FACT CHECK: Yes, Wes Moore did receive a Bronze Star for heroism

A false claim that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore never earned a Bronze Star for his military service in Afghanistan is being repeated by far-right pundits and the media.

It is alleged that Moore lied about receiving the honor on a 2006 application for a White House fellowship and has since failed to correct media reports that repeated the claim.

But there’s nothing to correct. At the time he submitted the application, Moore had been told by his commanding officer, Lt. Gen. Michael Fenzel, that he had been approved to receive the honor. The medal itself was not awarded until December 2024 because of a paperwork delay—a common occurrence in the military.

“I don’t know how many times since I’ve retired that I’ve [had] people come to me trying to get an award that they told me that they had been recommended for that they never got,” General Stanley McChrystal told the New York Times last year.

The Bronze Star is awarded for heroism in combat zones. Moore joined the Army in 2004 after receiving a master’s degree from Oxford. He was deployed to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2006 with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Fenzel personally recommended that Moore receive the honor and was not aware of the delay until it became a source of controversy. Fenzel ensured that the paperwork was corrected.

“Moore was tireless in his efforts to engage villages and tribal leaders to receive the most relevant and important messages associated with reconstruction, development, and stabilization,” Fenzel said at the belated award ceremony. “Through innumerable trips outside the wire and into Afghan communities, Wes Moore consistently demonstrated courage and skill in [a] wartime environment.”

An officer evaluation report from Moore’s time in the military described him as “a top 1% officer” and “the best lieutenant I’ve encountered during Operation Enduring Freedom.”

Moore told the New York Times that he never personally inquired about the award because he felt it would be disrespectful.

“You don’t do that,” he said. “I’m not going in and asking, ‘Well, what about this award or that award?’ I’m grateful that I’m home.”

Moore received other military honors, including the Combat Action Badge, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Parachutist Badge.