House Republicans are accusing Rep. Troy Nehls of “stolen valor” for continuing to wear a lapel pin for infantrymen or Special Forces who fought in active combat.
“It matters. As a former commander, it matters what you wear on your uniform,” Rep. Ryan Zinke, a retired Navy SEAL, told NOTUS. “And if you didn’t earn it, you shouldn’t wear it.”
Nehls wears a Combat Infantryman Badge pin from Afghanistan on his suit jacket, right under his 118th Congress pin. A CBS News investigation in early May found Nehls’ Combat Infantryman Badge had been revoked from his service record in March 2023 because he served as a civil affairs officer and it was mistakenly awarded. Only Infantry or Special Forces soldiers engaged in combat can receive the badge.