SwiftVets.com

[TEWSPilot]

Figures... Top Attack Dog In Palin Troopergate Smear Campaign Is Phony Soldier

(hat tip to Gateway Pundit for this revelation)

Democratic state Senator Hollis French, the lead investigator in the smear campaign against Governor Palin, promised his party that the results of the Troopergate probe would be an "October surprise" that would "likely be damaging to the administration."

French is one of the 20%'ers in Alaska who does not approve of Governor Sarah Palin.
He also is a staunch Obama supporter.



Hollis French (fifth from left) and fellow Troopergate hack Kim Elton (on left with beard) who has donated to the Obama Campaign sit on the panel investigating popular governor Sarah Palin.

Governor Palin fired former public safety director Walt Monegan for several incidents of insubordination.
Hollis French and Monegan are close friends.
On his resume French states that he served in the Marine Corps.

Hollis "Gunny" French (D)-- is guilty of misrepresenting that he served in the Marine Corps - when in fact his ONLY exposure to the Marine Corp was attending a Marine ROTC PLC - from which he was DISMISSED and granted a "Discharge" as a Private.
--He NEVER attended, much less graduate from either of the USMC Boot Camps.
--He FAILED to pass the ROTC Platoon Leader Course - thus failing to make the grade to become a Marine Officer.
--Hardly service as a Marine, and the folks in Alaska caught up with French's claims....
--Folks in Alaska to this day, still jokingly refer to the jackass poseur as "Gunny French" and he hates the reminder of his lie -Free Republic.

The lead dog on the Troopergate smear campaign has a little explaining to do himself. On his official State of Alaska website he claims to have been in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1977-78 as a private. There is also a reference to PLC or Platoon Leader's Course. As a former Marine, this smells fishy. In another story French claims he spent six weeks at Quantico, VA. As every Marine knows, Quantico is where Marine officer training occurs. For French to have been a Marine private he would have had to complete basic training at either Parris Island or San Diego, which takes about three months. I also did a military.com search of Hollis French and came up empty. For Hollis French to claim to have been a Marine Reservist is stretching the truth and an insult to all Marines, past and present.

French listed his service as "USMC (ROTC) 1977-1978," which he later explained was six weeks training at the Quantico, Va., Marine Corps base. French said most people saw his military record as a non-issue and he never tried to make it out as anything more or less than was stated in the pamphlet.

...loved this post from a former Marine:

[LewWaters]

His State Legislature Bio reads,

[baldeagle]

As I understand it, when in the 3rd and 4th years of ROTC, the cadets receive a small remuneration for their training to assist with college expenses.
In order to carry them on the payroll, they are enlisted in the reserve as privates (E-1)
In the summer between 3rd and 4th years they attend the OCS course (in the Marine Corp known as Platoon Leader Course, PLC.
In the case of those who, for one reason or another, fail the course, they are then discharged as Private (E-1).
So technically, he was in the Marine Corp Reserve for a short time, but failed his basic training and was discharged.
I could be wrong on some of the details, but I have a grand-son-in-law who is now a 1st Lt. USMC, stationed at Iwakuni, Japan, who went this route.
_________________
"In a word, I want an American character, that the powers of Europe may be convinced we act for ourselves and not for others; this, in my judgment, is the only way to be respected abroad and happy at home." --George Washington

[Me#1You#10]

"Troopergate"? Are you refering to "Tasergate"?

[TEWSPilot]

baldeagle, I received my commission in the Air Force via ROTC, but our committment may have differed from the Marine version. Anyone who failed to complete the training and receive a commission was obligated to a two year tour of active duty as an Airman E1, not just busted out and given credit for time served. Apparently "Gunny" French made claims beyond even what the Marines allowed on his DD-214 (if he received one).

#1, great idea, I'll pass on the new "Tasergate" identifier.

[baldeagle]

I copied this from another forum, posted by a Marine who also went this route. Doubtless, he's more familiar with the curriculum than I.

Quote:

Technically, I think he would have had an enlisted rank while going through officer training for a six week period. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the only true cadet and midshipmen ranks occur at the service academies, and those ranks actually lie in between officer and enlisted. To be paid for either of the two six week PLC courses or the one ten week OCC course, you are given an enlisted rank. It's how you get paid. Your title is "candidate", but you are enlisted for pay purposes, medical care, discharge, etc. I would have to dig (DEEP) into my paperwork and see what rank I was assigned at OCS in the 80's, if I even still have that stuff around. I think it was as an E3 or E4. The attrition rate at Marine Corps OCS is very high, and this is a marvelous thing! Many young adults realize that it is not something they wish to do and either drop out during their increment or choose not to return. No harm, no foul, thank you and move on. Additionally, there are a high number who are either disqualified for physical reasons or must recycle because of physical injury....shin splints, stress fractures, etc. The beauty of Marine Corps OCS is that we are not focused so much on retention--candidates are afforded every opportunity on a daily basis to leave. How bad do you want to be there and how bad do you want to make it? Brown Field at Quantico serves its purpose as did Camp Upshur. By the time a 2nd Lt reaches TBS, The Basic School, they really have passed some physical and mental hurdles, and are now ready for six months of training with their peers. TBS is different from other junior officer schools. All specialties....aviation, infantry, tanks, arty, MPs, etc. All 2nd Lts attend the same classes and eat the same mud for six months. It has a positive impact down the road and helps build esprit de corps and facilitates the combined arms philosphy of the Corps. Ratios of enlisted to officer in the Corps are around 9:1, which is significantly higher than other branches of the service. The Marine Corps is actually pretty good at wrapping themselves around joint ops because we have a naval heritage and work closely with that branch, and aviation is an intrinsic part of our fighting force. I don't know why this politician would choose to mention such a brief stint or brush with military service. It serves no logical reason, particularly when he did not follow through and achieve anything. Semper Fi

_________________
"In a word, I want an American character, that the powers of Europe may be convinced we act for ourselves and not for others; this, in my judgment, is the only way to be respected abroad and happy at home." --George Washington

[TEWSPilot]

Clearly "Gunny" French intended to inflate his resume by having some sort of "military service" listed, but for all the good it has done him, he may as well don a sandwich board that reads "I busted out of Marine PLC but I still want to be considered a Veteran".

[TEWSPilot]

Dems ruled not biased in 'Troopergate'
Judge kills lawsuit against Obama donors in Palin review

[dusty]

The level of incompetence by some jurists is breathtaking.
Or maybe it's not breathtaking....maybe it's just corruption.
_________________
Left and Wrong are the opposite of Right!

[TEWSPilot]

...products of the same primordal swamp that gave us Roe v Wade, rules wrong on "McCain-Feingold" and "Imminent Domain", and has a very difficult time finding a 2nd Amendment in the U.S. Constitution...but sees FULL RIGHTS for Illegal Combatants captured on foreign battfields....

[TEWSPilot]

Resume-padding"Gunny" French is also an idiot.

[zinfella]

That is the liberal mantra, don't do anything that might possibly offend criminals, because they might come after you.
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No whiners!

[LewWaters]

Hard to tell which comment is dumber
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Clark County Conservative

[zinfella]

The way I see it, Lew, their remarks are an insult to people's intelligence.
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No whiners!

[Grampa]

ROTC does NOT count as any kind of military service. No DD 214 is issued, no benefits are authorized or accrued. A private dicharged from Boot Camp gets a DD214. This turd didn't.
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Iraqi Freedom 2003-2004. We won't take any of that 1960s crap when We come home!