Cory Mills' Bronze Star document raises serious concerns about stolen valor, Rep. Mace says

Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) once again finds himself mired in controversy, this time facing questions from a fellow congressional Republican who doubts the validity of his Bronze Star and has accused Mills of engaging in "stolen valor," an accusation some who served with Mills have leveled as well.

Mills has long leaned on his military service and Bronze Star as evidence that he has the qualifications to serve his community in Congress. "Cory Mills is a decorated U.S. Army combat Veteran, and recipient of the Bronze Star," an old version of his official government bio stated.

As recently as July 18, Mills repeated the “Bronze Star recipient” boast.

'All this could be put to bed with real, verified documents, and he doesn't have them or refuses to share them.'

However, as Blaze News previously reported, questions have swirled for years about Mills' Bronze Star and the DA Form 638 used to recommend him for it. A photo of the form that has circulated online does confirm that Mills was recommended for a “Bronze Star medal” for his “SVC” in Operation Iraqi Freedom. It also suggests that now-retired Brig. Gen. Arnold Gordon-Bray signed off on the application.

According to Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), that form was completed and signed by someone other than Gen. Bray.

“The general did not sign the form,” Mace told Blaze News during a phone interview. Mace then reiterated that accusation on Tuesday's episode of "Blaze News: The Mandate."

"I spoke to General Bray over the weekend," Mace told hosts Matthew Peterson and Jill Savage. "... Well, come to find out the general whose name is on that form didn't even sign it and didn't actually see the document before his signature was placed on it."

RELATED: Cory Mills vs. the truth: Top 10 times the GOP wunderkind played fast and loose with the facts

Blaze News reviewed a recording of Mace's conversation with Bray. On the recording, the man identified himself as Gen. Bray and confirmed that he authorized the Form 638 for Mills via an email sent to a woman named Cathy, whom Bray believed to be a member of Mills’ staff. A woman named Catherine Treadmill does work as Mills' chief of staff.

Bray also acknowledged on the recording that the form was incomplete when he first reviewed it and that he did not sign it himself. Instead, he said that his email to Cathy would serve as his "signature."

Though Bray denied ever signing the form, a signature does appear on it:

Screenshot of corymillswatch.com

Gen. Bray did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

Another point of contention with the DA Form 638 linked to Mills is that it was issued on an April 2021 version of the document, even as the document indicates the Bronze Star was for Mills' service in Iraq between February and June 2003.

Mace, who noted that she is not a veteran, told Blaze News that while “upgrades” in military awards appear to be nothing unusual, the military typically does not issue a new award after so much time has lapsed. As she described it, soldiers very rarely go “from zero to something” after nearly two decades.

“My understanding is that soldiers do get upgrades periodically,” she explained. “... Usually, when you see these forms filled out 20, 25 years later, it's an upgrade of an award because new information has been provided, new witnesses, information that was missing because there is the fog of war. It's usually in an upgrade scenario. That's not what this is.”

“All this could be put to bed with real, verified documents,” Mace told Blaze News, “and he doesn't have them or refuses to share them.”

Furthermore, not all Bronze Stars are created equal. A Bronze Star with a valor device is awarded to those who have demonstrated remarkable bravery on the battlefield. Those Bronze Stars such as Mills' without the valor device are rather commonplace these days, denoting some demonstration of general merit.

Another source who spoke with Bray told Blaze News that Bray emphasized that the Bronze Star he authorized for Mills was for merit only and did not have the valor device. On the recording, Bray confirmed that he recommended Bronze Stars for all of his platoon sergeants, including Mills.

RELATED: Rep. Mills’ risky road trip through Syria raises eyebrows

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images

After Mills cast the deciding vote last week against Mace’s bill that would have censured Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota for her disparaging remarks about the late Charlie Kirk, Mace began a tweet storm about Mills, sharing many of the alarming allegations against him that Blaze News has reported in recent months.

On "The Mandate" on Tuesday, Mace expressed admiration for whatever military service Mills rendered but indicated that the integrity of that service has been compromised by Mills' repeated lies and exaggerations about it. She even hinted that he is an "imposter."

'There's no reason to lie and say that you're Rambo or 007 or this Ranger sniper commando guy ... — there's no "there" there.'

"He told people he was an Army Ranger," Mace stated. "I talked to two people today who knew him, and they flat-out said he said he was an Army Ranger and was a sniper and all these things. Turns out it was not true."

"I think it's very admirable that Cory Mills was an ambulance driver like he was," she said, though quickly adding that "we're not even sure he was trained as a medic. We can't find proof of that right now.

"But," she continued, "whether you're a medic or an ambulance driver, you have decided to serve your country. That, in and of itself, is admirable. So there's no reason to lie and say that you're Rambo or 007 or this Ranger sniper commando guy ... — there's no 'there' there."

Mace stated that Mills’ troubling track record of alleged stolen valor, among other accusations, makes him a threat to “national security” and should therefore lead to his removal from his congressional committees.

"Because of this negativity, the negative press he's been attracting for months locally, his seat's at risk if we don't replace him," Mace claimed on "The Mandate." "And then when you look at the allegations of the arms dealing, the bags of cash, allegedly, you know, is this guy a national security threat? He sits ... on the Foreign Affairs Committee. How the heck is he even on this committee? If there is allegations are swirling around him, we can't have someone who's stolen valor on the House Armed Services Committee.

"Like, what are we even talking about?"

Mills' spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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