Faked his way into the Army

[JNC]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_army_infiltrator

I can't see how this happened. My papers were searched with a fine toothed comb. He must of had everything fall just into place to make it in.

FORT WORTH, Texas – A Texas man with no military experience tricked the Army into letting him enter a reserve unit as a noncommissioned officer earlier this year, a deception that placed an untrained soldier in a leadership position in a time of war, an Associated Press investigation has found.

The revelation comes just months after the Army drew criticism for failing to flag the suspicious activities of the Army psychiatrist now charged with killing 13 and wounding dozens of others at Fort Hood.

The case, detailed in court records and other documents examined by the AP, raises more questions about the Army's ability to vet soldiers' backgrounds as it faces continued pressure from Congress over its screening and records system. While the soldier never deployed overseas, some say the case demonstrates how easily someone could pose as a member of the U.S. military.

Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, joined the Army Reserve in February as a sergeant and was assigned to the Corps Support Airplane Company based at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station. But he wasn't qualified to hold that rank, according to military records obtained by the AP. The records show that Johnston's only military experience was attending part of a 12-week Marine officer candidate course for college students in 2004.

Maj. Shawn Haney, spokeswoman for Marine Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said Johnston didn't complete the course's final six weeks. "He was never considered a Marine," she said.

The matter, currently under investigation by the Army, means a soldier received a security clearance and was in position to lead troops in combat even though he hadn't gone through basic training or spent any time in the service. The Corps Support Airplane Company has been deployed in Iraq, providing pilots as well as intelligence and support personnel for an aviation battalion set up to destroy improvised explosive devices.

If it's proven that Johnston gained his Army rank based on a phony Marine record, it would be the first documented case of so-called "stolen valor" in which the military was duped during the enlistment process, according to watchdogs of such fraud. Most cases involve attempts to get veterans' benefits or other forms of financial gain. Congress attempted to crack down on military impostors in 2005 by passing a law that makes it a crime to claim false decorations or medals.

"This just raises some incredibly significant issues at a time when this country is involved in a global war on terror," said Rep. Mike Coffman, a Colorado Republican who served with the Marines in Iraq and the first Gulf War. "If this person was able to penetrate the military fraudulently, you have to ask the question: Couldn't somebody who was out to do harm to our country do the same thing?"

Coffman is pushing for the creation of a single database for all military records as a step toward eliminating fraud.

Army officials, citing an ongoing investigation, declined to provide details of Johnston's enlistment or say whether he's suspected of providing false documents or using some other means to make himself out to be an ex-Marine.

Questions about Johnston were raised by an officer who grew concerned when Johnston couldn't satisfactorily explain how he got certain Marine medals and ribbons that he displayed. The officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said he contacted Marine and Army legal authorities and learned from the Marines that Johnston never served.

Lt. Col. Maria Quon, spokeswoman for the Army's Human Resources Command, said her database contains an entry showing Johnston joined the military in 2002, but there are no documents to support the 2002 date. She described the lack of documentation as unusual and said it likely means the date was entered this year. The National Personnel Records Center, which collects information on all who have been discharged from the military, informed the AP that it could find no evidence that Johnston ever served.

Since March, Johnston has been stationed at Fort Rucker in Alabama, the primary training base for Army aviation. The Army declined to provide details of Johnston's assignment. Johnston did not respond to phone and e-mail messages seeking comment.

In a recent court proceeding, Johnston's former wife, also an Army reservist, accused him of using falsified documents to make it appear he'd served in the Marines. Melanie Rolfing, 24, made the claim in a sworn statement filed last month in Fort Worth family court when she had her two-year marriage annulled, alleging fraud. Johnston did not contest the annulment.

In her affidavit, Rolfing said she met Johnston in 2006 and that he joined her Army Reserve unit so they could fulfill their dream of becoming Army aviators together. She said Johnston led her to believe he'd served as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan and earned a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He would even attend military functions wearing a Marine dress uniform, and people would come up to shake his hand and ask about his medals, she said.

"I don't know who Jesse Bernard Johnston III is, but I do know he is not the man he claimed to be," she stated in the affidavit. Rolfing, a sergeant in Johnston's unit, said the Army has ordered her not to talk about the case publicly.

The idea that a volatile soldier could be hidden in the Army's ranks has drawn congressional scrutiny since Maj. Nidal Hasan opened fire on his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood in November. After the shootings, evidence emerged that Hasan behaved erratically and maintained ties to a radical Islamic cleric. The Army has refused congressional requests for documents detailing what the Army knew about Hasan's behavior, citing the ongoing criminal case.

[Utah Bob]

Somebody's got a lot of 'splainin to do.

[mojaveman]

That kind of stuff definately happens. When I attended SFQC 4-84 there was an E-7 cadre member there who was later found to be a poser. I guess he came over from division and somehow conned his way into being an instructor in Phase I. I thought there was something fishy about the guy from the beginning. He looked a little young to be wearing an SF combat patch and was also wearing Vietnamese jumpwings. I guess someone else also became suspicious and eventually checked him out.

[BlackHills]

The first ribbon he's wearing would have set my BS detector off big time. It's the Navy and Marine Corps Medal (equivalent to the Soldier's Medal) and it's not a very commonly seen award. He's also wearing it and the Combat Action Ribbon (center second row) backwards.

[MtnGoat]

Originally Posted by Utah Bob

Somebody's got a lot of 'splainin to do.

WOW!!

You think???

[Richard]

With the ease of access to today's databases, I don't understand why this wasn't a policy all along.

FYI - ex-wife's pic attchd and FB page located at http://www.facebook.com/people/Melan...ing/1578369926

And so it goes...

Richard

Enlistment Rules Change After Faker Case

The Army is instituting a new procedure for checking the backgrounds of enlistees who claim to have a military record after a report that a reservist apparently faked a background as a Marine to enter the service.

Recruiters can no longer simply accept discharge papers as proof of service, Douglas Smith, public information officer for the Army recruiting command, told The Associated Press on Thursday. They now must also seek to verify the documents through a military database, he said.

The directive follows an AP story last Friday detailing how a Texas man apparently tricked the Army into allowing him to enter a reserve unit as a noncommissioned officer earlier this year.

Records show that Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, was given the rank of sergeant even though he didn't have a military background other than spending six weeks in a 12-week Marine officer candidate program for college students. Because Johnston didn't complete the course, he never became a Marine.

Smith said the change in enlistment procedure, which went into effect Tuesday, means recruiters can't accept an enlistee's discharge paperwork, known in the military as a DD-214, as proof of military service without cross-checking it through the Defense Manpower Data Center.

Previously, he said, a "valid-looking" DD-214 would have been accepted without checking the database.

Smith declined to give a reason for the change or discuss the Johnston matter, which currently is under investigation by the Army.

Johnston joined the Army's Corps Support Airplane Company based at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station in February. Since March, he has been stationed at Fort Rucker in Alabama, the primary training base for Army aviation. He has not responded to phone and e-mail messages seeking comment.

A spokeswoman at Fort Rucker said Thursday the ongoing investigation prevents her from commenting on Johnston's status.

U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, a former Marine who has closely followed the Johnston case, said the change in enlistment procedure confirms his fear that loopholes are allowing individuals to join the Army without being properly vetted.

"It is unconscionable that U.S. Army policy has been to simply accept, rather than verify, discharge documents provided to recruiters," Coffman, a Colorado Republican who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, wrote in an e-mail to the AP.

In a letter delivered to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Monday, Coffman said his office had obtained a copy of a phony DD-214 portraying Johnston as a veteran of Marine service in Iraq and Afghanistan and that the document may have been used when he enlisted in the Army Reserve.

Doug Sterner, a Vietnam veteran and military awards historian, said a DD-214 -- essentially a resume of military service generated for each veteran -- is an easily forged document. He said he is aware of many instances in which such documents have been falsified or altered to obtain preferences in hiring as well as veterans benefits but none in which one was used for military enlistment.

"With a history of how frequently these have been forged, it's amazing that the military has not been checking them," Sterner said.

Smith said the Army has always checked enlistees' Social Security numbers against the manpower database. However, those checks seek only general information and are aimed mainly at making sure someone who professes to have no military service is telling the truth.

Citing the investigation, he declined to say whether Johnston's Social Security number was checked and what, if anything, was discovered.

Questions about Johnston came to the Army's attention when an officer became concerned over Johnston's inability to answer questions about the Marine medals and ribbons he was wearing. The officer, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said he later learned from the Marine Corps that Johnston never served. He said he then contacted military legal authorities.

Johnston's ex-wife, also an Army reservist, obtained an annulment earlier this month on grounds of fraud after filing court papers that included an affidavit in which she said Johnston obtained his rank in the Army Reserve with phony documents detailing Marine service.

In her sworn statement, Melanie Rolfing, 24, said Johnston led her to believe he'd served with the Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan and earned a Bronze Star and two purple hearts. She also described how he would attend military functions wearing a Marine dress uniform. The annulment was granted after Johnston signed a document waiving his right to contest it.

http://www.military.com/news/article...ESRC=army-a.nl

[AngelsSix]

Originally Posted by Richard

With the ease of access to today's databases, I don't understand why this wasn't a policy all along.

FYI - ex-wife's pic attchd and FB page located at http://www.facebook.com/people/Melan...ing/1578369926

And so it goes...

Richard

Enlistment Rules Change After Faker Case

The Army is instituting a new procedure for checking the backgrounds of enlistees who claim to have a military record after a report that a reservist apparently faked a background as a Marine to enter the service.

Recruiters can no longer simply accept discharge papers as proof of service, Douglas Smith, public information officer for the Army recruiting command, told The Associated Press on Thursday. They now must also seek to verify the documents through a military database, he said.

The directive follows an AP story last Friday detailing how a Texas man apparently tricked the Army into allowing him to enter a reserve unit as a noncommissioned officer earlier this year.

Records show that Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, was given the rank of sergeant even though he didn't have a military background other than spending six weeks in a 12-week Marine officer candidate program for college students. Because Johnston didn't complete the course, he never became a Marine.

Smith said the change in enlistment procedure, which went into effect Tuesday, means recruiters can't accept an enlistee's discharge paperwork, known in the military as a DD-214, as proof of military service without cross-checking it through the Defense Manpower Data Center.

Previously, he said, a "valid-looking" DD-214 would have been accepted without checking the database.

Smith declined to give a reason for the change or discuss the Johnston matter, which currently is under investigation by the Army.

Johnston joined the Army's Corps Support Airplane Company based at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station in February. Since March, he has been stationed at Fort Rucker in Alabama, the primary training base for Army aviation. He has not responded to phone and e-mail messages seeking comment.

A spokeswoman at Fort Rucker said Thursday the ongoing investigation prevents her from commenting on Johnston's status.

U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, a former Marine who has closely followed the Johnston case, said the change in enlistment procedure confirms his fear that loopholes are allowing individuals to join the Army without being properly vetted.

"It is unconscionable that U.S. Army policy has been to simply accept, rather than verify, discharge documents provided to recruiters," Coffman, a Colorado Republican who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, wrote in an e-mail to the AP.

In a letter delivered to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Monday, Coffman said his office had obtained a copy of a phony DD-214 portraying Johnston as a veteran of Marine service in Iraq and Afghanistan and that the document may have been used when he enlisted in the Army Reserve.

Doug Sterner, a Vietnam veteran and military awards historian, said a DD-214 -- essentially a resume of military service generated for each veteran -- is an easily forged document. He said he is aware of many instances in which such documents have been falsified or altered to obtain preferences in hiring as well as veterans benefits but none in which one was used for military enlistment.

"With a history of how frequently these have been forged, it's amazing that the military has not been checking them," Sterner said.

Smith said the Army has always checked enlistees' Social Security numbers against the manpower database. However, those checks seek only general information and are aimed mainly at making sure someone who professes to have no military service is telling the truth.

Citing the investigation, he declined to say whether Johnston's Social Security number was checked and what, if anything, was discovered.

Questions about Johnston came to the Army's attention when an officer became concerned over Johnston's inability to answer questions about the Marine medals and ribbons he was wearing. The officer, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said he later learned from the Marine Corps that Johnston never served. He said he then contacted military legal authorities.

Johnston's ex-wife, also an Army reservist, obtained an annulment earlier this month on grounds of fraud after filing court papers that included an affidavit in which she said Johnston obtained his rank in the Army Reserve with phony documents detailing Marine service.

In her sworn statement, Melanie Rolfing, 24, said Johnston led her to believe he'd served with the Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan and earned a Bronze Star and two purple hearts. She also described how he would attend military functions wearing a Marine dress uniform. The annulment was granted after Johnston signed a document waiving his right to contest it.

http://www.military.com/news/article...ESRC=army-a.nl

She's a frickin' poser too. Off with both of their heads.

[Red Flag 1]

The VA has been bilked out of hundreds of thousands of dollars; hell probably millions. The losses have been because of altered and/or fake DD-214's. It is a shame that folks have stolen these funds from real, deserving heros and veterans. It was just a matter of time before some schmuck used a fake DD-214 to bilk a recruiter.

My $.02.

RF 1

[AngelsSix]

Originally Posted by Red Flag 1

The VA has been bilked out of hundreds of thousands of dollars; hell probably millions. The losses have been because of altered and/or fake DD-214's. It is a shame that folks have stolen these funds from real, deserving heros and veterans. It was just a matter of time before some schmuck used a fake DD-214 to bilk a recruiter.

My $.02.

RF 1

This isn't the first time, won't be the last!

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by AngelsSix

This isn't the first time, won't be the last!

Just wonder how long that guy's scam would have worked if he had just laid off all that chicken salad on his chest?

[Mitch]

You know - there was something familiar here, not the same, but not that different...
- was this story ever verified?


From the Hall of Shame:

North Carolina National Guard SGM John Letuli

Guess what someone told me today, that SGM John Letuli is not this individuals real name.

And that he was actually active duty US Army under a different name, was thrown out of the Army and then went to Samoa and enlisted in the National Guard under a different name and SSN.

All of you please feel free to forward this information to the North Carolina NG and the FBI or else this fraud is going to retire from the US Army as a Sr. Enlisted NCO with full military honors and retirement pay.

This individual needs a prison uniform.

And we have:

Court documents say Calderone put those false statements, including that he had a Silver Star, the Special Forces and Ranger tabs, and the Combat Infantry Badge, on his DA Form 2-1, the personal qualification record, and on his DD 214, the certificate of release from active duty. Calderone later submitted the falsified DD 214 to his Army Reserve unit, according to court documents. Those false statements on official military documents led to his promotion to major in July 2006, and led to him earning more pay, according to court documents.

Looks like this kind of thing has been going on all along - yeah, it is not exactly the same - but there is one common denominator in all three of these - the Reserves/National Guard.

[abc_123]

I don't think those fakers bilking the VA with bogus DD214s are all from the Reserve Components.

[alright4u]

Originally Posted by BlackHills

The first ribbon he's wearing would have set my BS detector off big time. It's the Navy and Marine Corps Medal (equivalent to the Soldier's Medal) and it's not a very commonly seen award. He's also wearing it and the Combat Action Ribbon (center second row) backwards.

How does a 26 year old get 12 ribbons these days without some serious awards? I am lost men, as I knew O-3's considered to be highly decorated in 1972 with 9-10 ribbons max. Now, I am not counting unit awards as we know the Army has a right chest for those.

I am thinking about the late Bob Howard in 72? I think he had 12 then. Even with his unit awards he would have had 16 or so then.

This number of attaboy ribbons for professional career development seems a cover up to justify more awards above the NDSM for senior officers now. I hope I am wrong.

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by abc_123

I don't think those fakers bilking the VA with bogus DD214s are all from the Reserve Components.

Don't mean nothing other than there seems to be more smoke coming from the pines than the oaks - but its all the same patch of woods brother.

[alright4u]

Originally Posted by Richard

With the ease of access to today's databases, I don't understand why this wasn't a policy all along.

FYI - ex-wife's pic attchd and FB page located at http://www.facebook.com/people/Melan...ing/1578369926

And so it goes...

Richard

Enlistment Rules Change After Faker Case

The Army is instituting a new procedure for checking the backgrounds of enlistees who claim to have a military record after a report that a reservist apparently faked a background as a Marine to enter the service.

Recruiters can no longer simply accept discharge papers as proof of service, Douglas Smith, public information officer for the Army recruiting command, told The Associated Press on Thursday. They now must also seek to verify the documents through a military database, he said.

The directive follows an AP story last Friday detailing how a Texas man apparently tricked the Army into allowing him to enter a reserve unit as a noncommissioned officer earlier this year.

Records show that Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, was given the rank of sergeant even though he didn't have a military background other than spending six weeks in a 12-week Marine officer candidate program for college students. Because Johnston didn't complete the course, he never became a Marine.

Smith said the change in enlistment procedure, which went into effect Tuesday, means recruiters can't accept an enlistee's discharge paperwork, known in the military as a DD-214, as proof of military service without cross-checking it through the Defense Manpower Data Center.

Previously, he said, a "valid-looking" DD-214 would have been accepted without checking the database.

Smith declined to give a reason for the change or discuss the Johnston matter, which currently is under investigation by the Army.

Johnston joined the Army's Corps Support Airplane Company based at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station in February. Since March, he has been stationed at Fort Rucker in Alabama, the primary training base for Army aviation. He has not responded to phone and e-mail messages seeking comment.

A spokeswoman at Fort Rucker said Thursday the ongoing investigation prevents her from commenting on Johnston's status.

U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, a former Marine who has closely followed the Johnston case, said the change in enlistment procedure confirms his fear that loopholes are allowing individuals to join the Army without being properly vetted.

"It is unconscionable that U.S. Army policy has been to simply accept, rather than verify, discharge documents provided to recruiters," Coffman, a Colorado Republican who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, wrote in an e-mail to the AP.

In a letter delivered to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Monday, Coffman said his office had obtained a copy of a phony DD-214 portraying Johnston as a veteran of Marine service in Iraq and Afghanistan and that the document may have been used when he enlisted in the Army Reserve.

Doug Sterner, a Vietnam veteran and military awards historian, said a DD-214 -- essentially a resume of military service generated for each veteran -- is an easily forged document. He said he is aware of many instances in which such documents have been falsified or altered to obtain preferences in hiring as well as veterans benefits but none in which one was used for military enlistment.

"With a history of how frequently these have been forged, it's amazing that the military has not been checking them," Sterner said.

Smith said the Army has always checked enlistees' Social Security numbers against the manpower database. However, those checks seek only general information and are aimed mainly at making sure someone who professes to have no military service is telling the truth.

Citing the investigation, he declined to say whether Johnston's Social Security number was checked and what, if anything, was discovered.

Questions about Johnston came to the Army's attention when an officer became concerned over Johnston's inability to answer questions about the Marine medals and ribbons he was wearing. The officer, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said he later learned from the Marine Corps that Johnston never served. He said he then contacted military legal authorities.

Johnston's ex-wife, also an Army reservist, obtained an annulment earlier this month on grounds of fraud after filing court papers that included an affidavit in which she said Johnston obtained his rank in the Army Reserve with phony documents detailing Marine service.

In her sworn statement, Melanie Rolfing, 24, said Johnston led her to believe he'd served with the Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan and earned a Bronze Star and two purple hearts. She also described how he would attend military functions wearing a Marine dress uniform. The annulment was granted after Johnston signed a document waiving his right to contest it.

http://www.military.com/news/article...ESRC=army-a.nl

Where were those ragged scars and the indented muscle loss? Where was/ were the broken bone/bones/deformed area? The wife should have seen more then a stiched cut on a finger or so. Did she ever see him naked? My wife damn sure noticed a few places.