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Report: VA Secretary Robert McDonald apologizes for misstating military record | Report: VA Secretary Robert McDonald apologizes for misstating military record |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Robert McDonald, the secretary of veterans affairs, misrepresented his military record in a recent TV appearance, falsely stating that he was in an elite special operations division. | Robert McDonald, the secretary of veterans affairs, misrepresented his military record in a recent TV appearance, falsely stating that he was in an elite special operations division. |
McDonald, a West Point grad who served with the 82nd Airborne Division during the late 1970s, has issued an apology for the misstatement, reported the Huffington Post’s David Wood. | McDonald, a West Point grad who served with the 82nd Airborne Division during the late 1970s, has issued an apology for the misstatement, reported the Huffington Post’s David Wood. |
There was no suggestion in Wood’s story of any pattern of misstatements by McDonald. The comment in question came while McDonald was being filmed by a CBS News crew as he toured Los Angeles during a count of homeless veterans, one of whom told McDonald he had served in special ops. McDonald replied: “Special forces? What years? I was in special forces.” The segment aired Jan. 30. | There was no suggestion in Wood’s story of any pattern of misstatements by McDonald. The comment in question came while McDonald was being filmed by a CBS News crew as he toured Los Angeles during a count of homeless veterans, one of whom told McDonald he had served in special ops. McDonald replied: “Special forces? What years? I was in special forces.” The segment aired Jan. 30. |
In a statement reported by the AP, McDonald said: “While I was in Los Angeles, engaging a homeless individual to determine his veteran status, I asked the man where he had served in the military. He responded that he had served in special forces. I incorrectly stated that I had been in special forces. That was inaccurate and I apologize to anyone that was offended by my misstatement.” | In a statement reported by the AP, McDonald said: “While I was in Los Angeles, engaging a homeless individual to determine his veteran status, I asked the man where he had served in the military. He responded that he had served in special forces. I incorrectly stated that I had been in special forces. That was inaccurate and I apologize to anyone that was offended by my misstatement.” |
“We take him at his word and expect that this will not impact the important work he’s doing to promote the health and well-being of our nation’s veterans,” said a statement from the White House, according to AP. | |
The special forces claim, which came in the middle of the controversy over NBC news anchor Brian Williams’s honesty, was noticed by some retired military officers. | The special forces claim, which came in the middle of the controversy over NBC news anchor Brian Williams’s honesty, was noticed by some retired military officers. |
McDonald told Wood: “I have no excuse. I was not in special forces.” | McDonald told Wood: “I have no excuse. I was not in special forces.” |
Special operations forces, drawn from all branches of the military, include the fabled Green Berets, Army Rangers, Delta Force and Navy SEALs. “Special operators are a close-knit community deeply hostile to outsiders who try to claim the coveted mantle of special operations,” wrote Wood, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2012 for his reporting on the “physical and emotional challenges facing American soldiers severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan during a decade of war.” | |
Wood reported that McDonald, the former chief executive of Procter and Gamble brought in to shape up the embattled department, completed Army Ranger training but “never served in a Ranger battalion or any other special operations unit.” | Wood reported that McDonald, the former chief executive of Procter and Gamble brought in to shape up the embattled department, completed Army Ranger training but “never served in a Ranger battalion or any other special operations unit.” |
Wood quoted retired Army Col. Gary Bloomberg, a former special forces commander, calling McDonald’s claim “a boneheaded statement.” But he said he and other former special ops officers did not consider it as egregious as some other misrepresentations. | Wood quoted retired Army Col. Gary Bloomberg, a former special forces commander, calling McDonald’s claim “a boneheaded statement.” But he said he and other former special ops officers did not consider it as egregious as some other misrepresentations. |
“No one got really crazy about the whole thing, compared to some of what we’ve seen,” he told the Huffington Post. “It’s a lot different from guys running around faking their special forces credentials. … I can see [other former special forces soldiers] going, ‘Hey, check out this boneheaded remark,’ but I don’t see the gravitas that I would with a guy wearing medals he didn’t earn.’” | “No one got really crazy about the whole thing, compared to some of what we’ve seen,” he told the Huffington Post. “It’s a lot different from guys running around faking their special forces credentials. … I can see [other former special forces soldiers] going, ‘Hey, check out this boneheaded remark,’ but I don’t see the gravitas that I would with a guy wearing medals he didn’t earn.’” |
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