Thursday, May 12, 2016

Dennis Howard Chevalier (Denny H Chevalier) Phony Military Claims April 2016

Dennis Howard Chevalier (Denny H Chevalier) Continues to claim to be a service member, as of April 2016.

Military blog "This Ain't Hell but You Can See It from Here" called Dennis Howard Chevalier, or Denny H Chevalier, out in four different threads. In 2014, he was featured in an article exposing his claims of being a retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. He attempted to backtrack from those claims, accusing somebody else of hacking his accounts and making these claims.

As he attempted to downplay these claims, someone came forward and contradicted his attempts to deny claiming military service. She observed him telling his students that he flew C-130s in Iraq during the Gulf War.

He adamantly denied claiming to be in the military. He insisted that he was in the Texas State Guard, was a retired Civil Air Patrol Lieut. Col., and was a reserve police officer. When someone presented Dennis Howard Chevalier (Denny H Chevalier) with evidence of his military claims on the Internet, Dennis went to the applicable profiles and changed the claims. This destroyed his "a hacker did it" claim.

On April 25, 2016, Dennis Howard Chevalier (Denny H Chevalier) posted on the Facebook page for All My Sons Moving & Storage (Fort Worth, TX). In addition to the negative review he provided, he identified himself as a disabled service member, a service member, a policeman, and a handicapped elder.

On the This Ain't Hell threads dedicated to him, he insisted that he had clarified his claims to differentiate himself from being an actual service member. Yet, here he was on this April 25, 2016 post, identifying himself as an actual service member, not a veteran.

He claimed to be in the military in a way that would allow him to backtrack and explain that he meant something else. He did this with his flight instructor claims with regards to his qualifications. For example, he initially left out the "ground" part of his title, using a term that would easily cause somebody else to think that he was in the air teaching people to fly.

By stating that he was a "service member", without clarifying information, it was clear that he wanted people to think of him a certain way. He wanted them to think that he was in the military. Had someone replied to his review by pointing out the stolen valor articles on him, he could've easily backpedaled and talked about how he meant he was Texas State Guard. However, he didn't identify himself as a veteran of the Texas State Guard. Anybody reading his statement would walk away thinking that he is currently in the US military.

In the same post, he identifies himself as a police officer. It was already established, based on documents that he provided, as well as statements by those who knew him, that he only did a few short stints as a police officer. These happened a long time ago. He was a reserve police officer. Most of this "security" experiences consisted of projects like guarding ATM personnel as they put money in ATM machines.

In the same post, he identifies himself as a "handicapped elder". When most people, in the Western world, think of "elder", they think of a senior citizen. Public records have Dennis Howard Chevalier (Denny H Chevalier) as being born in 1961 or 1962. This would make him either 54 or 55. Not an "elderly" by Western standards. It's possible that he may have a disability. But, if it's one that is not easily detectable, and the movers were not able to identify that, he can't use that against them. 

Tuesday, January 05, 2016

Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier Falsely Claims Valor Award

Post award ceremony photo shoot. Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier is patting the awardee in the back as a congratulations gesture. 

In November 20, 2015, Denny posted a "Forgotten Friday" event. In this post, he claimed that he was receiving his valor award at a 1989 event at Mansfield Business School, Fort Worth, TX.

When he argued with us on This Ain't Hell, he insisted that he received the police version of the Purple Heart. On his This Ain't Hell claim, he stated that he earned that award as a result of his actions during a school siege. He claimed that he got shot in the hands. In this recent claim, he claims that no shots were required.

A look at the picture that he posted contradicts both his claims on This Ain't Hell and on his Facebook wall. In the photograph, he is the only one in a security guard uniform. Everybody else is in formal civilian attire. Had this been a police award, awarding him a police valor medal, the people doing the presentation would have been in police uniform. He would be standing behind the written award citation, not the man in formal civilian attire.

In the photo, Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier is on the side, with his hands behind the man to his left. This man has an open award citation in front of him, being held by the man standing to his left. Immediately to that guy's left is a woman, standing on the leftmost side of the front row picture.

Dennis gives the appearance that he was walking up to accept the award. However, a look at the picture, relative to other award ceremonies, whether in the military or anywhere else, indicates that the posted photograph shows people in a post award photo pause.

The man, standing behind the open citation, appears to be the one that received the award. Dennis Howard Chevalier is patting that man behind the back. This indicates that Denny Chevalier was giving a congratulatory pat on the back to the man standing behind the award citation.

Look at the row behind him. The man that is most visible in the back is looking at the man standing behind the award citation. Again, this is an indication that Dennis Chevalier did not receive the award. If Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier has no qualms about lying to his friends and family on Facebook, he would not have any qualms about lying to anybody else.

Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier isn't a Mistaken Phony Veteran Case

Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier implies that his personal situation is similar to that of this veteran. On his own blog, Denny argued that he only did 20 days in the Texas National Guard.

In this Facebook entry, Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier laments that those that post on This Ain't Hell should be "shot". The man, in the photo, is an actual Vietnam War veteran. A couple of Marines confronted him and accused him of being a poser. When Dennis expressed outrage, he wasn't doing it on behalf of the man in the photo. He was doing it for himself.

Although the man in the photo was an actual Vietnam War veteran, he did not properly place his awards on his suit. For example, only one award needs to be displayed in cases where a veteran has received that same award multiple times. Also, you don't wear medals and ribbons at the same time.

Usually, during an award ceremony where the awardee is in uniform with ribbons, they would have the medal pinned underneath the ribbons. This is only acceptable during the award ceremony. On conclusion of the award ceremony, the medal must be removed and placed in a safe area.

The applicable ribbon would be added to the ribbon rack. If this is a subsequent award, the appropriate service device would be added to the ribbon that's already on the rack. The Marines were not in the wrong in suspecting that he was a poser given that simple mistake. However; they errored in the way they handled the situation.

Too many veterans don't realize this, but if they put the uniform on, or place awards on formal civilian attire, they are still subject to the applicable uniform regulations of their parent service.

At least this guy was an actual veteran who served in Vietnam. When Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier expressed outrage over this, he was attempting to put himself in the same category. He was implying that he too was an actual military veteran who served in war, who "mistakenly" was called out a poser. Using this inductive fallacy, he erroneously labeled those Marines as "This Ain't Hell" posters.

His goal was to insinuate that he was also falsely accused of being a phony veteran. Not only is that insinuation wrong, he is doing it in a way that is deceiving towards his friends and family on Facebook.

Even on his own blog, Denny Chevalier argues that he only did 20 days in the Texas National Guard. The document that he posted indicated that he was discharged for fraudulent enlistment. He didn't even make it to One Station Unit Training/Basic Combat Training. 

Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier Lies About His Discharge from the Texas State Guard

Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier edits a message to fit his argument. Note that the date on the letter is May 4, 2014.
Denny attempted to deflect rumors that he got kicked out of the Texas State Guard (TSG) with a blog post. In that blog post is a screen capture of an alleged email from his then Commanding Officer, COL Howard N. Palmer, TSG. The date of this message was on May 4, 2014.

In the body of the email, Mr. Palmer "assures" Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier that he had not made a decision on Denny's discharge. That, once he made a decision, he would notify Denny of his decision. If anybody says otherwise, they were "spitting in the wind".

However, in the discharge letter that he received from Mr. Palmer, Dennis Chevalier is informed of his general discharge. The date on that discharge paper is May 3, 2014. This letter is a formal letter informing Denny that he was officially discharged. It also informed him that he was permanently barred from rejoining the TSG.

Dennis (Denny) Howard Chevalier officially notified of his discharge from the Texas State Guard. Date on the letter, May 3, 2014.

How could Mr. Palmer not know of his decision yet, when he had already generated an official letter informing Denny that he was no longer in the Texas State Guard? The reality is that Mr. Palmer had made a decision, and would have already had that letter in the mail.

What actually happened is that Denny Chevalier forwarded a message that he got from Mr. Palmer to one of his commercial emails. Then, going into the sent folder, he edits the message to make it look like Mr. Palmer said something else. The original message may have informed him that his discharge was official. This message took place on May 4, the day after Dennis Chevalier's official discharge from the TSG.

Saturday, January 02, 2016

Fort Polk, Disregarding OPSEC while Harping OPSEC

Street names deliberately changed, based on a true story

Every morning, at a certain time of the day, an event happens on most Army posts. Soldiers stationed at the majority of the Army units located on an Army Post conduct physical fitness (PT).

At Fort Riley, most of the infantry units are located on Custer Hill. Before PT, Custer Hill's roads are blocked off. The roads rounding "The Hill" are now available for soldiers to conduct different kinds of physical fitness. Mostly, it's running.

The civilians that worked on Custer Hill arrive later in the morning, after PT is over.

On Fort Polk, it's a different story. Part of their morning PT is conducted on "N 59th Ave. W" and on "N 58th Ave. West" This area is not sealed off. Incoming traffic arrive largely through Grand Avenue. Grand Avenue intersects both "N 59th Ave. W" and "N 58th Ave. W".

The result?


Increasing their own vulnerability

Traffic transiting Grand Avenue is stopped before "N 59th Ave. W". Traffic ends up getting backed up towards the West. Traffic coming from further inside Fort Polk headed west on Grand Avenue is stopped at "N 58th Ave. W". Traffic ends up getting backed up towards the east.

Right when you enter Grand Avenue, you'll see signs directing you not to take photographs. This is based on an actual experience; however, this experience will be altered in a way that the concept remains the same. Let's imagine a fictional scenario were somebody enters the base with a personal dashboard camera video recorder.

This guy enters the base, with the MPs at the gate not catching his use of this dashboard camera video recorder. He drives further and then gets stopped at the line of cars waiting for PT to end. Another MP, within the area, notices the dash cam. He goes up to this driver, and tells the driver that he has to fork over the video.

For his explanation, the MP informs the driver that he is violating OPSEC. By videotaping the runners, he was putting the soldiers at risk of harm. He was possibly putting their lives at risk. The MP informs the driver that by having a dashboard camera, he was going to get people "killed."

Although the MP thinks that he sounds like he knows what he's talking about, he is actually missing the point about OPSEC.

OPSEC in a nutshell

OPSEC is "Operations Security". A basic concept of operations security goes like this.

Let's say that you, during the winter, plan a trip to go to Florida. You live in Minnesota, and are tired of the excessive snow showers and snow cover. You want a change of pace. Your flight leaves early in the morning. You decide to load your luggage into your car the day before.

In order to impress security at the airport, you have colorless/see-through luggage. Your see-through garment bag has short sleeve collared shirts, with tropical scenes. Your see-through luggage also contains short pants, slippers, and other items that you would normally take to a tropical or semi tropical area.

You go on to social media and brag about your upcoming trip to Florida.

Prior to your even hopping into your car to drive to the airport, you provided information to complete strangers. They know that you're going somewhere with summerlike weather. A look at the content of your bags, sitting in your car in the late afternoon and evening, tells people that you're going somewhere where it's nice and warm.

If you do not have your settings on Facebook to "friends only" or "me only", total strangers can look at your Facebook account and know that you plan on going to Florida.

Now, how could you, in this example, apply OPSEC?

Use regular luggage instead of "see-through" luggage. Position your luggage in the room in your house nearest to the door. You can also simply set your privacy settings on your Facebook to "friends only". Better yet, no need to update your friends about your upcoming trip until you are safe at your destination.

The same concept applies in a military operation. If the unit is about to go on a major combat operation, one simply doesn't go on Facebook to talk about it. One doesn't talk about it to anybody without a need to know. One doesn't go on Facebook and say the things that one normally says when one's about to do something major.

Also, one doesn't just do things, externally, that hints to others that the unit is about to move out until it's time to roll out and it's needed.

In this scenario, those involved with the combat operation would scrutinize what they plan to do so as not to provide hints to onlookers on what's going to happen.

Now, back to our Fort Polk example

In reality, locals who come in from Leesville, LA, and the surrounding areas, on a daily basis would know that PT takes place at a certain time in the morning. How could they not know? If they do not transit Grand Avenue before PT starts, they will be stuck. This is the fact that they inform other people in their friends and family circle who need to access the base.

What do these people do when a new person comes in town saying that they have business to conduct on Fort Polk? The locals will tell them to get to the base before a certain time, or get stuck waiting until after PT.

Why? Well, they have soldiers conducting PT on "N 59th Ave. W" and "N 58th Ave. W". A large segment of the people living in Leesville and the surrounding area would know that PT takes place at a certain time in the morning. They would also know that there is a traffic backup, on Grand Avenue, in both directions.

Based on this, claiming that videotaping the backed up traffic violates the well-being of the runners, and their safety, would be as pointless as trying to continue to hide when the person looking for you can see you.

Our military appearance clinches us as being military or veterans within the community

The MP, in our example, could turn around and explain that recognizable faces, in the video, will put the soldiers at risk. There are people out there who would like to do harm to these soldiers. Well now, why even have the soldiers abide by military standards if they are concerned about them being recognized as being in the military?

It doesn't take that much to look at a group of people and to get a good idea of who is in the military, or who are veterans. Those currently in the military have a certain appearance about them. So, even without the help of the video, or a photo on Facebook, as soon as the service members leave the post without their uniforms, people in the community would still look at them and recognize them as being service members.

The community already knows about organized on-post PT

Now, here's a really big weakness in the flaw of Fort Polk's security plan in this example. It doesn't matter that the MP in our example is getting wrapped around the axle over someone's dashboard video camera. The knowledge is already out in town that there is a traffic backup during certain parts of the day.

It's only logical for locals to advice newcomers to go to Fort Polk extra early or they will have to wait till later in the morning.

That's enough information to let someone, with bad intent, know that if they wanted to commit harm, they have a bunch of cars in line, drivers unarmed, who are simply sitting and waiting for PT to clear. These people, waiting in line, become juicy targets for acts of violence involving firearms which could result in mass casualty.

The soldiers on the base, who have combat deployed, would have to notice this weakness. The leadership on the base, with the ability to change these physical fitness routes, have to know about these security weaknesses. Yet, they choose the easy or convenient way to do things.

This threat extends to any where there is a traffic backup at the entry, or within the base. This problem/issue repeats itself across busy military installations across the United States. Backed up traffic at the entrance is the most visible to the public.


 Unit commanders must mitigate exposed vehicle waiting lines

Terrorists, downrange, have persistently attacked waiting lines.

OPSEC, as misunderstood by the MP in the above example, simply doesn't represent reality. In order to establish the applicability of OPSEC to this scenario, leadership on the base has to figure out a way to remove the cause of traffic backup on Grand Avenue during the same times of the day during the weekdays.

In fact, Fort Polk leadership must take a comprehensive, big picture/map look at all of their traffic in different parts of the day. All military bases, with traffic congestion's based on poor planning, need to do this.

One major solution is to redirect the PT route so that it does not cut off Grand Avenue, or any other, traffic. There are plenty options, on the base, that could afford the soldiers the same value of physical fitness without creating vehicle waiting lines.

What if traffic were to flow smoothly instead of being backed up? The risk, that the advice to be given, not to enter the base at certain times a day, would be removed.

Consequently, less people will be made aware that there are vehicle traffic wait lines on Grand Avenue, or elsewhere in the post. No vehicle or wait lines on a regular basis reduces the chance that someone could come in and commit a crime against the waiting line. It would be hard to plan against something that does not happen at the same time or location, but happens randomly.

Another option available, to reduce the risk against the soldiers, is to provide different PT areas for smaller groups of units. This would spread PT activity throughout the base instead of concentrating it in local areas. Smaller crowds, smaller signature, less casualties should a terrorist attack happen. Designated, cordoned off areas, out of the way of main traffic, could offer an area, for street PT, that's safe.