Two of the men whose lives a Republican lawmaker was credited with saving are raising claims of stolen valor.
Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) was awarded a Bronze Star in January 2021 for “exceptional bravery” during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
But five people who served with him questioned the narrative laid out in the Department of the Army Form 638 that recommended him for the medal, reported NOTUS.
“He didn’t save my life,” said Pfc. Joe Heit, who is cited by name on the recommendation form as one of the soldiers Mills saved. “I don’t recall him being there, either.”
The document states that Mills saved the lives of Heit and Cpl. Alan Babin in one 2003 incident and saved Sgt. Joe Ferrand in another, while also being a “dedicated mentor and leader” to other junior medics.
Questions about his Bronze Star have been relayed to the Office of Congressional Ethics, according to a source with direct knowledge of a complaint, as well as the Department of Justice, a U.S. attorney’s office in Florida and the FBI.
OCE referred Mills in December to the House Ethics Committee to investigate his business practices, and in March the office found “substantial reason to believe that Rep. Mills may have entered into, held, or enjoyed contracts with federal agencies while serving in Congress.”
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Five individuals who had served with Mills in Iraq have gone on the record to question the contents of the DA Form 638 recommending him for the medal, saying Heit had been shot but saying his injuries were not "life-threatening." Heit said he had been ordered to stay silent about being wounded by friendly fire in the incident, and Sgt. Chris Painter corroborated his account.
“I can pretty much confirm 100 percent Cory Mills was not up at the bridges at the location of the everything,” Painter said in a text message. “Now, if he came to the company position to assist in escorting Babin to the BN aid station I don’t know, but he wasn’t at the bridge [where] it all happened. I do know that.”
Retired Brig. Gen. Arnold Gordon-Bray, who approved Mills’ recommendation for a Bronze Star, told NOTUS that he did not “care about” the achievements listed on the DA Form 638 before signing it, saying the awards were submitted and approved in large batches.
“I approved his 638 as a complete the record,” Gordon-Bray told NOTUS in a text message.
Mills, who has said he intends to run for the U.S. Senate, defended his military record, which has come under question in the past.
“No soldier writes their own DA Form 638," Mills said. "It is a recommendation for award and soldiers cannot recommend themselves. The form must be reviewed and signed by commanding officers.”
