False bravado is often confused with true competence. Somewhere in between is something which might be defined as unconscious incompetence, a state in which someone believes that they are competent when in fact they are not. I’ve learned to recognize the differences pretty quickly due to some of the experiences I’ve had and people I’ve encountered.
The platoon-sized unit of Marines I was assigned to put band-aids on was composed mostly of guys who had been in line (infantry) companies during Operation Phantom Fury – the second push through Fallujah in November of 2004 in which 54 Americans were killed and 425 wounded in a 9-day period. Total coalition casualties reached 107 killed and 613 wounded by the end of the operation. The guys in my platoon who had fought in that battle were short-timers with just enough time left on their contracts for part of one deployment, so the Marine Corps sent them back for a second or third trip. Almost all of them were from one battalion – 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, or 3/5.
Naturally, as a junior Corpsman straight out of the training pipeline, I idolized pretty much every one of my Marines. I really looked up to those who were combat veterans, but anyone who had been in a day longer than I was someone I respected.
One of the Marines was especially boastful – and in a platoon of Marines, that’s saying something. I’ll call him Country. He was especially critical of anyone who hadn’t deployed before or hadn’t been in combat. Among other things, he ridiculed me when I tried to teach things to the platoon. He wasn’t an infantry Marine, but an NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) specialist. He’d told everyone that as part of 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines during Phantom Fury, he had been put in an infantry squad and seen plenty of fighting, because the battalion had no need for him at headquarters (the other NBC specialist in the platoon didn’t have any such experience, but I liked him more because he wasn’t a dick). He saw himself as a gunfighter, for lack of a better term.
Another of the Marines – Kirsch – was comparatively quiet. He’d been in a line company with some of the other 3/5 Marines, but had told me that he hadn’t seen much fighting. He was a happy-go-lucky guy that I became friends with. We butted heads from time to time, but got along pretty well overall. Considering that he was the turret gunner in my Humvee, that was a good thing. On base or when we had downtime while visiting outposts, OPs and FOBs, he joked around a lot. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that he was kind of scatterbrained (sorry dude).
But in the turret, on roads where IED attacks occurred daily, his behavior changed as if a switch had been flipped. I wasn’t cognizant of it at the time, but I felt safe largely due to his presence in the turret. He knew what to look for and he looked for it. He knew how to use his M4 carbine, M9 pistol, and the mounted M2 heavy machine gun. He knew how to work as part of a team, how to take orders, when to take charge. He knew how to use the radio, how to drive the humvee, how to change an IED-shredded tire or attach tow straps to a disabled vehicle. He listened when I taught medical classes, and was ready to help me do my job if necessary.
I mention this incident only because of its relevance to the topic and the behavior of these two Marines. Our unit was at the main administrative area for the city of Fallujah when a number of crew served weapons and rifles opened up on some of the Marines on post. I don’t exactly recall what happened, but I was closest of anyone to the trucks and the quickest to react, so I ended up being first in a turret. Kirsch was close behind me. The engagement was pretty short and I couldn’t positively identify where the shots were coming from. I wasn’t about to open up with a .50 caliber machine gun on an apartment building occupied by civilians, so I did not fire the weapon. When I looked around afterwards, I’m pretty sure I saw Country coming out of the main building where we had all been at the beginning. In contrast, Kirsch was right there with me, along with our driver.
A short time later, a Marine from 3/1 moved into a hooch across from one used by some members of my platoon. Conversation between him and the 3/5 Marines naturally moved to the one Marine we had from 3/1 – Country. To our initial surprise, he said that Country had never been part of an infantry squad during Phantom Fury – that he had spent the entire engagement at battalion headquarters. Naturally, a sort of come-to-Jesus moment occurred shortly thereafter for Country. It was handled quietly by the NCOs, but his behavior changed dramatically after that day.
True competence can only be demonstrated under true pressure. Some talk endlessly about how good they are, how much skill and experience they have, how learning new things isn’t important – but when it comes down to it, they fail to live up to their bluster in the real world. Country moved on to another (private) environment where men carry guns, and I wonder if he learned his lesson permanently, or if he kept telling tall tales. The takeaway for me was a life lesson on how to recognize hot air for what it is.
Glad to hear one of the positive things you learned over there. You’re a good man.
I just discovered your blog recently and have been really enjoying it. Great observations! Humility is such an important character attribute. I suspect that the best teachers are also the ones who are willing to learn from anyone – not the people who just like to talk about what they’ve (possibly?) done.
actions always speak louder than words.
I really appreciate this post its something people need to hear more but don’t sadly. and thank you Andrew for your service and competency. and I have read many of your blogs and you don’t seem to talk about specific engagements and “action” while you were deployed so that only adds to the wisdom and lesson here.
I was with 2/1 for the first attempt at Fallujah, we had casualities but nothing like what the guys at 3/5 suffered. Had the politics been left out and Marines left to do what we do best, the lives lost in that second breach may have been avoided. It infuriates me to no end that politicians, who can’t even balance a check book, think they can win the “hearts and minds” of third world trash by meddling with ROE’s or zoning combat areas.
BTW, anyone who flaps his jaws like that “Country” guy is an automatic shitbird, BS filter needs to be set at 11 once you’re in the fleet.
I’ve seen similar things, seems like the guys that talk the toughest are the ones that refuse to get out of the trucks or put themselves out there when it actually comes time to fight.
Thank you. Very good read.
The title of this reminds me of an old boss who greatly exaggerated about his military experience (super special forces stuff naturally). His, “war stories,” he enjoyed to tell were so full of shit. He made the mistake of taking these lies on national television so a group of vets called him out and basically the guy had to resign. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy…
Worked with an Army LTC in Iraq that loved to talk about his “time in Special Forces.” He wore the combat patch, but conspicuously without the tab on top… Turns out he was a loggie assigned to their headquarters.
Of course, less than 60 days into his tour, he shot himself in the leg at the DFAC clearing barrel while re-holstering.
From what we got back, he ended up losing his lower leg due to massive vascular destruction and damage to the ankle (shot straight down his calf muscle). I often wonder what story he tells…
Beware the talker…
I HAD a friend that did 2 tours in Afgan and 1 in Iraq. He would captivate a crowd of us civies with his stories and get-togethers / parties. As time went by I noticed that his stories would change slightly every time he told them. After about 2 yrs of this I finally got to meet someone he was in with and wow things were different then. There was almost no talk of the sandbox at all. Finally one day I asked the other guy about some of the stories, he was in total disbelief as to what I was telling him. Turns out it was pretty much all lies. These 2 had been together since boot camp and he said that they never had any action like what we had been told. The best was the scar on my ex friends chest. A story that he loved tell, said he got stabbed in the chest. Turns out that the scar actually happened in a 4 wheeler accident at base on US soil. I respect all of our service men and women for everything they have done. I don’t care what their job was, sitting at a desk or taking out bad guys. But to just flat out lie to me and my family ? It has left a lasting scar on me and I also lost someone who I thought was a very close friend.
Yea, it’s always funny when people are misleading about where they were and what they did. I’ve ran across more than a few people who spin a good yarn about how dangerous it was when they were in Iraq, or AFG, but then find out later they were in a “Dangerous Area” years after it was sporty.
Another thing this points out, is how small of community the Marine Corps is! All it took for that “Country” guy to get outed was a random conversation.