Mike Lamb Comes Clean
I talked to Michael Lamb of Stoic Ventures tonight. He wanted to tell me he was never actually Recon Marine.
Lamb has for many years claimed to be a Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance veteran and someone who worked for assorted government agencies. Only the latter part of that, he told me quietly, is legitimate.
Said Lamb,
“I’d rather just come on out and get it out there. There’s nothing more to say about it. I came into the Marines as an intel guy, started working at the NSA, and got some deployments out of it. The deployments were national intelligence teams [three letter agencies, ed]. That’s all true. But I was never Recon. Someone called me out on it, and I copped to it. It’s nothing I didn’t bring to my own doorstep. I could easily have shut it down, and I didn’t. It’s a lie I’ve been living for twenty years.
This is a soul cleanse for me after looking over my shoulder all this time.
I apologize to the community, to everyone for misrepresenting myself. I don’t ask or expect forgiveness. I can’t make up for what I did, but I can try to atone for it.”
Asked what he would do next, he said simply,
“I want to be a good dad, and not have to be looking over my shoulder. I brought this to my doorstep, you know. You reap what you sow. However, the lack of character in my past doesn’t mean I can’t take it on the chin now. I’m going to shut down the company, take my licks, and try to figure out my life after that.”
As for me, I’m conflicted, disappointed, and a little sick to my stomach. I didn’t want to have the conversation, and I didn’t want to break the news. I like Mike Lamb. At the same time, I find what he did absolutely abhorrent. How do you reconcile those two things? I don’t know. I’ll start by giving him credit for having the stones to own it. That took a certain amount of testicular fortitude — but I can’t help but wonder when, if ever, this would have happened if no one had finally called him on it.
Here’s what I’ll say, as someone with an anemic and lackluster career behind him and badass American Jedi all around him; it’s tempting to embellish if only to feel worthy of the men and women around you, but no one keeps a secret like that, not ever. Take credit for what you have done and to hell with the rest, else all your legit accomplishments will become tainted by association.
There’s a cautionary tale here on several different levels. I wish I didn’t have to tell it.
DR
Edit: There are some, notably (and understandably) in Scout Sniper and Reconnaissance circles, who think I softballed this. Some (at least one or two of them my friends) feel like this article came across as though I somehow felt sorry for Lamb. That’s not the case, I think this was some egregious fucker indeed. However, if you want to see what members of that community think about it, you can do so by reading what Jerod Johnson of STA Training Group and several others have to say. If any official word comes out of the Association or its members, we’ll post links here.
⚠️ Some hyperlinks in this article may contain affiliate links. If you use them to make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s just one way to Back the Bang. #backthebang
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I never served in the military and I understand stolen valor is a big deal and offensive to many of our fine servicemen and women and I understand this but I want to start by saying this. I’ve known Mike since I was born pretty much. His mom and my mom are great friends, his brothers were my best friends growing up, and my older brother and him were best friends growing up. I will proudly vouch for Mike’s overall character and the character of his whole family. Mike is one of the finest people you will ever meet. That does not excuse what he did, running with a lie or not correcting it, his mistake of stealing valor, but it doesn’t change how I feel about him as a man. When my family needed help he was the first one to step up and volunteer to help. We all make mistakes, this is one of Mike’s for sure, but I just came to give you personal testimony that Mike is a good man, he truly loves this country along with the men and women he served with, he loves his neighbors, and I am lucky to have known him all these years.
Spending 29 years in uniform (USAF nav, B-52 and B-1 aircrew, various positions in operational testing and scientific analysis) taught me one truth above all others: no one in the armed forces gets anything done on their own. It’s always a group effort. Anyone making so much hay about individual exploits and heroic accomplishments is suspect from the beginning.
Civilians do not have enough experience to understand this, so people like Mike Lamb take them for a ride. More than once, sometimes.
No matter what branch of service you were in or what what your MOS was or is be proud of your service. This is something you chose to do, serve your country when so very many others chose not to serve. To those who have served or are still serving I and my family thank you with all our hearts for keeping us safe and free. May the good Lord keep you safe so you can come home safely and soon.. God bless you all..
I was with the SEALs … and I can tell many stories. My first brush with them was at Seaworld in Orlando where I saw real live seals who have been trained. It was awesome. The rest is all classified. Got to maintain OPSEC.
It took Lamb testicular fortitude to come clean? Are you shitting me? It takes balls to even attempt certain things in the military. It takes no balls to admit you didn’t do until you get caught. I’ve heard EVERYTHING now.
Hey! I saw Jerod Johnsons name mentioned in the thread… how do I get ahold of him?
I’m a buddy from YEARS ago while out at 2/1 STA.
[email protected]
Good posts by the both of you, couldnt agree more, and thank you two on your service and sacrifice made for this country.
Here is a good question, how did this guy make it all these years without being caught? I have my DD, and I would be terrified to claim membership of anything beyond the few lines included on that paper. Did I serve? Yep. Did I become Rambo as planned? Nope.
At the ripe old age of 33, I decided to go with the MOS I believed would allow easy access to SF, 19Delta, Cavalry Scout, recon. Bad ass right? Well, I realized early in red phase, I should have chosen “typewriter repair”, screw SF, that dream died a quick death. Did I want SF still? Absolutely! But I was also a realist, and my body was always broken during trainjng. I sucked it up and pushed through, I be dammed if they “recycled” me back to week one.
I also recognized another truth, and I hope to god that it does NOT apply to SF, in an earlier era I would have washed out. The military is not our fathers military. Don’t get me wrong, I completed every task they put before me (except that rope wall, damn thing) and made all my requirements in PT, but if the army was what it should have been, I would have been removed from training as an old, busted, crusty F.
While I am still proud of my service, and the fact that I am living proof of pushing beyond your limits, I would still NEVER claim to be anything other than a Cavalry Scout, I earned that. The title of SOCOM SUPEROPTERRORKILLER, well, that just never happed.
The only way he could claim to be a RECON Marine for 20 years, is premeditated gathering of information to look, sound, smell, act the part. He had to know those details only a real Recon Marine would know and repeat it. That is pathetic.
As a retired Marine with a series of unique (2nd Force, Sniper School, JSOC, advisor duty), I often run into the wantabes, mostly all claim to be ninja warriors who did all sort of classified stuff. When they can’t remember their boot camp series number, BUDS class or sniper class I call them on it and they scurry away like cockroaches. Sad commentary on certain of today’s men.
I can’t say I’m surprised. With the number of persons stating that they are SEALs, Recon, SpecOps …. How many are just blowing smoke because they could never be what they wanted.
I’m extremely proud to have served and earned the title of US Marine. I have often felt that I had something to prove because I wasn’t an 0311 or some other battle related MOS.
That said, the US Marine Corps motto is Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful. That includes having the integrity to be honest about who and what you are/were. If you served with honor, there is no need to embellish.
Just because I was a computer programmer doesn’t mean that I wasn’t ready and willing to go to arms if needed. It also doesn’t mean that I wasn’t capable. Was one of the top 3 shooters for MCAS Cherry Point in 1988. I didn’t have to be recon to be bad ass.
I do hate that he lacked the integrity to be clean about this at the start and I sure hope Mr Lamb gets his act together and moves on. As for the rest of us. A little forgiveness may be in order. He has to live with himself, and the fact that nobody will ever fully trust him again.
That is the penance he must pay for the years to come. Even his children will be impacted by this as it will always be something that is known about him.
Another wannabe spec ops. How can we believe anything this doofus says. I served and was generally discharged at the high rank of E1. Last in , first out. Anyone with big arms and a beard is now an operator ,or sniper, to validate themselves. You know the contractor look.
Thank god for D.D. 214.,
As a complete and total civilian, not even an ROTC officer like my idiot roommate in college, I think this sort of like is way worse than just saying stolen valor. This dude built a career on lying constantly to his paying clients. I would probably be asking for a refund if i had taken a class or trained under him. Sad and mad at the same time. Oh, and this just reinforces my belief that most of these guys are embellishing their career for monitary gain….
And now who’s validity his claim of “OGA” super secret operator? You can’t, sorry this case is not closed. Expect more fall out
Wow, so he served his government masters, but in a slightly different role. Whoopteedoo.
Initials…initaials…Initials…Bullshit. STOLEN GLORY!
Damn shame, you can bet someone gave him an option to come clean our get nuked.
Lamb has a long history of telling tall tales. I get reports of him telling stories about being around Navy SEALS a lot. Big name dropper from what I hear. He was still telling bullshit tales about his career days before this was published. Me thinks there is more to follow on this guy. It appears he came clean on this by his own doing. He knew the Stolen Valor community was on to his ass…and we are.
He was a 2621 Morse intercept guy assigned to the Marine Det at Ft Meade.
Did a few NIST deployments.
Went to college via MECEP to get his degree.
Assigned as Air Defense Officer MACS1 Yuma.
1stLt
Medically discharged for unknown injury.
Got a Navy Achievement Medal for being the MACS1 intel officer and planning the Marine Corps Ball ceremony.
LMFAO.
I don’t get why nobody ever bothered to do a background check on him. Wouldn’t his DD214 have revealed this from the get-go? Or no?
Perhaps. A DD214 does not necessarily indicate all the schools/courses you attended nor all the units where you were assigned. It does show periods of service and awards/decorations; however, once again not necessarily all. For example, I’m missing several schools and several decorations on my DD214 and have just not bothered to get it corrected–too much effort to wade through the bureaucracy for too little return.
If he had no GWOTSM or no AFEM that would have been a big red flag.
20 years…sounds like he would continue living this lie unless someone was calling him out on it.
What a loser. “I lied about the recon Marine stuff but the covert agency stuff was real. Trust me.”
BOOM!!!!!
I wish him well. He paid more dues than most of our fellow citizens. Having said that, I’m disappointed.
I did 30 years in the Navy, and bumped up against the SPECOPS guys my entire career. I “outed” at least 2 “fake” SEALS including one WWII Vet who claimed he was EOD during WWII and Korea and one of the first SEALS. Oh, and also helped the U of MN invent the Gopher browser. When I asked him for his BUDS class number he froze up. He had told the lie so many times he’d never expected to be challenged. Did a background check and found out that he’d been a reserve LT j.g. during WWII and never left CONUS…never served during Korea or Vietnam.
Classic case of a “wanna be” who had honed his lie over many free beers at the American Legion. I think that probably ended when I sent a note to the post and forwarded the info from the “Fake SEAL” website.
This is also probably a case of a “wanna be” who ended up going much further with the lie than he ever expected. Sad, so sad.
Stolen valor, indeed.
I was an SP in the Air Force .Basically a security guard but guess what someone has to guard planes , cook food , drive trucks , and all the other low speed stuff it takes to run our military. I am proud of my service even if I never kicked in a door in a war zone. I have the highest respect for those that did and I think that anyone who tries to ride their coattails is stealing honor from their brothers!
I loaded bombs, rockets and missiles on F-4 Phantoms. I am not ashamed that I was not Recon, or an 0300.
DISGUSTING ! I served with some of the Finest MARINES… and yes RECON MARINES…. me I am a Retired Navy Senior Chief RADIOMAN… NOT A SEAL… NOT EOD… A RADIOMAN… I supported from a COMMS aspect MARINES and SEALS…. To say it took stones to come clean…. He came clean only because he got found out… had no one called him on his BULLSHIT he would still be telling people he was MARINE RECON… Nothing worse than a CIVILIAN trying to be MILITARY… and even worse from one of our own to portray themselves as something they are not for personal gain…. ITCS(SW/AW) A.C. WHITE USN RET 22 years of Faithful and Honorable Service !
How come nobody ever claims to be a Navy Hull Tech?
ROFLMAO!!!
Maybe the Hull Tech community vets people who claim to be hull techs better.
Honestly, he is the tip of the iceberg. I’ve heard rumors on a dozen or more popular instructors who have flat out lied about their resumes. A small few stopped doing it themselves before the firearms training internet went big so they could pretend they didn’t say it, while at the same time not correcting others on it so the lie lives on. Ask Costa about his SEAL days, Sonny Puzikas about being Spetsnaz, Haley about being a “Sniper” or having attended any Scout Sniper classes, my God the list can go on and on…..
Never heard Costa claim SEALs…citr source please.Puzikas being a scumbag liar is well known.I’ve seen video of Haley in combat
Did you attend any SHOT shows 6-7 years ago? If so you had a good chance of hearing Costa tell a first person SEAL story in your companies booth as he tried to fleece you for an endorsement deal.
You saw Haley in a “Sniper” video he filmed and released to the internet himself. He was a Blackwater Designated Marksman contractor. A position he only got with a BS resume. He was never a USMC Scout Sniper or attended a single class on the subject. That video got him several guest spots on TV shows though…..why do you think the old Magpul “Sniper” instructional videos had Todd actually teaching? Haley & Costa only acted in them..
Haley was NOT a DDM (designated marksman) for BW. I was his boss. He was a door gunner on the Little Birds.
If that’s true you should have stepped up years ago when he was pedaling himself as a “Force Recon Sniper” on Blackwater’s Bremer protective detail.
Really? Did you read my book? “The Bremer Detail?” Haley was never a sniper for us. What he claimed and what he did, I only know the truth. I was on the roof in Najaf. I know what really happened. Had I seen a camera, I would have kicked it off the roof.
MEH – saw some of his training video and I found his stuff interesting and useful regardless of his spec ops background! I am sure we all have used some “alternate facts” from time to time either to get us laid or get a job or for whatever twisted reason – lol. I know some out there will say “well hell, I may have lied but at least I did not do that” but that is a justification for our actions. I guess I just am letting it go as I am far from perfect myself and yes I am aware of the whole stolen valor thing and yes he made money but hey we have a well known NEW politician who lies as if it is their job and people still have a hard on for and still love him so I say forgive and forget! Can I get an AMEN?
Who’s this ‘we’? You got a mouse in your pocket?
That was so wrong what he did! What a bunch of horse shit!! Perhaps that stupid bastard should’ve remembered the Marine Corps Moto ” Semper Fidelis ” ALWAYS FAITHFUL
“How I paid extra to train with an intel weenie.”
Question is did you learn anything?
2nd question: Was what you learned of any value, and how would you know?
Don’t knock the MOS of intel. Most there are come from combat backgrounds and even Recon and Force Recon. Some even were involved in high-speed training and ops you couldn’t imagine. Sure, he is a douche for lying, but don’t bash what you don’t know.
I know him personally and attended his courses. Don’t know if the preciousness “reply” comment was true wether he was “outed” over coming clean. I can tell you he still earned the title Marine from being enlisted to going officer and doing what he did do in the Corps. He is damn good shooter as well as instructor. He is anything but a “turd” I don’t justify this embellishment on his Marine Corps career at all… but really did the idea that he had served in Force Recon ..( tho majority of people working with him or attending his courses never served or operated with him personally anyway) some how give him More credibility in what he was teaching and demonstrating?? … maybe the embellishment did do something for him professionally at some point I don’t know. But he never played it up to me & he ain’t millionaire cuz of it I still call him Capt., Devil Dog and brother.
Respect to you Gunny
Gunny Martin,
Did you really just try to polish a turd?
Internet Marines always stick together. If one falls 90% of the others could go as well..
GYSGT Martin: there are pics of him and classmates from his TBS class, with him wearing fake badges in uniform. You think he’s your brother, showing up to a commissioning program, as a salty Recon vet, in front of new 2LTs?? You think he didn’t get some preference bc of his Stolen Valor?
I’m pretty sure this is “just the tip, baby”. He’s been inquired for years, and his response was to lie and deny. He also claimed Scout Sniper. We’ll see. NSA/OGA, we’ll see.
Gunny, this is not a case of tall tales gone wrong. Its Stolen Valor. Wake up.
Doc
HMCS(DV/FPJ) USN Ret
Nope, he’s a turd. Only a turd would claim to be something they aren’t in order to build and grow their business.
“Comes clean” nah, more like,
“caught profiting off lies and others hard work, but its cool we think he is an alright dude.”
F-that.
He still hasn’t come clean. “Intel guy with three letter agencies”???
What’s your MOS dude? Were you an 0231 who happened to check someone’s clearance?
Possibly true.
~10% of NSA is .mil. But Marines are pretty rare, compared to USAF or USN. Sounds to me he was part of CSS….He could clear it up in a second by naming the component he was assigned to.
Never heard of her before this article. I tell people I banged 3 chicks in one night when I was younger. Truth is, one of them was kinda fat and not hot at all… Felt good to get her of my chest.
Who?
“Coming clean” is what you do BEFORE you get caught.
I ran a request under FOIA for Lambs service record. I’m betting it comes back as him being a radio guy, in a Comm Bn. Right or wrong, I’ll share the findings.
I only care about Stolen Valor when it meets 1 of 3 conditions, which everyone should care about:
1. Stolen Valor for political gain.
2. Stolen Valor for financial gain.
3. Stolen Valor for appointment to unique authority. LEO, Education, Clergy, etc.
I’m a real Force Recon man, and 22yr vet. Lamb lit the fuse on a big keg, and I’m not convinced he’s done lying.
Where there is one, there is two or where there is smoke there is fire….this may be smoke…
He didn’t “come clean”…………. he was outed and would have continued had it not been for the Brotherhood of the “BDC”. FAFO
I’m sorry, but anyone who claims to be something they never were is as big a piece of whale turd as there ever was. My Father, a WWII Veteran and a survivor of the Bataan Death March, once taught me the importance of one’s INTEGRITY.
This is especially true of elite organizations where membership requires its members to give up a lot of their blood, sweat and tears, and unending sacrifice from their own families as well. He lived this lie for 20-years and expects some sort of sympathy because he is “coming clean” now?
Way too little, too late in my opinion.
Fake, hollow person; wants to come clean only because he knew if he didn’t it would be a lot worse. He doesn’t have a weight off his chest, he’s been at for years, coulda came clean at any moment. Wants to do right by his family? I’m sure they will be fine with the money he’s made off the backs of the two quiet communities. If he truly wanted to make amends he would be looking to transfer ownership of SV into the hands of the community he plagerized and give back as much of the money he made to the foundations he lied to, if they will take it. Remember he wouldn’t have said a word if it were not for the very men he emulated being good at their job. And what,does his word mean? Nothing so everything about him is suspect.