[trip286]

Originally Posted by spittinfire

Anyone who refers to themselves as an operator is just a d bag. That would be like Marlyn saying, "yep, I'm a sex symbol." She just went from sexy to b!$ch in a heartbeat.

That's pretty much how I feel on the matter. Most who have been there and done that don't try to glorify it.

[Dizzll]

Although... I am a veteran 02-06, and I see what has happened now is you have non-combat people who know the lingo telling lies... They know the MOS, Camp names etc. But they will never go as far as knowing units. I'm referring to Air Force types mostly who want to cash in on infantry credit. How do I know? Cuz I've caught Air Force dudes lying and I was in the AF lol... We call ours AFSC's same as MOS for Marines/Army...

[jjfuller1]

Originally Posted by trip286

Quite welcome. One way to tell a bull spitter from the real deal, simply ask "what was your MOS?". If they say anything other than rattling off a number (or number letter combo), they are trying to bull spit you most likely. I often hear, "oh you know, I was a trigger puller." Me: "oh? What weapon were you issued?" Poser: "uh, it was like the M16 but smaller, full auto, and had a long strip thingy of boolits. In 9 millimeter ought 38-40" or some similar crap.

Ask an MOS, and most REAL vets will think you know what's up. You can then ask, "oh, what does eleven-bravo/ohthreeeleven/ohthreefortyone mean?" And you'll get a more detailed explanation.

Just know, some of the real deal actually use "operator". I've just rarely seen it myself outside of posers. Ask jjfuller, he's one of the newest breed Marines. He could tell you if it's become way more common.

not that new, only a year after you. :P but yea, i think it's easy for people to try to fake it. like you said. once you start asking more detailed, questions the answers you get will make you wanna bust out laughing. lol..
i also like asking about the ROG, and EOF. often this info is not as popular for the wanna'be's to memorize.. i dont know about trip but they made us recite it everyday.

[TV-PressPass]

I'm not an operator. Neither are you.

Article on Vurrwappen Blog sums it up best.

[c3shooter]

The term "operator" was taken from "Special Operations"- which included unconventional warfare, such as Special Forces, Rangers, Marine Recon, Navy Seals, Rescue Crewman, Air Commando, etc.

Typically used by folks that sling more BS than a manure spreader.

Known as Wannabees, PX Heroes, or (after the military typewriter made by the company) Remington Rangers (They never retreat- only backspace!)

[7point62]

COD MW has made "operators" out of anybody with opposable thumbs.

[p35bhp55]

Originally Posted by trip286

Quite welcome. One way to tell a bull spitter from the real deal, simply ask "what was your MOS?". If they say anything other than rattling off a number (or number letter combo), they are trying to bull spit you most likely. I often hear, "oh you know, I was a trigger puller." Me: "oh? What weapon were you issued?" Poser: "uh, it was like the M16 but smaller, full auto, and had a long strip thingy of boolits. In 9 millimeter ought 38-40" or some similar crap.

Ask an MOS, and most REAL vets will think you know what's up. You can then ask, "oh, what does eleven-bravo/ohthreeeleven/ohthreefortyone mean?" And you'll get a more detailed explanation.

Just know, some of the real deal actually use "operator". I've just rarely seen it myself outside of posers. Ask jjfuller, he's one of the newest breed Marines. He could tell you if it's become way more common.

But they changed the MOS #s I was a 16 Sierra, I know I was but there is no such thing now. Weren't all the combat arms #s in the small digits to the teens?

[trip286]

Originally Posted by jjfuller1

not that new, only a year after you. :P but yea, i think it's easy for people to try to fake it. like you said. once you start asking more detailed, questions the answers you get will make you wanna bust out laughing. lol..

Lol, sorry, for some reason I thought you were brand new to the service.

Have you ever met a force recon airborne ranger medic Marine? I have. And he went to boot camp during his summer break between 9th and 10th grades, airborne school between 10th and 11th, and medic school between 11th and 12th. He started telling me all about it when I mentioned he looked like he was just out of high school...

Turned out he was. But he was going OCS even without any college because he was just such a Badass.

Then he says... "I'm an operator...."
So I pissed on his leg.

[jjfuller1]

Originally Posted by trip286

Lol, sorry, for some reason I thought you were brand new to the service.

Have you ever met a force recon airborne ranger medic Marine? I have. And he went to boot camp during his summer break between 9th and 10th grades, airborne school between 10th and 11th, and medic school between 11th and 12th. He started telling me all about it when I mentioned he looked like he was just out of high school...

Turned out he was. But he was going OCS even without any college because he was just such a Badass.

Then he says... "I'm an operator...."
So I pissed on his leg.

LFMAO.. we had the convo in the military section i pretty much replaced your unit at ramadi... anywhoo.. should of recorded it for youtube..im surprised it was only piss.

[c3shooter]

And yes, MOS's do change over a period of time- some come and go (know anyone with a Redeye Gunner's MOS- 11 Quebec? Long gone) and they get renamed (at one time US Army officers had a pure numerical 4 digit MOS)

I was born an 11 Bravo, picked up 11 Charlie and 11 Hotel along the way, helped create what we calling the 11 Mike MOS (Bradley crew) became an 11 Zulu- and now they tell me I am an 11 Alpha 5 Hotel 5 Romeo. The Special Forces MOS of 18A did not exist when I took the Queen's Shilling (despite rumors to the contrary, both Special Forces and airplanes DID exist back then.

The funny part is, with ALL of these "special warriors" running around, the folks that I have known that WERE SPECOPS- if you asked them what they did- they would tell you they were an NCO, or a junior officer- and subtly ask what YOU did (changing the subject very deftly).