|
Will new Army Secretary Eric Fanning go to bat for SFC Earl D. Plumlee ?
 [Wash Times] A year after a Special Forces soldier was denied the Medal of Honor, the nation’s top award for valor in combat, a congressman has appealed to the new Army secretary to review the case.SFC Plumlee on the right with 'Electric Bayonet' shoulder patch. Army Secretary Eric Fanning was sworn in as the service’s top civilian leader last week, and almost immediately received a letter from Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R.-Calif.) about Sgt. 1st Class Earl D. Plumlee. The Green Beret soldier was nominated for the Medal of Honor for his role in repelling a brutal ambush in Afghanistan in 2013. He received recommendations for the prestigious award from several of the military’s most powerful officers, but was ultimately denied last year by then-Army Secretary John McHugh. Plumlee instead received the Silver Star, which is two levels below the Medal of Honor in recognizing combat heroism. The case has been investigated by the Defense Department inspector general’s office and pressed by Hunter, who became a vociferous critic of McHugh in his last year in office. Hunter is looking to resurrect Plumlee’s case now in part by noting that McHugh chose to approve the lower award after learning that Plumlee faced a criminal investigation in the Army for allegedly selling a rifle scope online illegally. That raised questions about whether the service only wants recipients of its top awards who have a sparkling overall record. Plumlee has since been cleared of any charges. "As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a former Marine Corps officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and having worked many valor cases, I can state that Plumlee’s actions most certainly meet or exceed the criteria for the MoH," Hunter wrote in a May 19 letter to Fanning. "Further, I encourage you to compare his actions to other MoH recipients -- I am confident that you will agree that Plumlee’s actions are significantly underrepresented by the Silver Star award." Wayne Hall, an Army spokesman, said the service has received Hunter’s letter and "will respond accordingly." He declined to make additional comment. Plumlee could not be reached for comment. Posted by: Besoeker 2016-05-25 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=457018 |