NOTUS: “Mills was awarded the star after January 2021. Four years later, five people who served with him — including two of the men the document says Mills saved in different incidents — say they have no recollection of Mills being at the incidents listed on the form.
“He didn’t save my life,” Private First Class Joe Heit, who is cited by name on the recommendation form as one of the soldiers Mills saved, told NOTUS. “I don’t recall him being there either.”
NOTUS reviewed the Department of the Army Form 638 prepared for Mills — the document used to recommend soldiers for awards. The form lists four of Mills’ “achievements.” The document says he exhibited “exceptional bravery” during Operation Iraqi Freedom, saved the lives of Heit and Corporal Alan Babin, saved in a separate incident Sergeant First Class Joe Ferrand, who had been “grabbed by an enemy insurgent,” and was a “dedicated mentor and leader” who shared his knowledge with junior medics.
Mills “routinely exposed himself to enemy fire” and displayed “extraordinary heroism,” the form reads. The Daytona Beach News Journal previously cited this form in August 2024, which the newspaper said Mills shared with them.
In a statement to NOTUS, Mills said “No soldier writes their own DA Form 638. It is a recommendation for award and soldiers cannot recommend themselves. The form must be reviewed and signed by commanding officers.” Mills did not directly answer a question about who wrote the form.
Mills’ former colleagues’ on-the-record recollections of his involvement in the war offer new insight into the accusations of stolen valor that have dogged Mills in recent years. Some of these accusations have circulated from political opponents of Mills on social media and blogs.Mills, who has said he wants to run for senator in Florida, has repeatedly relied on his military record to elevate his profile. Now, questions around his Bronze Star have been relayed to the Office of Congressional Ethics, according to a source with direct knowledge of a complaint sent to the office.”