Maryland Governor ‘Regrets’ Failing to Correct Bronze Award Claim in Fellowship Application

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (C) and lawmakers speak during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 9, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday that he regretted not correcting his 2006 White House fellowship application, in which he falsely claimed to have received a Bronze Star for his army service in Afghanistan.

The Democratic governor issued the statement on Aug. 29 after The New York Times obtained a copy of his application as part of a Freedom of Information Act request. The NY Times report stated that Moore was 27 when he applied in 2006.

His application stated that Moore was awarded “the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Action Badge” by “the 82nd Airborne Division” for his work as a director of information operations in Afghanistan, even though he had not received these awards at the time of submission.

In his Aug. 29 statement, Moore said he was encouraged by his deputy brigade commander while serving overseas with the Army to fill out the application for the White House fellowship.

“These are the facts,” the governor stated. “In fact, he helped me edit it before I sent it in. At the time, he had recommended me for the Bronze Star.

“He told me to include the Bronze Star award on my application after confirming with two other senior-level officers that they had also signed off on the commendation.”

Moore said that his deputy brigade commander “felt comfortable” instructing him to include the award on his application because he received confirmation that “the Bronze Star was signed and approved by his senior leadership.”

“In the military, 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 stated.

The governor later learned, toward the end of his deployment in Afghanistan, that he did not receive the Bronze Star. Moore said he was disappointed but was also ready to begin the next phase of his life.

When Moore returned home, he focused on helping his fellow veterans and continued this mission as governor, he said.

“Still, I sincerely wish I had gone back to correct the note on my application,” he stated. “It was an honest mistake, and I regret not making that correction.”

The Bronze Star is awarded to members who showed “acts of heroism performed in ground combat.” Moore was deployed to Afghanistan in 2005 as a lieutenant with the 82nd Airborne Division, according to his office.

The award had been mentioned during interviews with the media when Moore was running for governor in 2022, but Moore never said in those interviews that he had not received the commendation. In an interview with The New York Times, the governor said for the first time that he regretted failing to correct the interviewers who had described him as a recipient of the award.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.