politics
Questions Raised Over Maryland Governor Wes Moore's Military Award and Oxford Thesis
Reports have surfaced questioning whether Governor Wes Moore received a Bronze Star for service in Afghanistan and whether he completed a required master's thesis at Oxford University. The governor's office has not released the thesis, and a photograph shows him receiving a different medal.
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A photograph published by The Baltimore Sun on June 28, 2026, shows Moore receiving an Army Commendation Medal during an awards ceremony at Forward Operating Base Salerno in Afghanistan on March 1, 2006. Retired Army Lt. Col. James Gottschling, Moore's first-line supervisor during the deployment, stated that the image shows an ARCOM, not a Bronze Star.
Moore has stated that his deputy brigade commander recommended him for a Bronze Star and advised him to list the award on his White House fellowship application. The governor's office confirmed a private ceremony in Annapolis in which Lt. Gen. Michael Fenzel pinned a Bronze Star onto Moore for meritorious service.
2025, the Washington Free Beacon requested a copy of Moore's Oxford University master's thesis. The Bodleian Library at Oxford stated it does not hold the document, and Moore has not provided a copy. The thesis was cited in Moore's fellowship application as evidence that he was considered a foremost expert on radical Islam.
Moore's listed graduation dates from Oxford have also varied across records. The governor's office has not responded to further inquiries about the thesis.
