Back in 1997 I met this guy named Peter Z. (withheld last name) at church. I was the new guy looking for girls to date, he and his wife were regulars at the church in question. It didn't take long for Pete and I to become friends, as "birds of a feather" tend to gravitate towards each other. He claimed he was in the Army as a 1st Lt. but resigned his commission after GWI. Now, I have no military background but have always had an interest in it and most people I've met said I looked the part regardless. Well, Pete and I wound up becoming good friends. We played paintball together, hung out together, he even gave me tips on how to "survive" Y2K if things went in the crapper. He was in his late 30s and in great shape and owned his own business as a corporate fitness trainer.

Fast forward to the fall of 2001. The attacks of September 11th hit and it wasn't too long after when Pete started disappearing. He no longer attended church and it was getting harder to hang out with him. My phone calls would go unanswered for days (he was always very prompt with details, even returning calls quickly) and when he did call back it was only for a minute or two. Conversations were short. Supposedly, he folded up his business and started working for a company as a traveling salesman, selling personalized pens, pencils, coffee mugs, etc.

A traveling salesman.

Anyway, whenever he'd call, it was always  from airports (so he claimed), never from home. At one point I asked him point blank if he was an Air Marshal. He laughed and said he wasn't. That was pretty close to the last time I ever heard from him. That was late 2002.

I still wonder if he was called back to do some type of .gov work (spy? covert stuff?). What do you guys think?

(btw, I posted this in a GD thread but figured this forum might be more appropriate)

So where is his wife?  What does she say he does when you call his house and he is not home?  Look his name up on military.com and see if he has a record, even super spy O-2's have some history.  There is no secret air marshal program, so he could tell you if he wanted too.  

Maybe he got a new job and simply moved away, it happens. He could simply be an airport baggage handler.  He disappeared after 9/11? Did "Pete" have vague middle eastern features?  Do you go to a church or do you really call it a mosque?  

Did his business have anything to do with,"multi-level marketing", Amway or being a general contractor? Those are the three crookest lines of work and require you to move to find fresh victims often.

There is plenty of travel related work in the world, very few jobs government or military related would not allow you to inform your friends that you are employed or activated.  Maybe he is found new friends.

Quoted: So where is his wife?  What does she say he does when you call his house and he is not home?  Look his name up on military.com and see if he has a record, even super spy O-2's have some history.  There is no secret air marshal program, so he could tell you if he wanted too.

His always said he was "working," "on a sales trip," or "traveling."

Maybe he got a new job and simply moved away, it happens. He could simply be an airport baggage handler.  He disappeared after 9/11? Did "Pete" have vague middle eastern features?  Do you go to a church or do you really call it a mosque?

Ocean State Baptist Church in Rhode Island, thank you very much.

There is plenty of travel related work in the world, very few jobs government or military related would not allow you to inform your friends that you are employed or activated.  Maybe he is found new friends.

Well, given his background (former 1st Lt., owned his own corporate fitness business, in great shape, etc), I kinda figured becoming a traveling salesman with a briefcase full of coffee mugs was a little strange, especially right after 9/11.

Probably a spook.

Did he ever say what branch he was when he was in?

I don't want to break out the tinfoil hats, but there were a couple thousand guys who had what were suddenly considered critical skills (SF, helicopter pilots and flight engineers, MI, linguists, etc.)who had gotten out and were recalled. Depending on what he was doing, he might not have been able to say anything.

Kind of odd that you haven't seen him since 2002. Does his wife still live around there? Another possibility is that they got divorced or are in the process of it and he moved.

If he wasn't full of shit, he was likely still in the Natl. Guard as an SF trooper.  All the SF Natl. Guard guys got rotated through one of the big sandboxes after 9/11.

Quoted: Did he ever say what branch he was when he was in? I don't want to break out the tinfoil hats, but there were a couple thousand guys who had what were suddenly considered critical skills (SF, helicopter pilots and flight engineers, MI, linguists, etc.)who had gotten out and were recalled. Depending on what he was doing, he might not have been able to say anything.

He was Army and the only thing he ever said about it was that he was a Green Beret.

Quoted: Quoted: Did he ever say what branch he was when he was in? I don't want to break out the tinfoil hats, but there were a couple thousand guys who had what were suddenly considered critical skills (SF, helicopter pilots and flight engineers, MI, linguists, etc.)who had gotten out and were recalled. Depending on what he was doing, he might not have been able to say anything. He was Army and the only thing he ever said about it was that he was a Green Beret.

I hate to speculate on anything your friend said, but I will say this...unless he was enlisted prior to being comissioned your 1LT pal was not a "Green Beret."  Unfortunately that makes other things he might say about his prior or current careers somewhat suspect.

I hate to speculate on anything your friend said, but I will say this...unless he was enlisted prior to being comissioned your 1LT pal was not a "Green Beret."

What does that have to do with him being SF?

Man that would make a great movie plot! A guy who says he’s working out of an office, but actually takes his calls out in the field while on assignment! You could even have Arnold Schwarzenegger play the part! Oh, wait………….they did that movie already.

Just kidding, does sound spooky though. Get it, Spook as in Spy.

I was the new guy looking for girls to date

I've been out of church for a long time...lapsed Catholic

But I never remember it as a place to "pick up"

Taffy

Quoted: I was the new guy looking for girls to date I've been out of church for a long time...lapsed Catholic But I never remember it as a place to "pick up" Taffy

Well where do you chaps in England go to pick up chicks then?

Quoted: Quoted: I was the new guy looking for girls to date I've been out of church for a long time...lapsed Catholic But I never remember it as a place to "pick up" Taffy Well where do you chaps in England go to pick up chicks then?

The pub....
I always go for the 5 pinters....

Quoted: I hate to speculate on anything your friend said, but I will say this...unless he was enlisted prior to being comissioned your 1LT pal was not a "Green Beret."  Unfortunately that makes other things he might say about his prior or current careers somewhat suspect.

Que? Don't Green Berets have officers?

Officers in SF are usualy O-3 and above. It would depend though because you said you met him in 97 he could have easily been promoted to captain then and I think 1lt are allowed to go to SFAS.

My money says that he actually is a traveling personalized pen salesman. They must make good money because  I've got a shit load of those damn pens around the house.



And if he's not, if he wanted you to know the truth, he'd tell you.

Quoted: The pub.... I always go for the 5 pinters....

Is that after you've had 5 pints, or after they've had 5 pints?

Quoted: Officers in SF are usualy O-3 and above. It would depend though because you said you met him in 97 he could have easily been promoted to captain then and I think 1lt are allowed to go to SFAS.

But SFAS does not make you a Special Forces Soldier.  It's teh Q Course - it was the late '80's I beleive that LT's were no longer allowed in and they created the WO postion in the A Teams.

If he claims he was 1LT Green Beret post GWI he is full of sh*t.

Quoted: If he claims he was 1LT Green Beret post GWI he is full of sh*t.

No, IIRC he said he resigned his commission immediately after GWI. That means he must have been a 1Lt. *before* GWI.

Quoted: Quoted: If he claims he was 1LT Green Beret post GWI he is full of sh*t. No, IIRC he said he resigned his commission immediately after GWI. That means he must have been a 1Lt. *before* GWI.

Don't people usually say the last rank they held;   I don't know the exact date that LT's were no longer allowed in SF and there is always that one peculiar one-off situation, but those are indeed rare - always an exception to the rule.  Also mere membership in Special Forces units or at least "regular" Special Forces units is almost never classified.  You came here asking for opnions of people who have been in the military.  From what you posted his story sounds like baloney.  You want to read in something that he is a SPOOK then fine go ahead.  All I am saying is what you posted I don't get spook; I get pretend.  From the other posts here I think some people agree.  If there is more inofmation then I might revise my opinion.

Quoted: You came here asking for opnions of people who have been in the military.  From what you posted his story sounds like baloney.  You want to read in something that he is a SPOOK then fine go ahead.  All I am saying is what you posted I don't get spook; I get pretend.  From the other posts here I think some people agree.  If there is more inofmation then I might revise my opinion.

Hey bud. I was just trying to clarify my remarks to help you offer me a more accurate opinion.

Anyway, as a result of all this, I have done some internet sleuthing and have attempted to contact somebody by the same name as this guy (old cell phone number and new e-mail address via Google). Perhaps someone will respond and maybe it will be him.

I will give an update to all this as soon as I hear anything new.

My question to your post is, who really gives a shit where he is.  First off, stop swinging from his nuts! Second,  why do you go to another dude to pick up on bitches (he's your competition), Third,  grow some nuts and handle your own business, Fourth, you sound like a girl looking for  your "first" love.  And Finally, I'm a bigger fucken idiot for responding to your fucken POST you fucken HUMP.

Last but not least, use your web browser and type in TOM LEYKIS, click on listen live,  and learn the truth about being a fucken PIMP and getting laid.  This fucken post made my tired.  

By the way, have some thick skin and dont be a bitch about this POST, you MARK!

Started yer NYE drinking early this year?

Quoted: My question to your post is, who really gives a shit where he is.  First off, stop swinging from his nuts! Second,  why do you go to another dude to pick up on bitches (he's your competition), Third,  grow some nuts and handle your own business, Fourth, you sound like a girl looking for  your "first" love.  And Finally, I'm a bigger fucken idiot for responding to your fucken POST you fucken HUMP. Last but not least, use your web browser and type in TOM LEYKIS, click on listen live,  and learn the truth about being a fucken PIMP and getting laid.  This fucken post made my tired.   By the way, have some thick skin and dont be a bitch about this POST, you MARK!

Troll alert...........release the hounds.......

Lying POS who had you buffaloed IMHO, but what do I know after spending 20 years in the USAF

Quoted: I hate to speculate on anything your friend said, but I will say this...unless he was enlisted prior to being comissioned your 1LT pal was not a "Green Beret."   hat

Because to be a detachment commander in SF you have to be a CPT. You have to be a 1LT (promotable) to go to the Q course.  So if he was a 1LT then he wasn't SF, unless he had been as an NCO, and then went to ROTC/OCS.

Could have been sf at one point and switched his mos . Also could be a contractor . Or he could be a pen salesman