Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) wants top Army officials to tell him why a military award pin he wore on his lapel was revoked last year after criticism from some of his Republican colleagues for continuing to use the designation, accusing the service of a smear campaign.
Nehls – who served 21 years in the Army Reserve and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan – wears a combat infantryman (CIB) patch on the jacket given to him in October 2008. But aCBS News investigation last month discovered that the badge was revoked from his military record in March 2023. The designation was removed because he served as a civil affairs officer while in Afghanistan, and the badge is only for infantrymen or U.S. Forces troops. Specials involved in active ground combat.
In a letter sent Tuesday to U.S. Army Human Resources Command, following up on another letter sent in late May, Nehls disagrees with the service’s decision and demands answers about why this happened.
“I further believe this is a concerted effort to discredit my military service and continued service to the American people as a member of Congress,” he wrote. He also urged authorities to “get it right” in reviewing his military records.
Nehls, who received his CIB while serving as a civil affairs officer with the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan in 2008, had three main requests for Army officials: information about who HR spoke to at the 101st about his assignment, whether the discrepancy was discussed with division and how many other CIB were revoked during the same missions for which he received the award.
In recent weeks, the Texas Republican has been criticized by other House members for continuing to use the CIB while at the Capitol.
But Nehls told reporters Tuesday that he believes the Army is targeting him for supporting former President Trump.
“What the hell is this discrepancy?” he said. “How many CIBs have been revoked from soldiers, or is it just Troy Nehls, Mr. MAGA guy?”
He also dismissed CBS News’ findings that only one Bronze Star medal is on his official military records, instead of two.
Nehls’ congressional website states that he earned two Bronze Stars and he also posted a photo to the social platform X in early May, which displayed two medals and documentation of approval of the award in 2004 and 2008.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
