Michael D. Sprouse – U.S. Marine Corps Drill Instructor, SSgt, POSer, Blog of Shame
1405/18/2015 by
Michael D. Sprouse has extremely high visibility around Central Florida due to his work with paralyzed veterans. Mike claims to have been a Marine for eight years and was injured after he got out of the USMC. Mike is a Veteran who is disabled and is not a Disabled Veteran. Many veterans understand this difference and although others may not, the distinction is there and Sprouse appears to have always been honest and forthright about it.
Even the criteria for the Paralyzed Veterans of America membership and holding office does not require the disability to be service connected. 
Source: http://www.centralfloridapva.org/WIM-04-10/insideback.html
In many articles about Mike, there’s mention of him both serving in the USMC for eight years, with six of those years as a Drill Instructor at MCRD Parris Island, SC.
Leatherneck Article
“We met last year and I’ve been chasing her ever since,” said Michael Sprouse, 48, a former Marine staff sergeant and drill instructor who served the Corps from 1978-1985…”
Source: http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?73378-Marines-help-Marathon-run-smoothly
Could this all possibly be a result of an error on the part of the news reporter? Maybe, but Sprouse states this himself on his fundraising page.
Source: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/michael-sprouse/race-across-america-raam
Mike Sprouse was even honored by Florida Congressman Alan Grayson as an official entry into the Congressional Record on the House floor.
Source: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2010-09-23/pdf/CREC-2010-09-23-extensions.pdf
The only problem is much of it is not true.
FOIA RESULTS – SELECTED
FOIA RESULTS – COMPLETE
I wonder if he submitted a DD214 to get honored by Rep Grayson, or if his office just took him at his word.
From my understanding as a Central Floridian, Most our congressional representatives just take you at your word and generally do not take the time to verify.
i was told he passed away on July 9, 2015? Can’t seem to find any information on line?
He didnt pass away, he works with my husband who is a veteran and prior to him learning of this site today my husband believed what Sprouse tells everyone at work and that is that he was paralyzed from the waste down from being involved in the in the April 18, 1983 United States embassy bombing….a suicide bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed 63 people, mostly embassy and CIA staff members, several soldiers and one Marine. 17 of the dead were Americans. It was the deadliest attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission up to that time. While he may do a lot for paralyzed veterans today why lie.
Sprouse is at work and acts like he has PTSD when certain beeps go off that could sound like a possible gun, I dont think so nor do others but none the less he did in fact act all freaked out just a couple of weeks ago and also missed a couple days at work claiming to have suffered a PTSD attack resulting in some event that he participated in where they placed wreathes at the graves of vets!!
He is at work with my husband as I type this so I assure you he is NOT dead
Over five years and was discharged as a E-2. What’s wrong with that picture? I don’t know about the USMC, but even back then in the Army he would have made at least E-4. I wonder if he had any disciplinary problems?
I met Mike Sprouse (wheels) at the Pub 44 in New Smyrna Beach during bike week 2015 while there with my MC. I introduced myself as a Marine and veteran of Grenada and Beirut when he told me he too was in Beirut and wounded during the terrorist truck bombing of our BLT 23 October 1983. He told me when talking to him it was the reason he was in the wheelchair. Only later I found out it was a bulldozer accident in 2003. Now to see all this truly makes me sick. I confided in him and told him about the brother I lost in Beirut after the bombing and we exchanged numbers agreeing to meet up again later to ride together. The number he gave me ended up being bogus, I called and text him several times to meet up with him but he has yet to reply to any of my calls.
We need to take him out for a sail when I get there. How many are we taking on that trip now? I think we got room for a few more. Semper Fi bro.
For your consideration. Records say many things not only because of what they contain but because of what they do not contain. Note several things in his records. There are no pro/con marks after 790423. A transfer to 1/8 that was terminated. Place of separation is Washington, DC.
Most common reason for Pro/Con entries being stopped is promotion to Sergeant. That is hardly the case here with less than 10 months on active duty including basic training. A transfer being terminated can be for many reasons but most commonly because the individual received orders to go elsewhere. That is not the case here, this individual was most likely not physically available to complete those orders. Unless you are stationed at Headquarters Marine Corps, which he was not, the most common reason for that being your place of discharge is NAMALA. In regular English, administrative discharge agency.
Individuals that are put on voluntary appellate leave do not need to be transferred from their parent command. Sadly, appellate leave periods are considered active duty time and not time lost. My opinion is he was ‘separated for the convenience of the government’.
Sprouse was probably a shitbird that couldn’t seem to show up where he was supposed to be. He has too many Pro/Con marks entered for his short time served. Pro/cons are issued upon UA and Deserter status changes. The Marine Corps decided he was too worthless to pursue so they just got rid of his ass.
Mikey probably feels like shit for being a loser so he tries to over compensate by being a hero for veterans. Then again, I could be full of shit………nah probably not.
Youre not full of shit..this man works with my husband until today when my husband was made aware of this page (My husband is also a veteran) Sprouse tells everyone at work that he was paralyzed from the waste down from being involved in the in the April 18, 1983 United States embassy bombing….a suicide bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed 63 people, mostly embassy and CIA staff members, several soldiers and one Marine. 17 of the dead were Americans. It was the deadliest attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission up to that time. While he may do a lot for paralyzed veterans today why lie. He was NEVER in Lebanon!
Sprouse is at work and acts like he has PTSD when certain beeps go off that could sound like a possible gun, I dont think so nor do others but none the less he did in fact act all freaked out just a couple of weeks ago and also missed a couple days at work claiming to have suffered a PTSD attack resulting in some event that he participated in where they placed wreathes at the graves of vets!!
A few notes about his records that stood out:
* Sprouse’s assignment as an Amtrac crewman to 1/8 is crossed out. This was common when detachments were sent out on floats with a BLT.
* Doesn’t appear that he ever showed up, so he went to school; then never reported to his unit. May have been given some short leave after school and never went back. When he never showed at 1/8 they most likely crossed out the entry and closed it out.
* He could’ve went UA/AWOL to avoid the float.
* If he went UA/AWOL he wasn’t caught until years later. Usually there’d be a “To Ua” and “From UA” entry.
* Place of discharge Washington DC, common for those who get processed out on appellate leave.
* All of the blacked out entries on the right side of his assignments would probably tell the story.
* Good chance those entries would’ve been: “To UA”, “Fr UA”, “IHCA”, “To Conf”, “Fr Conf”, “To Appl Lv”, and “Disch”.
In spite of all of this, Sprouse was never a SSgt, never a D.I. nor did he actively serve anywhere during the years that are missing.
In all fairness, I heard being stationed out at Courthouse Bay could do strange things to a man. I used to drive through there on my way to the range at zero dark thirty. Going on liberty in Sneeds Ferry is almost the same as a deployment to Beirut, right? Maybe he found out Jodi was back home playing grab ass with his heifer.
Is playing grab ass the same as playing stink finger? I’m thinking they may be the same thing but one is an old school term.
Nah, they are two different things. If you play grab ass you wont get the gift that keeps on giving. I tried to avoid playing stink finger after I found daddy’s wedding ring in one of them.
This is all very interesting as my husband works with this man Sprouse who I now have NO respect for as I am a major supporter of veterans and while he is a vet he is a liar! He tells everyone at work that he was paralyzed from the waste down from being involved in the in the April 18, 1983 United States embassy bombing….a suicide bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, that killed 63 people, mostly embassy and CIA staff members, several soldiers and one Marine. 17 of the dead were Americans. It was the deadliest attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission up to that time. While he may do a lot for paralyzed veterans today why lie.
Sprouse is at work and acts like he has PTSD when certain beeps go off that could sound like a possible gun, I dont think so nor do others but none the less he did in fact act all freaked out just a couple of weeks ago and also missed a couple days at work claiming to have suffered a PTSD attack resulting in some event that he participated in where they placed wreathes at the graves of vets!!
I have ZERO tolerance for liars but a veteran who lies especially a Marine who all claim to have this honor, apparently he missed that day of boot camp! Im actually very angry learning of his deceit! To think of all those who were actually harmed at that bombing and those who lost their lives for him to take empathy and pity for it is a disgrace!
I wish there was some way to get this out into public other thank this website so he can stop making people at his employment feel sorry or honor for him …