--- title: "The career of Mike Vining, the internet’s most badass military meme" description: "Sgt. Maj. (ret.) Mike Vining knows about all the internet memes, but he has no idea who or when or where it all started. Luckily, he's just fine with it." date: "2022-05-11" modified: "2025-08-13" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/mike-vining-most-badass-meme/" categories: - "Army" - "Heroes" - "History" tags: - "Army" - "Famous Veterans" --- # The career of Mike Vining, the internet’s most badass military meme ![]() The year was 1968. Mike Vining was a senior in high school. According to his answers on his now-sunset [Together We Served Page](), Vining heard about the Tet Offensive and wanted to join the military with the expressed purpose of serving in Vietnam **Related: [Today in military history: The Tet Offensive begins]()** His service afforded him the opportunity to do two things he likes to do: "work with explosives and climb mountains." He probably never dreamed he would become Sgt. Maj. Mike Vining: the epitome of the modern American soldier through badass military memes. Here are eight epic reflections on the career of the Internet's most badass military meme. He was the casual badass. ![Mike Vining meme that says "you don't operate, do you son?"]() Maybe it's the kind eyes. Or the nice smile. Maybe it's his age. Or the large glasses of a bygone era that make him a grandpa-like figure. But the rank on his sleeve, fruit salad on his chest, the EOD and CIB pinned on his jacket, and the Army Special Operations Command shoulder patch give all that away. There's much more to the story, and now we all know it. ### 2. He wasn't just Delta, he was a founding member. Then-Sgt. 1st Class Mike Vining joined the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment (Delta) at Fort Bragg in 1978. His first commander was Col. Charlie Beckwith, who started putting together Delta Force the previous year. ![Mike Vining with team pose for a photo aboard a ship deck.]() According to Vining, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist who was looking for something "more challenging," he joined because Delta was seeking people with EOD backgrounds. He spent almost 21 years in Special Forces. ### 3. His military résumé reads like a history book. He spent two years in Vietnam as an EOD specialist with the 99th Ordnance Detachment, much of that time spent in combat. Vining was also part of [Operation Eagle Claw](), the failed attempt to rescue hostages held in Iran. He was aboard EC-130E Bladder Bird #4 when one of the RH-53D helicopters crashed into it. ![destruction from the operation eagle claw crash]() *The Operation Eagle Claw crash.* He was also involved in the invasion of Grenada, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Uphold Democracy/Restore Democracy in Haiti. ### 4. It took 15 years to earn his Combat Infantryman Badge. Though Vining saw plenty of combat in Cambodia and Vietnam, as an EOD Specialist, he wasn't eligible for a CIB. Delta never had the opportunity to engage the Iranians at Desert One. So, despite Delta Force's rigorous training and autonomy, his first combat action came in 1983 during the Richmond Hill Prison assault during Urgent Fury's invasion of Grenada. ![special forces run on a beach in Grenada]() *U.S. Special Operations Forces in Grenada, 1983. (Defense Media Network)* ### 5. He became an infantryman 20 years into his service. "In 1988, I transferred from EOD to Infantry. I figured I stood a better chance of making Sergeant Major in infantry, which worked out for me." ![Mike Vining with Delta Force, carring a rifle while others exit a helicopter]() *Vining and Delta providing close protection to Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf during Desert Storm. (U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Dean Wagner)* ### 6. His most significant action came just two years into his career. His tour in Vietnam with the 99th Ordnance Detachment was one of the standout moments of his time in the Army. "\[It\] was the destruction of a cache found in Cambodia called 'Rock Island East.' The cache yielded 327 tons of ammunition and supplies, including 932 individual weapons, 85 crew-served weapons, 7,079,694 small arms and machine gun rounds. The cache contained 999 rounds of 85mm artillery shells which are used for the D-44 howitzer as well as the T-34 tank. I was part of a seven-man EOD team that destroyed the cache on 16 May 1970." ![Mike Vining meme that says "operate" underneath a photo of his face covered by an American flag]() ### 7. Vining is still active in the veteran community. Now fully retired, he travels with his wife most of the time. He writes about military and naval history, polar expeditions, and mountaineering postal history. He and his wife lead an active outdoor life, enjoying activities such as hiking, backpacking, rock and mountain climbing, biking, and skiing. He is also a life member of the VFW, and a member of the National EOD Association and Vietnam EOD Veterans Chapter. He is also the historian for the National Army EOD Memorial at Eglin Air Force Base. ### 8. He would do it all over again. And recommends you do, too. Vining calls his experience "rewarding" and recommends the military as a career to those who recently joined the Army. ![Mike Vining in the army]() "Military service has given me the opportunity to do all the things I like to do: Work with explosives and climb mountains. I have gotten a chance to work with some of the finest people in the military." Mike Vining's awards and decorations are too numerous to list here. According to the Army, when he hung up his highly decorated uniform after nearly three decades of service, Vining said he never knew that his storied career would later launch a tidal wave of memes. “I do not know how any of the memes got started,” said Vining. “One of my grandchildren saw that someone even did a Pokémon card on me.” ### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty #### **• [The 12 most badass Marine Corps nicknames of all time]()** #### **• [5 seldom-told tales about Air Force legends]()** #### **• [79 cringeworthy errors in ‘Top Gun’]()** ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()