Gov. Wes Moore Acknowledges ‘Honest Mistake’ In Bronze Star Claim

September 5, 2024 20

GettyImages 1440141634 scaled Wes Moore, Bronze Star, military service by Shanique Yates

August 30, 2024

Moore is correcting a previous error from 18 years ago when he claimed to have received a Bronze Star for his military service in Afghanistan despite never being awarded one.

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Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is correcting a mistake from 18 years ago when he claimed to have received a Bronze Star for his military service in Afghanistan, despite never being awarded one.

The Hill reported that Moore regrets making the “honest mistake” where he listed the achievement on an application for a White House fellowship in 2006 at the age of 27. Moore also reported that he was encouraged by his deputy brigade commander to list the Bronze Medal honor “after confirming with two other senior-level officers that they had signed off on the commendation.”

Michael Fenzel, Moore’s deputy brigade commander at the time, was supported in his decision to recommend the Bronze Star for the then-27-year-old. According to the outlet, the honor is awarded to service members who exhibit “meritorious service in combat zones.” He encouraged the current Maryland governor to list the award because Fenzel thought it would have been processed by the time his fellowship began.

Fenzel, now a lieutenant governor serving as the United States security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, supported The Other Wes Moore author’s claims of this being an honest mistake because, per the current Maryland governor, “there is an understanding that if a senior officer tells you that an action is approved, you can trust that as a fact. That is why it was part of the application, plain and simple.”

He also revealed that Moore was hesitant to list the Bronze Star honor on the application and only complied after he was encouraged to add it.

“Still, I sincerely wish I had gone back to correct the note on my application,” said Moore in a statement on Aug. 29. “It was an honest mistake, and I regret not making that correction.”

Moreover, Moore added in the statement that he was “listed as a top 1% officer in Operation Enduring Freedom in his officer evaluation report.”

“My deputy brigade commander felt comfortable with instructing me to include the award on my application for the Fellowship because he received confirmation with the approval authority that the Bronze Star was signed and approved by his senior leadership,” said Moore.

All eyes were on Moore following a riveting speech during the Democratic National Convention supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’ quest for the presidency. The Maryland native made history in his home state when he was sworn in as the first Black governor in the state’s 246-year history on Jan. 18, 2023. He is only the third African American to be elected Governor in the history of the United States.