Rep. Troy Nehls has already been confronted with difficult questions about why he wears a Combat Infantryman Badge on his lapel. This week, those questions grew louder as the U.S. military commented for the first time on the Republican’s record in Texas. NOTUS reported:
For those who might benefit from a refresher course, CBS News reported last month that he received the Combat Badge in 2008, but it was “revoked from his record in March 2023 because Nehls was serving as a civil affairs officer, not a infantryman or special soldier. Forces soldier.”
The Republican lawmaker routinely wears the Combat Badge anyway. Nehls continued to wear it even after the CBS News report reached the public.
The fact that an Army spokesperson has now confirmed that the congressman’s service record does not qualify him for the Combat Infantryman Badge makes the story all the more provocative, but it is also notable that the congressman’s colleagues – including members of his own party – that is not the case. supports him in this. NOTUS reported earlier this month:
To be clear, Nehls is in fact a U.S. Army veteran who bragged in a campaign ad that he “fought terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan.” But his apparent willingness to wear a lapel pin reserved for those who have fought in active combat — suggesting he has not — draws rebukes from his apparent partisan allies. The report added:
Representative Wesley Hunt, a fellow veteran and fellow Republican from Texas, concluded, “That’s ridiculous. That is stolen courage.”
Common sense suggests this would be a good time for Nehls to withdraw. It’s not at all clear whether he will.
This message updates our related previous reporting.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
