Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is facing renewed scrutiny over his military service after his former Army supervisor publicly challenged the Democrat’s characterization of his combat experience in Afghanistan.
Retired Lt. Col. James Gottschling, who served as Moore’s direct supervisor during their 2005-2006 deployment, told the Baltimore Sun the governor should “be honest” about his role. While acknowledging Moore’s service was “good” and that he was a “valued member of the brigade staff,” Gottschling took issue with Moore’s repeated claims of being a paratrooper who led soldiers in combat.
‘Not a Paratrooper’
“He’s not a paratrooper,” Gottschling told the outlet, calling Moore’s descriptions of his service “disingenuous.” The retired officer confirmed Moore was airborne qualified but said he never trained with the 82nd Airborne Division before deployment, didn’t receive jump pay, and wasn’t in a parachutist’s position.
Moore has frequently described himself as having “the experience of an 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper who led soldiers in combat” in Afghanistan. His 2015 book “The Work” details months of pre-deployment training with the 82nd at Fort Bragg – an account the Baltimore Sun reports isn’t supported by Army records that place him in Military Police training in Missouri during that period.
Bronze Star Discrepancy
The controversy comes as Moore faces questions about other aspects of his military record, including when he received his Bronze Star. The governor previously described claiming the medal years before it was formally awarded as an “honest mistake.”
Moore has defended his service, telling WBALTV11 he has “nothing to hide” about his military record. The first-term governor, often mentioned as a rising Democratic star, served as an Army captain in Afghanistan attached to the 82nd Airborne as a reservist.
Gottschling, who was the brigade’s fire support coordinator during their deployment, stressed that while Moore wasn’t a paratrooper, his contributions were still valuable. “His service in Afghanistan was good,” the retired officer said. “He was a valued member of the brigade staff.”
Source: www.breitbart.com โ https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/11/08/report-wes-moores-army-supervisor-calls-his-service-claims-disingenuous/