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

[FailureToCommunicate]

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!!

[Blue Owl]

1. As sure as Paul Ryan served soup

[FarPoint]

2. What Branch of the Military did he serve?

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

[One_Life_To_Give]

5. Mass Army Nat Guard - JAG Officer - Lt. Col?

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

[FarPoint]

13. Ohhhhhhhhhh

Pooh

[madokie]

3. He's doing what pukes do best

projecting his problems onto soon to be Senator Warren

[1-Old-Man]

4. I'd be willing to bet that Joe Biden has spent more time in Afghanistan than Brown

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]

6. And don't forget that Biden's son Beau served a year in Iraq

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]

[kelliekat44]

7. I sang at the Met too.

In the ladies' room.

[FailureToCommunicate]

8. !!!

And I went to Harvard...and walked across the lovely Yard.


Welcome to DU!

[Retrograde]

22. Ha! Well, I discovered the Pacific Ocean

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]

9. Anyone who has served in the military should laugh at the thought of a JAG corps officer....

...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]

10. And I disagree.

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]

12. Yes of course. But Brown got out of his unit just BEFORE they deployed, then to buff up his

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]

15. Noted. What percentage of all US front-line combatants in Iraq or Afghanistan....

...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]

20. I will say something here, my apologies in advance,

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]

11. Yes please, though - if it's seven days, that's a killer

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]

16. Another Republican phony. It would be comical if this weren't such a critical race.

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

Please, let's help Elizabeth Warren win:

http://elizabethwarren.com/

[Canuckistanian]

14. Yeah, right after his meetings with kings and queens

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/scott-browns-private-meetings-with-kings-and-queens/2012/06/21/gJQA3lLpsV_blog.html

Regular Baron Munchhausen, that Scott....

[smirkymonkey]

17. He's stepping up the attack ads in MA even after he's been called a liar by the Warren Campaign.

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]

18. How many other NG's are deployed to active duty for just a couple of weeks?

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]

21. The second article seems to support you question about faster promotion by

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

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. LOL sorry

this guy has no clue what actual service and deployment is