Congressman Troy Nehls CIB Controversy: Unauthorized Wear of Combat Infantryman’s Badge

guardianofvalor , ,

11 June 2024

Congressman Troy Nehls(R-TX) continues to wear a Combat Infantryman’s Badge lapel pin even after he has been notified by the Pentagon and several other organizations that he is not authorized this award. Congressman Nehls has continued to double down on wearing the CIB, even after being presented with documentation that his CIB was revoked because it had been erroneously awarded to him in the first place.

We sent for the Congressman’s records over 6 months ago, after several people who were familiar with his 2008 deployment raised concerns that he was wearing and claiming the Combat Infantryman’s Badge even after being told he wasn’t authorized it as he didn’t deploy as an 11 Series, but as a Civil Affairs officer. For those who aren’t familiar with the CIB, its requirements, and the history behind this badge, it is one of the most prestigious badges an Infantryman can be awarded besides the EIB(Expert Infantryman’s Badge). The CIB is held in such high prestige because of the strict requirements to be awarded it in the first place, it was created specifically for infantrymen whose main job is to close with and destroy the enemy and hold terrain.

The Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) was established by the U.S. War Department on October 27, 1943, to recognize the unique dangers faced by infantrymen. The badge was created to honor soldiers whose primary mission is to close with and destroy the enemy, and to keep soldiers confident and appreciative of their role in the military.

Basic Criteria: Army Regulation 600-8-22 (Military Awards), Paragraph 8-6

1. Combat Badges are designed to provide special recognition to Soldiers who personally engage the enemy in ground combat or who satisfactorily perform their duties while being engaged in ground combat by the enemy.

2. The Army’s Combat Infantryman Badge (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.

a. The CIB is intended to recognize a Soldier’s satisfactory performance in ground combat with the enemy. The intent has been clarified over time as being personally present, under fire, and engaging the enemy in ground forces combat.

b. The CIB is not awarded to individuals for unit battle participation credit or for deployment to a combat zone.

3. The CIB is authorized one-time for GWOT, regardless of the operation. It is only awarded to trained Infantrymen or SF personnel, who satisfactorily performed duty while assigned or attached as a member of an Infantry, Ranger, or SF unit of either a brigade, regimental, or smaller size during any period such unit was engaged in active ground combat, to close with and destroy the enemy with direct fires.

Personnel Eligible: (From Army HRC Website)

For award of the CIB a Soldier must meet the following three requirements:

(1) Be an infantryman satisfactorily performing infantry duties.

(2) Assigned to an infantry unit during such time as the unit is engaged in active ground combat.

(3) Actively participate in such ground combat. Campaign or battle credit alone is not sufficient for award of the CIB.

The specific eligibility criteria for the CIB require that an officer (SSI 11 or 18) in the grade of colonel or below, or an Army enlisted Soldier or warrant officer with an infantry or Special Forces MOS, who subsequent to 6 December 1941 has satisfactorily performed duty while assigned or attached as a member of an infantry, ranger or special forces unit of brigade, regimental, or smaller size during any period such unit was engaged in active ground combat. Eligibility for Special Forces personnel in Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) 18B, 18C, 18E, 18F, and 18Z (less Special Forces medical sergeant) accrues from 20 December 1989. Retroactive awards of the CIB to Special Forces personnel are not authorized prior to 20 December 1989. A recipient must be personally present and under hostile fire while serving in an assigned infantry or Special Forces primary duty, in a unit actively engaged in ground combat with the enemy. The unit in question can be of any size smaller than brigade.

Personnel with other than an infantry or Special Forces MOS are not eligible, regardless of the circumstances. The infantry or Special Forces SSI or MOS does not necessarily have to be the Soldier’s primary specialty, as long as the Soldier has been properly trained in infantry or Special Forces tactics, possesses the appropriate skill code, and is serving in that specialty when engaged in active ground combat as described above. Awards will not be made to general officers or to members of headquarters companies of units larger in size than brigade

On or after 18 September 2001, a Soldier must be an Army infantry or special forces officer (SSI 11 or 18) in the grade of colonel or below, or an Army enlisted Soldier or warrant officer with an infantry or special forces MOS, who has satisfactorily performed duty while assigned or attached as a member of an infantry, ranger or special forces unit of brigade, regimental, or smaller size during any period such unit was engaged in active ground combat, to close with and destroy the enemy with direct fires. A Soldier must be personally present and under fire while serving in an assigned infantry or Special Forces primary duty, in a unit engaged in active ground combat, to close with and destroy the enemy with direct fires. Soldiers possessing MOS of 18D (Special Forces Medical Sergeant) who satisfactorily perform special forces duties while assigned or attached to a special forces unit of brigade, regimental, or smaller size during any period such unit was engaged in active ground combat may be awarded the CIB. These Soldiers must have been personally present and engaged in active ground combat, to close with and destroy the enemy with direct fires. Retroactive awards under these criteria are not authorized for service prior to 18 September 2001. Those Soldiers possessing MOS of 18D who qualify for award of the CMB from 18 September 2001 to 3 June 2005 will remain qualified for the badge.

Congressman Nehls did not meet any of these requirements when he was erroneously awarded the CIB for his 2008 deployment to Afghanistan, Nehls was serving as a Civil Affairs Officer during this deployment as well as his previous deployment in 2004 to Iraq. He was correctly awarded a CAB(Combat Action Badge) in 2006 retroactively for his 2004 deployment when the CAB was created. The CAB was created specifically for personnel other than Infantry or Special Forces Soldiers who were engaged in combat but weren’t eligible for the CIB because they weren’t Infantry of SF.

After we received Nehls OMPF we went through all 53 pages with a fine tooth comb, we also sent them to Jim Laporta from CBS News and we both discussed the situation. We reached out to Nehl’s office to inform them of our findings, and they responded to Jim with “Congressman Nehls doesn’t wear any awards he isn’t authorized”. I got a call from Nehl’s Chief of Staff and explained to him that Nehls wasn’t authorized the CIB and that the Army had revoked the award with the issuance of a DD215 in March of 2023 once they were made aware of the error. He told me he would look into it and speak to Nehls about this. I was willing to give Nehls the benefit of the doubt at this point, even though an officer with twenty-plus years of service should know the requirements for the CIB and the CAB, especially right in the middle of the GWOT. The Pentagon also confirmed that Nehls had been notified of the revocation of the CIB. (See DD215 below)

After awaiting a response from Congressman Nehls for some time and realizing he was going to continue to wear the award, Jim Laporta and I decided to go public with our findings. You can see Jim’s report here – Rep. Troy Nehls responds to report that military documents contradict medal claims.

I posted on our X account to Congressman Nehls with our findings, and he also chose to ignore this as well, it wasn’t until after we continually posted on his X account, and other Main Stream Media outlets began to pick up the story that he began to respond. Other congressmen on Capitol Hill began questioning him as well, but instead of doing the right thing and removing the CIB, he doubled down and blamed the 101st Airborne and HRC for the error. But he is still refusing to remove the unauthorized Award. You can see our initial X post below, we continued to comment under his posts at least every other day. With thousands of Veterans also commenting and demanding he remove the CIB, as an officer with twenty-plus years of service Nehls is well aware he isn’t authorized this award.

The below thread also includes all relevant documents as well as how we approached his office and their responses.

On his 2008 Deployment Nehls was awarded an Army Achievement Medal and a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. There is no record of a Bronze Star awarded for this deployment, although he claims two and has posted the citation for the second Bronze Star. We informed him he needed to get this added to his records as it isn’t on his final DD214, and it isn’t in his OMPF. The only Bronze Star was awarded for his 2004 deployment. He was in Civil Affairs on both deployments, which is why he wasn’t qualified for the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He was also a member of the Army Reserves attached to the 101st.

DD214 Issued After His 2008 Deployment. Note it only lists one Bronze Star and the CIB. His MOS is 38A Civil Affairs

The only Bronze Star listed on Nehls DD214, also the only Citation in his OMPF. Nehls posted a citation for his 2008 deployment to his X account. This needs to be added to his records to make it official.

Below are the Bronze Star Certificates Nehls posted to his X account to prove he has the two he claims. The second one does not show on his DD214 nor is this citation in his OMPF.

The certificate on the left is dated for his 2008 deployment, and the one on the right is for his 2004 deployment.

We were also contacted by Congressman Nehl’s former Deputy Chief of Staff, Kevin Countie, who is also a retired Army Colonel. Kevin tells us he also informed Nehls that the CIB could become an issue two years ago, as he knew he wasn’t an 11 Series during that deployment. Kevin also said that reporter Lara Logan attempted to warn Nehls that he needed to address the CIB Issue immediately following the first election. Troy refused and called Lara out. Troy told him he wanted nothing to do with Lara Logan moving forward.

At this point, we have given Congressman Nehls ample time to correct himself and remove the CIB. We will continue to press this issue with him and his office until it is resolved. He claims in a recent article that he has reached out to the Army to get ‘Clarification’ and places blame on the 101st for ‘making a mistake’. Rep. Troy Nehls Denies Accusations of ‘Stolen Valor,’ Defends Wearing Combat Infantry Badge Pin

According to Nehl’s official records, he initially joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard as an 11 Series, but he hasn’t held that designation since the early 1990s. He branched several different times during his career, his final branch being Civil Affairs which is what he served as on both his deployments, which by definition makes him ineligible for the award of the CIB. (See Documentation Below)

In conclusion, the controversy surrounding Congressman Troy Nehls’ wearing of the Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB) highlights the importance of adhering to the strict eligibility criteria for military decorations. The CIB is a prestigious award that recognizes the unique dangers faced by infantrymen and is only awarded to trained Infantrymen or Special Forces personnel who meet specific requirements. The case of Congressman Nehls, who was erroneously awarded the CIB despite serving as a Civil Affairs officer, not an Infantryman, underscores the need for accuracy and integrity in the awarding of military decorations. It also brings to light the responsibility of individuals, especially those in positions of power, to ensure that they are accurately representing their military service and honors. The ongoing discussion surrounding Congressman Nehls’ wearing of the CIB serves as a reminder of the significance of these awards and the respect they command among the military community.

We will continue to update this story as it progresses.

UPDATE: 12 June 2024

Today Congressman Nehls doubled down on his attempt to keep the CIB to which he thinks he is entitled. He posted a Congressional letter from his office directed at the Army’s HRC General, MG Thomas Drew. In this letter he demands to know why his CIB was revoked and who he spoke with at the 101st about his CIB. He also attached the order from 2008 that erroneously awarded him the CIB. In the letter to HRC he calls out specifically the S1 that signed his CIB order, Cpt. Timothy J. Botset. You can see that post here:

Original CIB Order

Congressional Inquiry Sent by Nehls To The Us Army HRC

I found Cpt. Botset’s contact information and reached out to him via email and explained the situation at hand. I will not disclose his personal information, but I did confirm it was him I was speaking with and he acknowledged he was the S1 spoken about in the letter and on the order for the CIB. He is now retired from the Army and he has a very interesting story to tell, below is his response to my inquiry concerning Nehls CIB order and his signing off on it. He states that he was on EML(Emergency Leave) when this was signed, and he states unequivocally that he did not sign this and it is not his signature and doesn’t know who signed it. He also states that no one in his unit that would have intentionally approved an award for someone that was not entitled to it.

I think at this point Congressman Nehls needs to do the right thing and remove the CIB as he was not authorized it, and the order that awarded him the CIB was not signed by the officer in question. At this point we don’t know who signed it, but we know the Brigade S1 would not have and did not sign off on this award.

Email with Cpt. Botset

UPDATE: 20240613

Congressman Nehls continued to double down on the revocation of his CIB. We spoke with KHOU-11 out of Houston today to help others better understand the CIB, it’s history, the requirements to be awarded, and why it is considered such a prestigious badge.

U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls calls controversy over military badge he wears an effort to ‘discredit’ his service

Military.com article – Texas Congressman Won’t Stop Wearing Combat Infantryman Badge That Was Revoked

UPDATE: 20240629

Congressman Troy Nehls(R-Tx) Finally removed his unauthorized CIB after pressure from Veterans around the country and some Veterans in Congress. Nehls told reporters that he removed the badge because the media and “Big Army” was targeting him for being “Mr.Maga Guy.” Congressman Nehls has done the right thing by removing the unauthorized award, but we would like to see him wear and be proud of the CAB he was awarded for his service.

Guardian of Valor

2-1 Shows Nehls MOS and years Held
Infantry 88-93
Armor 93-03
Civil Affairs 03- Retirement

2-1 Record of Assignments Note the Branch change beginning in 1993

2-1 Note the Military Schools and OBC Courses

Armor Branch OBC Dated 1993

DD214 Discharge from Active Duty after completion of Armor Officer Basic Course 1993