When I joined the Army many decades ago, I knew very little.  About the only thing I knew was that I wanted to be the best possible soldier and to make my father proud.  So, I applied to become a “Green Beret.” However, it was close to graduation before I realized our proper name was actually “Special Forces.”  For many years, we were the only Special Forces.  Over time, other military units also became known as Special Forces, such as the Navy Seals, Marine LRRPs, (Long Range Recon Patrols), and Delta Forces.  The term of Special Forces became a term of art, rather than a term of precision.

Recently, the Secretary of the Veterans Administration got into trouble by saying he had been a member of Special Forces, which was not true — technically.  Since then, he has apologized, but he continues to get pummeled by the media and others.  As it turns out, he was instead an “Airborne Ranger” which means he was tough enough to be a Ranger and dumb enough to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. (I repeat that joke with respect.)  As an old Special Forces trooper myself, with the dirty beret, the now-too-tight jungle fatigues, and the all-important DD-214 to prove it, I take no offense at Secretary McDonald’s loose assertion that he was also part of Special Forces. As an Airborne Ranger, he has earned my respect!

Now, if he will start firing even more employees at the well-intentioned-Affirmative-Action-program-run-amuck, that is the Veterans Administration today, he will have also earned my gratitude!