Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore is facing fresh questions about his military record after the Army officer who supervised him in Afghanistan challenged the governor’s claims that he led soldiers into combat.
Retired Army Lt. Col. James A. “Jamie” Gottschling, who served alongside Moore in 2005 and 2006, disputed several accounts of the governor’s deployment during interviews with The Baltimore Sun and Fox News Digital.
Gottschling acknowledged that Moore served his country honorably but questioned whether the Democrat, who has been discussed as a possible 2028 presidential contender, has exaggerated his wartime experiences.
“I wouldn’t call him a soldier,” Gottschling told Fox News Digital.
According to the retired officer, Moore primarily worked in a staff position at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Afghanistan’s Khost province, coordinating information operations rather than leading troops in direct combat.
Gottschling distinguished between serving in a combat zone and personally participating in fighting.
“When you think of a veteran of combat, you think somebody that’s in a foxhole, getting shot at, IED blowing up the convoy, or even more dramatically, when you think about World War II movies, Easy Company, or any of those things where it’s like, those guys are getting shot,” he explained. “That just wasn’t the environment that he was in.”
The criticism directly challenges statements Moore made while campaigning for governor.
In a November 2022 social media post, Moore declared, “I’ve seen real patriotism when I led paratroopers in combat in Afghanistan and I’ve seen it in my own family.”
Another campaign message described his experience similarly.
“Service has defined my life, starting when I joined the Army when I was 17, through leading soldiers in combat with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan, to today,” Moore wrote.
Gottschling disputes that characterization, arguing that Moore’s responsibilities did not involve commanding paratroopers during combat operations.
He also questioned the governor’s public descriptions of the emotional challenges associated with returning from Afghanistan.
“I just think it’s disingenuous to really associate with the struggle. I mean you can have some empathy for people that might struggle with the transition, but when you come over there pretty much dip into a combat zone situation, work on the staff for six months and then come out you know saying that, you know, all this trauma that you had … and it’s like, oh, give me a break,” Gottschling told Fox News Digital.
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Moore’s office strongly rejected the criticism, accusing political opponents of attempting to undermine his military record.
Senior press secretary Ammar Moussa pointed to a favorable evaluation Gottschling signed during Moore’s deployment.
“Five days after Marylanders re-elected Governor Moore in a historic landslide, Sinclair is back to swiftboating a veteran by recycling the exact same stories and interviews they already ran months ago,” Moussa said.
The spokesperson noted that Gottschling previously described Moore as a top-performing officer in an official Army assessment.
Gottschling acknowledged the positive evaluation but told The Baltimore Sun that military performance reviews sometimes contained generous language intended to help service members advance professionally.
The governor’s office also cited military records confirming that Moore earned a Combat Action Badge following a rocket attack on his base.
Additional reporting by The Baltimore Banner documented Moore’s deployment and included an account from a Marine who recalled their convoy coming under fire.
Those accounts support Moore’s statements that he experienced hostile fire, although questions remain about his descriptions of commanding troops during combat.
The controversy follows an earlier dispute over Moore’s Bronze Star.
In 2024, The New York Times reported that Moore had listed the medal on a 2006 White House fellowship application before it had officially been awarded.
Moore acknowledged the discrepancy as a mistake. He subsequently received the Bronze Star in December 2024.
Gottschling maintains that his objections concern the governor’s public descriptions of his service, not the legitimacy of his deployment.
He described Moore as a “valued staff officer” and said he “appreciated every minute” of his work.
But the retired officer argued that honorable service should not be embellished for political or personal recognition.
“I think there’s nothing wrong with that, if it ended there, that would be it,” Gottschling said. “But it didn’t end there. The embellishment, the aggrandizing of his actions over there that didn’t take place is the problem that I have. I’m a pursuer of the truth, you know, and I want to tell the truth.”
Moore has defended his military career and acknowledged inaccuracies in some previous accounts while maintaining that he served in dangerous conditions.
The renewed scrutiny comes just days after his reelection as Maryland governor, placing his military record back in the spotlight as discussion continues about his political future.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
