WASHINGTON — Rep. Troy Nehls spoke out for the first time since a watchdog group called him out for wearing a military badge that was revoked by the Army.
The watchdog group said it was inappropriate for Nehls to wear because he was ineligible to receive it.
Nehls has worn the Combat Infantryman Badge -- or CIB -- for years, but he's recently been criticized for it because some said it misrepresents his military career.
He was awarded the badge in 2008 following tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, but in 2023, the Army revoked it following a review of his record. The Army says the CIBs are awarded to soldiers who come under fire while engaged in active ground combat. According to the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, the CIB, "was developed to provide special recognition of the unique role of the Army Infantryman, the only Soldier whose daily mission is to close with and destroy the enemy and to seize and hold terrain."
Nehls continued to wear it as a member of Congress, which drew allegations of "stolen valor."
Earlier this month, Nehls doubled down, posting on social media that he was awarded the badge and included a letter asking why the Army revoked it. He said he believed it was an effort to discredit his service.
A veteran's watchdog group told KHOU 11 News last month that because Nehls served as a civil affairs officer in Iraq and Afghanistan, he only qualified for a combat action badge, not a CIB.
Nehls pointed to the rarity in which CIBs are revoked and again labeled the action as politically motivated.
He released this statement on Tuesday:
"This will be my final written comment on my CIB, awarded by the 101st Airborne Division in 2008 and listed on my official military record (DD-214). In 2023, 14 years after my retirement, suddenly, the Department of the Army rescinded my CIB. According to correspondence I received from the Department of the Army, 142,596 CIBs have been awarded over the past 20 years. Of these, only 47 CIBs have been rescinded. So, let me get this straight, the Department of the Army says that the 101st Airborne Division has been 99.968% correct in awarding the CIB over the past two decades?
"Unfortunately for me, as an America First Patriot and an outspoken member of Congress, there are no lengths to which the establishment won’t go to discredit me, including my CIB, which I was awarded over 14 years ago. Nothing more needs to be said."
A spokesperson for the 101st Airborne Division told KHOU 11 News this week that they follow the Army's regulatory guidance on awards.
It remains to be seen if Nehls will continue to wear the CIB.