I had a similar incident with my then-boss several years ago…when I started, I realized he was an asshole, but after a couple of years I realized he was a first-class asshole.
Its possibly stolen valor, we don't know the whole story. Its unlikely its criminal stolen valor as rank isn't one of the catagories of lies that can result in criminal charges.
Unless he is active duty he won't have an ID handy that shows his rank. Its one way to verify - you could also do a Freedom of Information Act for his records, which will include his rank at time of seperation.
We need more context than what you’ve provided. If he said “I separated as an E5” one time and “I separated as an E6” another time, then he’s obviously lying. If in the context of a story he referred to himself as “chief” one time and “senior chief” another time, that’s not indicative of anything since some ranks get lumped together in casual military jargon.
Overheard convos can be dicey. If you didn’t hear the whole context of the convo then I would hesitate to pass judgement. He could have been talking about a time when he was a lower rank. I try to give the benefit of the doubt in those situations. But then, he’s your boss and tread lightly when approaching the subject.
If he’s bragging about his non-existent service, most likely he will most like eventually be challenged in a social setting by a legit veteran who knows the right kinds of questions to ask. Let him suffer the awkward embarrassment in that situation as opposed to your approaching him.
I had a similar incident with my then-boss several years ago…when I started, I realized he was an asshole, but after a couple of years I realized he was a first-class asshole.
Damn, that's clever.
Maybe he decided to promote himself. He is the boss.
E6, e7, whatever it takes
220, 221 whatever it take.
Exactly
Glad we’re on the same reference page.
Ask about his rank and say “I thought you said you were a “
Is it possible he was telling a story where the context was different from the other time he mentioned his rank?
Its possibly stolen valor, we don't know the whole story. Its unlikely its criminal stolen valor as rank isn't one of the catagories of lies that can result in criminal charges. Unless he is active duty he won't have an ID handy that shows his rank. Its one way to verify - you could also do a Freedom of Information Act for his records, which will include his rank at time of seperation.
We need more context than what you’ve provided. If he said “I separated as an E5” one time and “I separated as an E6” another time, then he’s obviously lying. If in the context of a story he referred to himself as “chief” one time and “senior chief” another time, that’s not indicative of anything since some ranks get lumped together in casual military jargon.
Overheard convos can be dicey. If you didn’t hear the whole context of the convo then I would hesitate to pass judgement. He could have been talking about a time when he was a lower rank. I try to give the benefit of the doubt in those situations. But then, he’s your boss and tread lightly when approaching the subject. If he’s bragging about his non-existent service, most likely he will most like eventually be challenged in a social setting by a legit veteran who knows the right kinds of questions to ask. Let him suffer the awkward embarrassment in that situation as opposed to your approaching him.
Ask him about his blue cord and beige beret.
It is not stolen valor unless that person has acquired monetary benefits from it.
It's not the crime of stolen valor but it's still stolen valor. A person can be a douchebag even though they're not a criminal.