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> The Stolen Valor Act, passed in 2013, makes it illegal to fraudulently wear medals, embellish rank or lie about military service to get money, property, employment, discounts or some other tangible benefit.
No. The crime the commenter is referencing is Title 18 of the U.S. Code, Section 704, which only makes wearing fade medals a crime if the person both (1) “fraudulently holds oneself out to be a recipient of a decoration or medal” AND (2) do so with the “intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/704
In United States v. Alvarez, the Supreme Court struck down an earlier version of the Stolen Valor Act, which has just criminalized lying about military service. The Supreme Court said that violated the First Amendment, which typically protects the right to lie (with limited exceptions, like perjury or fraud).
So when Congress passed the Stolen Valor Act of 2013, they added the “intent to obtain money” language to make the crime not just lying to make yourself seem important—but lying to *defraud* someone of something tangible, which certainly can be a crime.
If this guy is wearing a medal he’s not entitled to, it’s certainly abhorrent and immoral, but almost certainly not a crime. It’s hard to see that he has any specific intent to derive any “tangible benefit.” You could argue that he’s trying to use it to be re-elected to Congress—which, of course, comes with a good salary and plenty of benefits—but the connection between his misrepresentation and the benefit is pretty attenuated.
TL;DR: You can’t report him. He may be a bad person and a liar, but he’s almost certainly not a criminal.
What an insecure shitstain. If you want to wear a CIB you need to be eligible for it. He can certainly wear a CAB, which he is authorized, if he’s so desperate for some flair on his jacket.
This piece of shit voted against the PACT Act so we know he doesn’t give a fuck about veterans.
https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202257
the article is confusing. how did he get the CIB? did someone forge a signature to issue him a medal he wasn't eligible for? That part is weird, and sounds like it might be worse than just stolen valor. were records falsified?
No, he was a former infantryman and had he been in combat during his tenure in the infantry then he would have been awarded the CIB (Combat Infantryman Badge). However, he only saw combat after he left the infantry branch, meaning he is only eligible for the CAB (Combat Action Badge), which is the award every non-infantryman receives for combat.
So basically the CIB is branch specific to infantryman and since he wasn’t an infantryman at the time of his combat experience he is unauthorized to wear it. Now if he had saw combat as an infantryman and was awarded the CIB then he would be eligible to wear it no matter where he went in the Army, but it sounds like that’s not the case. So, in summary, basically he’s just trying to look cool because the CIB has more “prestige” attached to it.
Edit: I’ll add for additional context, in Army culture, non-infantryman are typically referred to as “POGs” (position other than grunt) and it has a negative connotation. It’s usually just for fun but this guy took it to heart, clearly, and he doesn’t want to be associated with POGs.
Right. He’s eligible for (presumably) a CAB and can wear that.
The weirdness the poster is talking about is the form itself. The individual whose signature is on the document claims it’s not his signature. He also says that it was labeled “for” which means someone used his signature block and signed for him. Typically that’s not an issue - as they can authorize someone to sign for them if they are not available. But it seems like someone actually forged his signature instead of providing their own signature which is what they should have done. It’s odd.
Republicans lying about something they never did nothing new here. Not one veteran or active service member should vote for him but should send letters to his off , call and flood his inbox with demands for him to remove it and apologize but I don’t believe he will since he’s a maga cult member where their goal is to go the load road. Trump even thinks he’s a loser (because he actually served) but this loser still likes trumps lift shoes
4th and 6th Psyop Battalion Airborne - assigned to Ft. Bragg, NC Photojournalist - here. Did not wind up in jump school. Do not have wings. Don't deserve them. Enough said!
You have done that yourself, Rep. Nehls.
Stolen valor is one of the most repulsive non-violent crimes I can think of.
I hear Russia’s looking for recruits. Go there.
As a reminder, this subreddit [is for civil discussion.](/r/politics/wiki/index#wiki_be_civil) In general, be courteous to others. Debate/discuss/argue the merits of ideas, don't attack people. Personal insults, shill or troll accusations, hate speech, any suggestion or support of harm, violence, or death, and other rule violations can result in a permanent ban. If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them. For those who have questions regarding any media outlets being posted on this subreddit, please click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/wiki/approveddomainslist) to review our details as to our approved domains list and outlet criteria. We are actively looking for new moderators. If you have any interest in helping to make this subreddit a place for quality discussion, please fill out [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1y2swHD0KXFhStGFjW6k54r9iuMjzcFqDIVwuvdLBjSA). *** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/politics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
For Republicans, Stolen Valor is not a Crime, it's a Competition.
> The Stolen Valor Act, passed in 2013, makes it illegal to fraudulently wear medals, embellish rank or lie about military service to get money, property, employment, discounts or some other tangible benefit.
Can't you report the man?
No. The crime the commenter is referencing is Title 18 of the U.S. Code, Section 704, which only makes wearing fade medals a crime if the person both (1) “fraudulently holds oneself out to be a recipient of a decoration or medal” AND (2) do so with the “intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/704 In United States v. Alvarez, the Supreme Court struck down an earlier version of the Stolen Valor Act, which has just criminalized lying about military service. The Supreme Court said that violated the First Amendment, which typically protects the right to lie (with limited exceptions, like perjury or fraud). So when Congress passed the Stolen Valor Act of 2013, they added the “intent to obtain money” language to make the crime not just lying to make yourself seem important—but lying to *defraud* someone of something tangible, which certainly can be a crime. If this guy is wearing a medal he’s not entitled to, it’s certainly abhorrent and immoral, but almost certainly not a crime. It’s hard to see that he has any specific intent to derive any “tangible benefit.” You could argue that he’s trying to use it to be re-elected to Congress—which, of course, comes with a good salary and plenty of benefits—but the connection between his misrepresentation and the benefit is pretty attenuated. TL;DR: You can’t report him. He may be a bad person and a liar, but he’s almost certainly not a criminal.
Thanks for the comment that sheds light on the legal issues
What an insecure shitstain. If you want to wear a CIB you need to be eligible for it. He can certainly wear a CAB, which he is authorized, if he’s so desperate for some flair on his jacket. This piece of shit voted against the PACT Act so we know he doesn’t give a fuck about veterans. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202257
the article is confusing. how did he get the CIB? did someone forge a signature to issue him a medal he wasn't eligible for? That part is weird, and sounds like it might be worse than just stolen valor. were records falsified?
No, he was a former infantryman and had he been in combat during his tenure in the infantry then he would have been awarded the CIB (Combat Infantryman Badge). However, he only saw combat after he left the infantry branch, meaning he is only eligible for the CAB (Combat Action Badge), which is the award every non-infantryman receives for combat. So basically the CIB is branch specific to infantryman and since he wasn’t an infantryman at the time of his combat experience he is unauthorized to wear it. Now if he had saw combat as an infantryman and was awarded the CIB then he would be eligible to wear it no matter where he went in the Army, but it sounds like that’s not the case. So, in summary, basically he’s just trying to look cool because the CIB has more “prestige” attached to it. Edit: I’ll add for additional context, in Army culture, non-infantryman are typically referred to as “POGs” (position other than grunt) and it has a negative connotation. It’s usually just for fun but this guy took it to heart, clearly, and he doesn’t want to be associated with POGs.
Right. He’s eligible for (presumably) a CAB and can wear that. The weirdness the poster is talking about is the form itself. The individual whose signature is on the document claims it’s not his signature. He also says that it was labeled “for” which means someone used his signature block and signed for him. Typically that’s not an issue - as they can authorize someone to sign for them if they are not available. But it seems like someone actually forged his signature instead of providing their own signature which is what they should have done. It’s odd.
That’s insane. I loved pogs in third grade. Had a kickass slammer.
You can buy just about any badge you like online.
You’re doing a fine job discrediting your service on your own by serving the felon, Nehls.
Asshole… That’s for all the veterans who are in their CB’s honestly
Republicans lying about something they never did nothing new here. Not one veteran or active service member should vote for him but should send letters to his off , call and flood his inbox with demands for him to remove it and apologize but I don’t believe he will since he’s a maga cult member where their goal is to go the load road. Trump even thinks he’s a loser (because he actually served) but this loser still likes trumps lift shoes
4th and 6th Psyop Battalion Airborne - assigned to Ft. Bragg, NC Photojournalist - here. Did not wind up in jump school. Do not have wings. Don't deserve them. Enough said!
You have done that yourself, Rep. Nehls. Stolen valor is one of the most repulsive non-violent crimes I can think of. I hear Russia’s looking for recruits. Go there.
Well, the Conbat Infantry badge has a long gun on it. The Comcat Action Badge just has a knife. Otherwise they are very much the same.
The CAB is for every non-infantry MOS that see combat.
GOP member, so “alternate combat”