He enlisted as a National Serviceman on the 29 Sep 1965 and was discharged 29 Sep 1968. He obviously committed himself to an extra year to serve in Vietnam, which is very commendable.  It is unfortunate that Schafer has foolishly navigated himself onto the Wannabe reef.

 

 

Schafer is another, who claims to have been a Phantom of the Jungle having served with the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) in Vietnam, but of course cannot speak about it because of the Official secrets Act.  Like all wannabes though, it is no good being a hero if you cannot talk about it, so bit by bit he dropped little pieces of his SASR service to both individuals and to groups.

 

At hospital group meetings he has blamed his SASR Vietnam Service for his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has said he was involved in ambushes deep in the jungle away from the Australian Base and was part of a group assigned to kill Viet Cong leaders around Hanoi. Schafer also claims to have been Wounded in Action in Vietnam.

 

Here are the two cards that make up Schafer’s record of service, they show that his service was routine and as follows:

 

29 Sep 1965  Enlisted  -  Recruit Training

8   Dec 1965  Posted to 3^rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) as a Rifleman

28 Jun  1966  Changed employment to Driver still at 3 RAR.

29 Sep 1967  Re-engaged for a further twelve months.

27 Dec 1967  Departed Adelaide

28 Dec 1967 Arrived Vietnam serving with 3RAR

6  Aug  1968 Departed Vietnam

29 Sep 1968 Discharged from the Army.

Below is an extract from the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Nominal Roll showing that during his whole service in Vietnam Schafer was a Private soldier with 3 RAR. We are reliably advised that he served with Administration Company in the role of Driver Employment Code Number (ECN) 302

 

 

Claims of service with elite units is in epidemic proportions Army SASR and Tunnel Rat, Engineer Units are popular as well as Royal Australian Navy Clearance Divers. We have never had a Wannabe who was a Clerk or a Cook or one of the hundreds of other mundane, but essential jobs that support front line troops. They all want to be heroes.

 

We have cases stacked up waiting to be processed, and we warn Wannabes that they could be next into the breech and about to be named and shamed on our web site. If you have been claiming false service, we suggest you contact those you have been fooling, apologise and hope we don’t know about you.