U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) has made his National Guard service a part of his U.S. Senate campaign, touting his veteran status in advertisements and at speaking events.
However, questions about his military tenure and rank have led to accusations that he misrepresented his service — accusations Moore’s campaign adamantly denies.
Last Tuesday night, during a candidate forum hosted by the Marshall County Republican Club, Moore was asked if he considered himself a “military veteran.”
“I served six years in the Guard, my brother’s a retired Marine F18 pilot, my son-in-law’s an Army Ranger, and I grew up with Fort Rucker right here in my district,” Moore responded. “So all of my buddies' dads, most of them, not all of them, but a lot of them, were Vietnam air pilots. The Chevrolet dealership, Reagan Chevrolet of Enterprise, Alabama, I was told, sold more Corvettes during the Vietnam War than any dealership in the country because you had all these young warrant officers, these young commission guys, before they would ship out, they’d go buy them a Corvette at Reagan Chevrolet. So most of my friends' dads, or a lot of them, were old Vietnam guys, warrant officers, young lieutenants, and so they retired, a lot of them. I got to know a lot of those men and appreciate the job they’ve done.”
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When asked whether he would release his DD-214 form, a certificate of release or discharge from active duty, Moore said he would “if I can find it.”
“I went to college on the GI bill, so if there’s a problem, we need to notify the Army,” he added.
Moore’s communications director, Ben Martin, defended Moore’s service record, saying the claims were “offensive” not only to Moore but also to other Reserve members.
"Congressman Moore enlisted in 1988, completed basic training at Fort Jackson, served honorably, and was honorably discharged. He holds a Veteran Identification Card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA recognizes his service, and Alabamians do too,” Martin told 1819 News.
“What's truly offensive is the suggestion that service in the National Guard and Reserves somehow doesn't count. Tens of thousands of Alabamians have answered the call to serve our state and nation through the Guard and Reserve components, and they deserve our gratitude and respect. Congressman Moore has never claimed to have served in combat. Completing military training, wearing combat boots, and serving honorably are not claims of combat service; they are facts of military life. These attacks don't just diminish Barry Moore's service — they diminish the service of countless Alabamians who have worn the uniform with honor."
Questions about Moore’s service have continued to linger, prompting Moore’s campaign to issue a more detailed response.
At issue was why Moore’s NGB Form 22 listed his “total service for pay” at two years, six months and 21 days, from Dec. 20, 1988, through July 10, 1991, while he had claimed to have served a six-year contract.
However, the discharge form and the Veterans Affairs website also show that Moore continued to serve as a reserve member through January 1997, for a total of eight years of service.
Regarding his disputed rank, Moore’s campaign said he never claimed to be a retired staff sergeant, but his pay grade was E-6, which is a staff sergeant's pay grade.
As to whether or not he fits the definition of veteran, his campaign said, “Yes. The Department of Veterans Affairs issued him a Veteran Identification Card based on his service. The VA settled that question years ago... The discrepancy is with third-party misrepresentations of his record and how others described them in a write-up that botched the grade and rank, and a letter others drafted."
Moore served on active duty for basic training in 1989 from March through May, but never claimed to have deployed or seen combat, his campaign added.
"I served honorably in the Alabama Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve from 1988 to 1997, with records confirming my service and honorable discharge," Moore said in a statement to 1819 News. "I have never claimed service or honors I didn’t earn. Because Jared Hudson’s campaign is behind in the polls, he is willing to insult 39,738 Alabamians who serve in the National Guard and Army Reserves."
Moore is going head-to-head against former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in the Republican primary runoff election on June 16. Hudson publicly addressed the claims against Moore on social media last Thursday and released his own DD-214 form.
"Today I was asked about my opponent, Barry Moore’s, veteran status. I don’t know if the reports are true, and it’s not my place to make any claims,” Hudson said. “We’ve seen how the media can come up with salacious accusations, and this could very well be another example of that. I’ve seen people accusing me of not even being a Navy SEAL. My DD214 and everyone I’ve served with say otherwise. That being said, Congressman Moore can easily clear this up by releasing his DD214 as well as at our debate on Monday.”
Moore and Hudson were set to debate on Monday at the Montgomery Performing Arts Center, along with other runoff candidates for attorney general and lieutenant governor, but Moore had to cancel to be in Washington, D.C., for budget reconciliation talks, according to a post on his Facebook.
Moore’s campaign explained that he doesn’t have a DD-214 because “he was only on active duty during basic training, and that it only became a requirement to get a DD214 form in 2022."
“Jared Hudson, who knows exactly how military records work, should know that guardsmen who served basic training and never deployed prior to 2022 don’t get a DD-214, but they get an NGB-22, which Barry has provided," his campaign said. "Jared is deliberately attempting to mislead voters demanding documentation that doesn't exist. What’s really happening here isn’t about the release of records; it’s a political attack meant to discredit honorable service and diminish the commitment of thousands of Guardsmen and Reservists who answered the call to serve their country.”
Hudson took issue with Moore’s previous public comment about his discharge form and said the real issue was transparency, not attacking Moore's service.
“Congressman Moore was asked publicly if he could provide his DD-214, and he said he would ‘if he could find it.’ So the question is simple: if he already knew he didn’t have a DD-214, why tell voters he would provide one?” Hudson said. “This isn’t about attacking military service. It’s about honesty and transparency with the people of Alabama. My military record was questioned, and I provided my DD-214 immediately. Alabama voters deserve the same level of clarity and accountability from every candidate running for U.S. Senate.”
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