No SEAL plaques on the wall bought from EBay, no "ShadowBoxes" full of Medals purchased on-line and NO SEAL TRIDENTS that can bepicked up just about anywhere.
One or two pictures are not enough and I always recall "Technicians"at the Team (Guys who are assigned to SEAL Teams but are not SEALs) diving intoTeam pictures. Pretty easy to believe a picture of a Team of shirtless SEALsposing in front of the SEAL TEAM TWO sign and a Tech who dove right in themiddle of them for the picture. "See That’s me, SEAL Team TWO."
