Thread by @aspiringpeasant

One guy I worked around in Afghanistan got off the ch47 on his first op, saw some farmers clearing their irrigation ditches, and unloaded half-a-dozen CS gas grenades at them. Later he fragged himself with 40mm into a tree.

Result: Bronze Star, #1 rank at command, now a CIA para

Another guy I worked with ran away from every firefight, got addicted to opiates from the local bazaar, shot at me multiple times on different ops, and just disappeared on a helo one day never to return to our fob.

Result: Bronze Star, made Master Chief early

Another guy invited chaiboy parties (pedophilia celebrations) onto our fob and got so drunk/touchy we all had to leave. Also ran from firefights and regularly got lost on routine patrols.

Result: Bronze Star, promotion, and is likely to become a Commanding Officer soon.

Another dude was my squad leader. First time we got ambushed he buried his head in the ground and would not get up. I had to literally pick him up and drag him as we maneuvered.

He's now a senior operator at SEAL Team SIX(DEVGRU)

I'm not even gonna get started on other guys who did things I can't/won't talk about.

But my reticence to say anything was proven wise when that orange fuckwad intervened in the Eddie Gallagher case.

Another dude I worked with at a different command, a newlywed at the time, spent half of his deployment fucking hookers and the other half blaming his techs for his own poor work ethic.

He's now a US Congressman fwiw.

Why am I talking all this shit?

Because people will be like "oh you were a Navy SEAL you must be X and Y!"

No.

All that means is that I have grit and a high tolerance for intense pain. Doesn't mean a thing more than that.

Everything else I am is unrelated.

Same for every other person you meet with a cool resume.

Note: using CS gas in theater is forbidden by the Geneva Convention. Dude still got ranked #1 though...