Default Stolen valor: The militiaman bodyguard..falsely posing as a US Marine

A key figure in the armed militia takeover of a federal building in Oregon has been posing as a retired US Marine to boost his 'combat' credentials, Daily Mail Online can reveal.
Brian Cavalier – the personal bodyguard of controversial ranchers Cliven and Ammon Bundy who lead the group – openly boasted to members of the press that he is a Marine who served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But Daily Mail Online has learned that Cavalier, 44, has faked his military background to appear more credible as a militia henchman - a fact sure to anger some of the group's supporters.

According to US Marine Corp records Cavalier has never served as a Marine, whether it be as a recruit or a Marine Corps contractor.

Bearded Cavalier – wearing military style garb including a shemagh scarf often worn by soldiers serving in the Middle East – joined several armed militia to occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon on Saturday – a move which grabbed national attention.

The menacing, 6ft tall bodyguard was also seen flanking Ammon Bundy during a series of press conferences held outside the refuge and has been heavily involved in coordinating security at the compound where the group is holed up.

But despite his self-styled military image and his heavy use of military phrases, we can reveal Cavalier is in fact a tattoo artist with a long rap sheet for DUI and theft, not a former soldier.

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Link. The Feds are going to take these guys apart when this standoff is over.

Napoleon said:

Link. The Feds are going to take these guys apart when this standoff is over.

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The real story has more to do with the stupidity of Amanda Marshall, the Obama appointee as US Attorney for Oregon. A judge sentence the Hammonds to 18 months in jail for various things that impacted BLM land. Marshall thought that the sentences were too short and got them extended to 5 years. She is a odd egg who fortunately has been removed from office due to stalking of a co-worker.

As to Malheur, the place is a bird sanctuary. The actions aren't hurting anything. Hopefully the government will have the good sense to just wait things out and let it end. We have enough people in prisons.

Who the **** does it hurt if he claims to be a Marine?

Stolen valor was struck down as unconstitutional a few years back.

It was modified so someone couldn't claim that had won acculade (medals and the like) for financial gain or other tangible benefits.

If he's simply claimed he served, there's nothing that says he can't say that, and since it appears to have been detrimental instead of beneficial, he's already dug his own grave.

Henrin said:

Who the **** does it hurt if he claims to be a Marine?

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Anyone that's worn the uniform, but I wouldn't expect you to understand how disgraceful that crap is.

Renae said:

Anyone that's worn the uniform, but I wouldn't expect you to understand how disgraceful that crap is.

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How in the hell does it do that?

One of the problems you run into when you seek media attention is that crazies soon attach themselves to your cause. It doesn't matter whether the cause is a Conservative one or a Liberal one. The crazies never fail to show up. They generally have the time to show up too since they are most often unemployed and unemployable.

Anyway, what happened to the Hammonds is what this thing should be about but it doesn't look like it's going to get the attention it deserves.


As an aside, nobody has been able to answer me as to why the Hammonds were charged under a code section related to explosives and other dangerous articles instead of the section regarding public lands. Both sections allow for penalties related to arson but only one of those was amended by an antiterrorism law.

Eric7216 said:

The real story has more to do with the stupidity of Amanda Marshall, the Obama appointee as US Attorney for Oregon. A judge sentence the Hammonds to 18 months in jail for various things that impacted BLM land. Marshall thought that the sentences were too short and got them extended to 5 years. She is a odd egg who fortunately has been removed from office due to stalking of a co-worker.

As to Malheur, the place is a bird sanctuary. The actions aren't hurting anything. Hopefully the government will have the good sense to just wait things out and let it end. We have enough people in prisons.

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The real story is that the minimum sentence was not complied with on the initial judgement, so it had to be appealed. The guilty men accepted it with a lot more grace than thousands of nobodies on the internet. Or the Yokel Haram

In many cases of stolen valor, the perpetrators are usually mentally defunct. Not in all cases, but in many cases I've seen online and on Youtube.

That explains the situation a little in this case. These guys are obviously mentally unnerved.

Henrin said:

How in the hell does it do that?

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In a number of ways.

And understand that I'm answering your question in a "general" sense, not just in relation to this idiot.

First, by claiming to be a veteran and involving himself in the things he involves himself in (like illegally occupying federal property through force of arms, just as one example) it has the potential to shine a disparaging light on all veterans. There are people out there who think that folks choose military service because they're losers who came to a dead end in life and had no other choice, then they assume that all veterans deployed, saw combat, and came home with some kind of PTSD and are a potential threat to society. Assholes like Cavalier aren't doing veterans any favors by sort of perpetuating that "lost cause" stereotype.

Second, he's worked as a "bodyguard" by virtue of the fact, at least in part, that he sold himself as a veteran. Now in this clown's case the type of "bodyguarding" hes doing is more of a clown show than actual above-board personal protection but there are people who have been legitimately employed in real security work on the weight of their fraudulent military credentials. Military credentials are a sought-after commodity (though not a necessity) in the security world. What he's doing is similar to a job candidate fraudulently claiming to have a college degree in order to land a job that requires a college degree when in actuality all the candidate has is a GED. In essence they "steal" jobs from real veterans who actually put their ass on the line and earned the qualifications that employers are looking for. This doesn't only relate to security work. Public employers give "veterans preferences" in hiring for some positions (maybe all?), like adding points to tests scores if a position requires a test. There was also a period of time, may still be happening - I don't know - where employers were given a tax break for hiring veterans. Other employers just appreciate the intangibles that veterans bring to the table and prefer hiring them. If you're not a veterans, and you claim you are for purposes of employment, it takes a job away from a real veteran.

Third, there are people and businesses who give discounts or premiums or special considerations to veterans out of respect or appreciation or some other motive. Just as an example Home Depot and Lowes offer veterans a 10% discount on purchases. By fraudulently claiming to be a veteran and accepting those kinds of benefits the phonies who do so (perhaps not this guy, but as I said speaking in generalities) are abusing the good faith of the people who offer such benefits.

Some of them abuse the VA healthcare and disability system in order to receive cash payments or medical care that they didn't earn.

There are lots of different ways that phonies hurt real veterans, or at least piss us off.

Napoleon said:

Link. The Feds are going to take these guys apart when this standoff is over.

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Everyday it seems more & more these guys are a bunch of wannabees!

Henrin said:

How in the hell does it do that?

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Pretending to be a Marine when actual Marines buddies fought and died overseas? How would that NOT offend you if you're a Marine?

akrunner88 said:

Pretending to be a Marine when actual Marines buddies fought and died overseas? How would that NOT offend you if you're a Marine?

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Why would it matter? People are going to talk and make claims about themselves in order to get something they want. It doesn't matter to me if someone thinks being a member of something I'm part of helps them in their life.

Henrin said:

Why would it matter? People are going to talk and make claims about themselves in order to get something they want. It doesn't matter to me if someone thinks being a member of something I'm part of helps them in their life.

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Some people approve of lying and some don't. Personally I am not a liar and I don't like liars. I know some places where it would be very dangerous for a person to make a false claim like that. Being a soldier or a Marine is something a person earns. If you don't understand that it isn't worth trying to explain.

Chomsky said:

Everyday it seems more & more these guys are a bunch of wannabees!

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And desperately lying morons.

Manc Skipper said:

The real story is that the minimum sentence was not complied with on the initial judgement, so it had to be appealed. The guilty men accepted it with a lot more grace than thousands of nobodies on the internet. Or the Yokel Haram

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No need to resort to abusive statements. But I guess that is why the US leads the world in people in prison-locking people up for minor property crimes.

Jetboogieman said:

Stolen valor was struck down as unconstitutional a few years back.

It was modified so someone couldn't claim that had won acculade (medals and the like) for financial gain or other tangible benefits.

If he's simply claimed he served, there's nothing that says he can't say that, and since it appears to have been detrimental instead of beneficial, he's already dug his own grave.

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Correct. It isn't illegal. And frankly I don't think it should be illegal unless the lie was used to defraud. That said, it is still a scummy thing to do and I have no problem with publicly shaming the low lives who do it.

Manc Skipper said:

The real story is that the minimum sentence was not complied with on the initial judgement, so it had to be appealed. The guilty men accepted it with a lot more grace than thousands of nobodies on the internet. Or the Yokel Haram

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y'all qaeda

Eric7216 said:

The real story has more to do with the stupidity of Amanda Marshall, the Obama appointee as US Attorney for Oregon. A judge sentence the Hammonds to 18 months in jail for various things that impacted BLM land. Marshall thought that the sentences were too short and got them extended to 5 years. She is a odd egg who fortunately has been removed from office due to stalking of a co-worker.

As to Malheur, the place is a bird sanctuary. The actions aren't hurting anything. Hopefully the government will have the good sense to just wait things out and let it end. We have enough people in prisons.

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Really? She falsely claims to be a Marine too? LOL.

Napoleon said:

Link. The Feds are going to take these guys apart when this standoff is over.

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You know I was wondering how a combat experienced marine would be so tactically clueless to be in a such a vulnerable position. Now I know why.

Henrin said:

How in the hell does it do that?

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If you'd ever done the sacrifice of serving in the military and putting yourself in harms way you'd understand how infuriating it is when someone pretends.

The article says that Brian Cavalier isn't the only fake.....

akrunner88 said:

In many cases of stolen valor, the perpetrators are usually mentally defunct. Not in all cases, but in many cases I've seen online and on Youtube.

That explains the situation a little in this case. These guys are obviously mentally unnerved.

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There's no excuse for stolen valor. Have to have a screw loose to try and pull it off.

Chomsky said:

Everyday it seems more & more these guys are a bunch of wannabees!

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Typical militia members. Wannabee misfits.

Henrin said:

Why would it matter? People are going to talk and make claims about themselves in order to get something they want. It doesn't matter to me if someone thinks being a member of something I'm part of helps them in their life.

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Now you're getting silly.