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FailureToCommunicate

(14,014 posts)
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 11:09 AM Oct 2012

Friday's Boston Globe: " ‘Served’ in Afghanistan? Scott Brown? "

Last edited Mon Oct 15, 2012, 12:10 PM - Edit history (1)

‘Served’ in Afghanistan? Scott Brown?

http://articles.boston.com/2012-10-12/politics/34386883_1_scott-brown-afghanistan-senate-debate

Many heads were doing a 'Scooby Doo' when Brown said in the Warren/Brown debate that he had "served in Afghanistan". Turns out he had REQUESTED the brief deployment -putting real soldiers guarding the Senator at risk- and was on the ground in Afghanistan only seven days! His time there included meetings with officials and military brass (Brown pulls some purse strings for them as "a ranking member of the Arms Services Committee&quot

Another article in the same Globe edition goes into much greater detail of his self aggrandizing "military service" and his new ties to the Pentagon:

"For Brown, politics and military entwine" -Boston Globe

http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2012/10/11/brown-guard-service-has-taken-political-patina-since-joined-senate/tGB08DEjELGZmgR271qOlN/story.html

Brown has tried to make this campaign hinge on the trustworthiness of Elizabeth Warren. Brown is the one with THAT problem!!

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Friday's Boston Globe: " ‘Served’ in Afghanistan? Scott Brown? " (Original Post) FailureToCommunicate Oct 2012 OP
As sure as Paul Ryan served soup Blue Owl Oct 2012 #1
What Branch of the Military did he serve? FarPoint Oct 2012 #2
Mass Army Nat Guard - JAG Officer - Lt. Col? One_Life_To_Give Oct 2012 #5
Ohhhhhhhhhh FarPoint Oct 2012 #13
He's doing what pukes do best madokie Oct 2012 #3
I'd be willing to bet that Joe Biden has spent more time in Afghanistan than Brown 1-Old-Man Oct 2012 #4
And don't forget that Biden's son Beau served a year in Iraq LynneSin Oct 2012 #6
I sang at the Met too. kelliekat44 Oct 2012 #7
!!! FailureToCommunicate Oct 2012 #8
Ha! Well, I discovered the Pacific Ocean Retrograde Oct 2012 #22
Anyone who has served in the military should laugh at the thought of a JAG corps officer.... OldDem2012 Oct 2012 #9
And I disagree. Geoff R. Casavant Oct 2012 #10
Yes of course. But Brown got out of his unit just BEFORE they deployed, then to buff up his FailureToCommunicate Oct 2012 #12
Noted. What percentage of all US front-line combatants in Iraq or Afghanistan.... OldDem2012 Oct 2012 #15
I will say something here, my apologies in advance, nadinbrzezinski Oct 2012 #20
Yes please, though - if it's seven days, that's a killer jsmirman Oct 2012 #11
Another Republican phony. It would be comical if this weren't such a critical race. FailureToCommunicate Oct 2012 #16
Yeah, right after his meetings with kings and queens Canuckistanian Oct 2012 #14
He's stepping up the attack ads in MA even after he's been called a liar by the Warren Campaign. smirkymonkey Oct 2012 #17
How many other NG's are deployed to active duty for just a couple of weeks? LiberalFighter Oct 2012 #18
The second article seems to support you question about faster promotion by FailureToCommunicate Oct 2012 #21
LOL sorry nadinbrzezinski Oct 2012 #19

FarPoint

(12,409 posts)
2. What Branch of the Military did he serve?
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 11:20 AM
Oct 2012

What was his rank, his duties? A War Veterans Group should ask these questions.

One_Life_To_Give

(6,036 posts)
5. Mass Army Nat Guard - JAG Officer - Lt. Col?
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 11:37 AM
Oct 2012

With 32 yrs questioning the details of his last two, since joining the Senate, has to be done very carefully.

1-Old-Man

(2,667 posts)
4. I'd be willing to bet that Joe Biden has spent more time in Afghanistan than Brown
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 11:26 AM
Oct 2012

And I'd be willing to bet that Joe Biden has spent more time on the ground with the troops who are doing the shooting (I put it that way because I understand the concept of no front lines) than Scott Brown has ever considered.

And yes, I understand that Joe Biden is heavily protected no matter where he goes and I also understand that Biden's primary mission when he goes there is political and is directed at formulation of US foreign policy and he too speaks to the higher ups, but he also spends time out there with the troops - and he's nearly twice Brown's age.

LynneSin

(95,337 posts)
6. And don't forget that Biden's son Beau served a year in Iraq
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 11:39 AM
Oct 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beau_Biden#Military_service

Biden joined the military in 2003[13] as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard and was recently promoted to the rank of Major in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps as part of the 261st Signal Brigade in Smyrna, Delaware.[14][15]

Biden's unit was activated to deploy to Iraq on October 3, 2008, and sent to Fort Bliss, Texas for pre-deployment training,[16] the day after his father participated in the 2008 presidential campaign's only vice presidential debate. His father is on the record as saying, "I don't want him going. But I tell you what, I don't want my grandson or my granddaughters going back in 15 years, and so how we leave makes a big difference."[17]

Biden traveled to Washington, D.C. from Iraq in January 2009 for the presidential inauguration and his father's swearing-in as Vice President,[18] then returned to Iraq.[19] Biden received a visit at Camp Victory from his father on July 4, 2009.[20] Biden returned from Iraq in September 2009, his yearlong deployment complete.[21] Biden had announced that during his deployment he would continue to actively serve as Delaware's Attorney General by working in conjunction with his office's senior staff in Delaware,[22] although a member of his unit related Biden saying he had turned over most of his attorney general work to his deputy so as to focus on his duties in Iraq.[23]

Retrograde

(10,137 posts)
22. Ha! Well, I discovered the Pacific Ocean
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 09:33 PM
Oct 2012

Took the N-Judah to the end of the line and there it was, just sitting there. I claimed it for the queen of Spain, but she has shown any appreciation yet.

What is it about some politicians - usually Republicans - that they're incapable of telling the truth? When are we going to hear about Ryan's service in Iraq...or Normandy?

OldDem2012

(3,526 posts)
9. Anyone who has served in the military should laugh at the thought of a JAG corps officer....
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 11:52 AM
Oct 2012

...claiming he's "served" anywhere. Even troops who never see a day of combat have a leg up on this worm. We thought of these guys derogatorily as "in the rear with the gear".

Geoff R. Casavant

(2,381 posts)
10. And I disagree.
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 01:31 PM
Oct 2012

I'm a Reserve JAG officer myself, and I can tell you many of my colleagues have been called up, served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and some have been in firefights. At least one who I know of received a Bronze Star for his actions.

FailureToCommunicate

(14,014 posts)
12. Yes of course. But Brown got out of his unit just BEFORE they deployed, then to buff up his
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 06:03 PM
Oct 2012

tough talk on the campaign trail asked for a few (seven) days there. Now in his speeches he says he "served in Afghanistan"

As one person replied to the Globe article:

"We allowed our last President to manufacture a myth about his service when, in all likelihood, he was a deserter. We now allow Senator Brown to parade around Afghanistan as a high ranking Colonel from the state of Maryland where he has never served, wear combat gear and then talk about his service in Afghanistan to score points as a politician. I am guilty of "Stolen Valor' if I sit around a barroom or walk in a parade and brag that my service was something it was not. This is worse because elaborate security would have been in place for a US Senator/Colonel(from Maryland) in a war zone. In other words, young soldiers would have been placed in dangerous security positions to guard the gilded rooms of our combat clothed Senator Brown. This is no small matter. Lives were endangered so a Senator/Colonel could enhance his resume. To equate a dispute about heritage with that of a Senator who manufactures a heroic pose is a question of values. All service is not equal as some would have us believe. This is the service of a play soldier."

OldDem2012

(3,526 posts)
15. Noted. What percentage of all US front-line combatants in Iraq or Afghanistan....
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 06:15 PM
Oct 2012

...have been JAG corps officers? Pretty small number I bet.

Yes, I don't doubt JAG corps officers have been sent to the Middle East to deal with a myriad of legal issues. But, as I stated in my OP, I doubt seriously any of them were in front-line combat units unless they were no longer practicing law and volunteered to serve in those units.

And yes, I can accept that your friend was in a firefight, but I bet he was either in an area where the chances of trouble were relatively low, or he had to visit a front-line unit when fighting broke out.

Sorry I struck a nerve, but Brown is a lying sack of crap, and his personal attacks on Warren have pissed me off to no end.

 

nadinbrzezinski

(154,021 posts)
20. I will say something here, my apologies in advance,
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 08:56 PM
Oct 2012

but Brown did not serve, we both know it. He played pretend soldier.

And JAG officers, especially not reserve, but lifers, are actually part of Regimental command... where they might see combat (especially since these days front lines are suggested)... the reason for that is that believe it or not, they are the types who at times have to clear a target from a legal perspective.

Don't get me wrong. Brown is a poseur of the worst kind... but every member of the active force has a chance to actually see combat in the modern state of war. I will grant you this, if you are a foot slogger, your chances are immensely higher, but if you compare a JAG from any regular unit and this guy (VIP after all), who do you think has a better chance of actually facing some high speed lead?

For the record, this is part of the problem we have with our political class. At this point we have the poseurs and the rest, even there.

Posers, tar, feathers, you know the routine.

jsmirman

(4,507 posts)
11. Yes please, though - if it's seven days, that's a killer
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 03:47 PM
Oct 2012

My eyebrows shot up when he said that in the debate.

This guy is a fucking say anything liar.

No wonder he and Romney are tight.

FailureToCommunicate

(14,014 posts)
16. Another Republican phony. It would be comical if this weren't such a critical race.
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 08:40 PM
Oct 2012

The balance of power in Washington may hang in the outcome.

Please, let's help Elizabeth Warren win:

http://elizabethwarren.com/

 

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)
17. He's stepping up the attack ads in MA even after he's been called a liar by the Warren Campaign.
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 08:47 PM
Oct 2012

He just can't stop lying - Typical Republican. I'm not buying it and I hope my fellow MA residents aren't either.

I will be so depressed if he wins.

LiberalFighter

(50,942 posts)
18. How many other NG's are deployed to active duty for just a couple of weeks?
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 08:49 PM
Oct 2012

And what do Massachusetts voters think of him transferring from their state's NG to Maryland's?

Did he transfer for the purpose of getting promoted faster because of connections?

Seems to be something weasel about all of this.

FailureToCommunicate

(14,014 posts)
21. The second article seems to support you question about faster promotion by
Mon Oct 15, 2012, 09:26 PM
Oct 2012

transferring to Maryland. It also says he did it to avoid "scrutiny by local press" (!)


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