Army approved Gov. Wes Moore’s Bronze Star without full commander endorsement

A retired Army general who had final approval authority for Bronze Star medals in Gov. Wes Moore’s Afghanistan chain of command said he signed Moore’s 2024 retroactive award after being assured Moore’s former brigade commander supported it and would sign next, according to FOX45 Baltimore.

Army rules for retroactive awards require endorsements and signatures from the full wartime chain of command, including the brigade commander, which was missing in Moore’s case. Despite this, the Army approved the Bronze Star medal.

The absence of the brigade commander’s signature, combined with evidence of high-level political involvement and conflicting award justification, has raised questions about the legitimacy of Moore’s Bronze Star award.

The key document in question is the DA Form 638, the Army’s formal recommendation for the award. Spotlight on Maryland obtained this form after suing the Army for nearly a year to release it under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Army had withheld the form despite its own Privacy Act Statement indicating it should be releasable to the media. Spotlight’s review revealed the missing endorsement and other concerns about the award process.