Questions about Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s military record have centered largely on the Bronze Star Medal — first on his 18-year-long false claim that he had received it, and then on the controversial circumstances of the award’s presentation in 2024.

But a Spotlight on Maryland investigation has uncovered unexplained gaps and delays in his training that also warrant explanation, according to military personnel.

Spotlight reviewed more than 38 pages from Moore’s official military personnel file, obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, along with his public statements and prior reporting. To interpret the records, Spotlight consulted with eight retired Army officers.

They say a series of irregularities within the records raises a broader question: Did Moore treat Army service as a ticket-punch from which to build a political career, despite the obligation he accepted when he took the oath of office as a commissioned officer?

A July 3, 2006, Baltimore Sun article quotes Moore as stating he had political ambitions and that a mentor and senior officer advised him that a military deployment would help his resume toward that objective.

When asked directly, Moore did not answer Spotlight’s questions.

The retirees who spoke with Spotlight include a retired brigadier general, a colonel and two retired lieutenant colonels, who also served as Army ROTC professors of military science — Moore was commissioned from a junior college ROTC program. They asked to remain anonymous out of concern that they would be doxed or attacked on social media for providing their professional opinions on an elected official’s military record.

‘Professional non-participant’

On paper, Moore served in the U.S. Army Reserve from Sept. 13, 1996, to Jan. 1, 2014 — 17 years, 3 months and 19 days. But an analysis done by Spotlight on Maryland concludes that, except for one roughly seven-month period of active duty for a deployment to Afghanistan, Moore’s record reflects what a retired brigadier general described as that of a mostly “professional non-participant.” This is an officer whose name remained on the rolls, but who did not fully meet the responsibilities expected of junior officers by the Army.

Moore did not respond when asked if he fully met those responsibilities.

The gaps in training begin near the start of Moore’s career.

Moore attended Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania, for junior high, high school and his first two years of college, graduating in 1998 with an associate’s degree. While there, he participated in Army ROTC under a contract that required him to enlist in the Army Reserve. He enlisted on Sept. 13, 1996.

Because he remained an ROTC cadet pursuing a commission, he did not have to attend basic training. His military records also show the Army paid Valley Forge $25,626 in tuition over two academic years through an ROTC scholarship.

Valley Forge is one of four military junior colleges in the country that offers the Army’s Early Commissioning Program, which allows students to become reserve officers after two years of college. The commission is conditional under Army ROTC program requirements. Officers in this program are generally required to complete a bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university within 24 months and then attend initial entry officer training within three years of appointment. Moore received his commission as a second lieutenant on May 11, 1998, while he was still 19 years old.

In a 2006 résumé submitted during his bid for a White House Fellowship, Moore would later write, “At 19 years old, I was the youngest U.S. Army Officer in 1998.” Spotlight was unable to independently verify that claim, making it one of the earliest examples of Moore’s story not being easily verified in public records.

Marion Military Institute in Alabama, Georgia Military College and the New Mexico Military Institute also commission 19-year-olds annually through the same Early Commissioning Program. Without commissioning records from all four schools for 1998, there is no way to establish that Moore was the youngest officer in the Army that year.

When asked how he knew he was the youngest, Moore did not answer.

Academic delays, missed training

In the fall of 1998, despite the claim he grew up in Baltimore made in his book, “The Other Wes Moore,” he moved to Baltimore for the first time to attend Johns Hopkins University and complete the bachelor’s degree required under the terms of his commission.

Army orders, obtained through a FOIA request, placed 2nd Lt. Moore in “delay status for a period not to exceed 24 months to complete requirements of a baccalaureate degree.” During that period, the Army was supposed to determine whether Moore would continue in the active Army, Army Reserve or National Guard; assign him to a branch of the Army; and set the date for his initial entry officer training, then known as the officer basic course.

That course is mandatory. All newly commissioned officers are required to complete branch-specific training. Depending on the branch, the course can run from 12 weeks to 19 weeks. For the Military Police Corps — the branch to which Moore was eventually assigned — the course is 18 weeks. Reserve and National Guard officers must attend in an active-duty status, meaning they are expected to pause civilian work or schooling to do so.

Records released by the Army verify that Moore could not complete his bachelor’s degree at Johns Hopkins within the Army’s authorized 24-month academic delay period.

At that point, Army regulations would typically require an officer to apply for a waiver to further delay attending his officer basic course by up to 36 months, the maximum delay time allowed by regulation. The Army has confirmed to Spotlight that no such waiver authorization exists in Moore’s records.

Moore did not respond when asked if he applied for a waiver or how he continued his civilian education beyond the Army’s authorized 24-month academic delay in military training.

It ultimately took Moore the full 36 months — from the fall 1998 semester through spring 2001 — to complete his degree at Johns Hopkins. At any point in the last 12 months of delay, which was never authorized, the Army could have forced Moore to pause his civilian education to attend his required entry-level military schooling.

It didn’t happen.

When Moore graduated in May 2001, retired Army officers Spotlight consulted said that he should have attended his officer basic course immediately, just as he had agreed to do, and had been ordered by the Army to do.

A review of Moore’s military education transcript from the Army Training Requirements and Resources System (ATRRS) confirms that Moore was registered to attend the officer basic course at the U.S. Army Military Police School with a report date of June 3, 2001. Moore’s ATRRS transcript also confirms that he never reported.

Spotlight asked Moore for any information that explains how he was able to sidestep this obligation. To date, Moore has not responded.

Instead, Moore turned to Oxford University, where he decided to attend graduate school after learning he had been selected for a Rhodes Scholarship in January 2001. He made this decision despite his military orders explicitly stating: “Academic delay for graduate study is not permitted.”

Retired officers Spotlight consulted point out that Moore’s decision to do this violated the oath of office, as he was failing to well and faithfully discharge the duties he willingly accepted when he was appointed as a second lieutenant in May 1998.

For a newly commissioned officer in Moore’s circumstances, the Rhodes Scholarship should have presented an obvious conflict.

The Army had already funded his first two years of college through ROTC. His orders authorized a delay time to complete a bachelor’s degree, not graduate study overseas in the United Kingdom. Yet Moore accepted the scholarship, and the Army told Spotlight it did not identify a waiver in the records that would have allowed Moore to further delay attendance at his Army officer’s basic course.

He departed for Oxford despite the plain language of his orders prohibiting a delay for graduate school.

Had Moore applied and the Army approved such a request, as governed by Army Regulation 601-25, it would have been an extraordinary waiver, retired officers said.

The Rhodes Scholarship is ordinarily a two-year commitment. That would have pushed Moore five years past his commissioning date and two years beyond the Army’s maximum allowed academic deferment for civilian education (that isn’t medical or law school related) of three years, with the last 12 months requiring a waiver.

Even then, Moore did not finish his Oxford master’s on the usual two-year timetable.

According to reporting in December by the Washington Free Beacon, Oxford confirmed that it took Moore nearly four and a half years to earn his Master of Letters (MLitt) degree.

Moore’s degree was completed in November 2005, while he was on active duty, but it was not formally conferred because he never submitted his thesis for publication in Oxford’s world-famous Bodleian Library, which, according to the Free Beacon, is a requirement for formal conferral by the college.

When asked why he missed military training for Oxford and how he attended school in the United Kingdom for up to four additional years without Army waivers, Moore did not respond.

‘Erroneous enrollment’

One additional curiosity from Moore’s Army ATRRS transcript is that there was an attempt to change his Army branch and enroll in a March 2003 Infantry officer basic course at Fort Benning, Georgia. The transcript indicates that Moore may have reported to Fort Benning but was quickly withdrawn from the course for an unknown reason. The code used for the withdrawal was “erroneous enrollment.”

Moore did not respond when asked why he was withdrawn from the course.

Army records confirm that Moore left Oxford before completing his graduate degree, so he could belatedly attend his mandatory Army training.

On Feb. 22, 2005 — six years, nine months and 15 days after receiving his commission — 1st Lt. Wes Moore reported to the U.S. Army Military Police School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, to complete the basic course required to become a Military Police commissioned officer. It was nearly four years later than the Army’s maximum delay time allowed for.

Retired officers told Spotlight that, by then, Moore had become a sunk cost for the Army. Until he completed initial entry training, he was a non-branch-qualified officer and, therefore, a non-deployable asset while the nation was at war. That’s part of the reason they said an academic delay approaching seven years is unheard of. They agreed it was inconsistent with what they know about law, Army policy and Army regulation. And further agreeing, that even serving in a reserve unit performing part-time duty, an officer without formal branch training would have had limited value and little meaningful ability to lead troops.

Analogous to this would be having only a basic pilot’s license but being asked to fly a commercial airliner without having the appropriate follow-on certificates, ratings and flight experience that always accompany being an airline pilot. Moore had his Army commission and the Army’s pre-commissioning level of military education, but nothing more.

This is why any delay for civilian education beyond 24 months would have required written approval from the commanding general of U.S. Army Human Resources Command (then called Army Personnel Command – PERSCOM), and a delay beyond 36 months would have required annual extensions approved at the same level. The Army confirms that it did not identify such records.

At some point, the Army could have moved to separate Moore administratively for unsatisfactory participation and recoup the $25,626 spent on his ROTC scholarship. Under Army Regulation 135-100, newly appointed officers are required to acknowledge in writing that they must complete a resident officer basic course within 36 months of appointment or face discharge under Army Regulation 135-175 for failing to complete a basic branch course.

When asked how he had a seven-year academic delay without waivers or annual extensions, Moore did not respond.

Unanswered questions

Spotlight sent Moore a letter by overnight UPS, return receipt requested, on Feb. 25, asking six direct questions regarding his academic delay time and his inability to attend his officer basic course for most of the first seven years of his Army career.

The governor has not responded despite his communications team acknowledging receipt of the letter.

Those questions were:

Did you attend another Army branch’s Officer Basic Course before attending the Military Police course in 2005?

Did you obtain the waiver required to extend his original 24-month academic delay to 36 months while finishing his bachelor’s degree at Johns Hopkins?

Did you receive Army permission to disregard his commissioning orders stating that graduate study was not authorized and attend Oxford anyway?

If you did receive permission to attend Oxford, how long did the Army approve the delay before Officer Basic Course attendance could no longer be postponed — 12 months, 24 months or 36 months?

If the Army granted an extension, when did it finally tell you that no further delay would be allowed?

And did then-Maj./Lt. Col. Mike Fenzel [Governor Moore’s friend and mentor] intervene on your behalf in any way — including through his role at the time as a White House Fellow in 2000-01 — to help Moore obtain academic-delay waivers beyond the Army’s 36-month limit?

The Army has confirmed that, other than the initial authorized 24-month academic delay to earn a baccalaureate degree, no additional academic delay waivers exist in Moore’s records; and, to date, Moore has refused to explain how he was able to avoid attending his officer basic course within the required 36 months to attend civilian schooling.

This leaves two central questions in this first chapter of his military career:

How was a reserve officer commissioned in 1998 permitted to go more than seven years before completing the basic officer training the Army required him to finish within three?

And how did he manage to stay in the Army when the service would have been fully justified in separating him for unsatisfactory participation and considering recoupment of his ROTC scholarship?

Had Moore been separated from the Army Reserve, as some military experts think he should have been, he never would have been in a position to deploy to Afghanistan, an experience he has since used to shape his political identity, emphasizing leadership, service and the motto “leave no one behind.”

Drew Sullins can be reached at dpsullins@sbgtv.com. Spotlight on Maryland is a joint venture by FOX45 News, The Baltimore Sun and WJLA in Washington, D.C. Send story tips to spotlightonmaryland@sbgtv.com or call our hotline at (410) 467-4670. Follow us on X at @SpotlightMDNews, and on Instagram and Facebook at Spotlight on Maryland.

The Maryland Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

If you want a beach weekend, Maryland has one. If you want a mountain town with a 150-mile rail-trail running out the back of it, Maryland has that too. There’s a waterfront sailing village full of 1700s buildings. There’s the snowiest town in the state, tucked into the Allegheny forests. There’s a Civil War supply base that turned into a walkable little getaway. These seven towns each do one thing exceptionally well, and because Maryland is the size it is, you can hit a totally different one the next weekend without taking time off work. Here’s where to start.

Westminster

Just 31 miles from Baltimore and about 90 minutes from Washington, D.C., Westminster offers a walkable small-city getaway without the heavy crowds. Founded in 1764, the town later served as a supply base during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, a major turning point in the Civil War. At the Carroll County Farm Museum, visitors can explore Carroll County history, agricultural exhibits, and special events. The museum is located at 500 S. Center Street in Westminster, charges regular admission for most of the year, and currently lists free winter admission in January and February. For time outdoors, head to Wakefield Valley Park for birdwatching, trails, and peaceful green space. While there, look for the Raven Tree, a distinctive 22-foot sculpture by Thomas Sterner.

Hagerstown

Known as “the Hub” for the many railroads that once served the region, Hagerstown is Maryland’s sixth-largest city and has a population of about 43,000. Start with a stroll through Hagerstown City Park, where paths wind around Lower Lake and several cultural stops sit nearby. The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts features American paintings, textiles, sculptures, Asian art, Old Masters, and a permanent collection of more than 6,000 works. History lovers can also visit the Jonathan Hager House Museum, an 18th-century stone house built in 1739 and furnished with period pieces and artifacts. Before leaving the area, stop at the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum to learn more about the city’s railway heritage and the role railroads played in shaping the region.

Cumberland

Set in Maryland’s Allegheny Mountains, part of the broader Appalachian region, Cumberland blends mountain scenery with brick streets, leafy blocks, and a lively arts scene. In the 19th century, the town became an important transportation center and was closely tied to the National Road, the first federally funded road in the United States. One of the area’s most popular attractions is the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, a roughly 3-hour excursion through mountain views and historic rail country. To dig deeper into local history, visit the Allegany Museum, where exhibits cover transportation, industry, culture, and more than 50,000 artifacts. Admission is free, making it an easy stop for travelers who want more context on the region.

Active visitors can take on the Great Allegheny Passage, a 150-mile rail trail that connects Cumberland, Maryland, with downtown Pittsburgh. For a shorter outing, try the Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland, which runs from Cumberland toward the Mason-Dixon Line. The Barnum Rail-Trail is another option in the wider region, though it is located across the state line in Mineral County, West Virginia.

Ocean City

Ocean City is a classic Maryland beach escape, with 10 miles of shoreline, a lively boardwalk, and plenty of ways to spend the day outside. Visitors can grab seafood at local favorites such as On The Bay Seafood and Coral Reef Restaurant and Bar, then fill the afternoon with kayaking, snorkeling, surfing, or a walk along the sand. For a faster pace, Jolly Roger Amusement Park offers rides, games, a water park, and family-friendly attractions. Those who prefer a slower trip can relax by the beach and stay for the sunset. To learn about local sea rescues and Ocean City’s past, visit the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, where 2026 general admission is listed at $6 and children 11 and under are free.

Oakland

Surrounded by forests, hills, and mountain scenery, Oakland is a quiet town of about 1,900 people that works well for nature-focused trips. The area has outdoor activities in every season, from snowy winter escapes to warm-weather lake days. Oakland is also known as one of Maryland’s snowiest towns, with far more snowfall than the national average. A favorite nearby stop is Swallow Falls State Park, nine miles north of Oakland, where visitors can hike to Muddy Creek Falls, a 53-foot waterfall and one of Maryland’s signature natural sights. For lake access, head to nearby Deep Creek Lake State Park in Swanton, which offers beaches, trails, fishing, biking, and a canoe and kayak launch. Back in Oakland, visit the Garrett County Historical Museum, and check current hours for the society’s other sites, including the Garrett County Museum of Transportation in Oakland and the Grantsville Museum in Grantsville.

St. Michaels

St. Michaels is a waterfront town with a historic seaport atmosphere and a scenic setting along the Miles River and Broad Creek. The area began as a trading post and traces its roots back to the 1600s. In 1778, James Braddock bought 20 acres and laid out St. Mary’s Square, which remains part of the town’s historic core. Many local buildings date from the 1700s and 1800s, giving the town an old-world feel. In recent decades, St. Michaels has shifted from a working waterfront economy rooted in shipbuilding and seafood processing toward tourism, museums, boating, and heritage travel. Visitors can explore the St. Michaels Museum or the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum for exhibits, hands-on learning, and on-the-water experiences. Kayaking, sailing, biking, and the free self-guided historic house walking tour are also great ways to enjoy the town. For a classic Chesapeake outing, book one of the local sailing tours, including Chesapeake Skipjack Sailing Tours on the Miles River.

Cambridge

Laid out in 1684 and named two years later for the English university town, Cambridge is a gateway to Dorchester County’s Harriet Tubman heritage. Tubman was born enslaved in Dorchester County, not in downtown Cambridge, and her story remains central to the region’s identity. After escaping slavery, she returned to Maryland about 13 times and guided roughly 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, to freedom on the Underground Railroad. To learn more about her life and legacy, visit the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center. Another worthwhile stop is the Choptank River Lighthouse, which stands along the Choptank River. About 12 miles south of Cambridge, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge offers marsh, forest, and wetland habitats where visitors can look for birds and other wildlife. Along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, Brodess Farm marks the privately owned Bucktown-area site where Tubman spent part of her childhood. No trace remains of the original Brodess home, so it is best understood as a historic marker rather than a house tour.

Your Ideal Maryland Escape Awaits

Whether you want a mountain getaway in Cumberland, a beach vacation in Ocean City, or a waterfront weekend in Cambridge, Maryland has a setting to match the trip. The state brings together marshlands, sandy beaches, mountain trails, historic towns, and museums that tell stories from several chapters of American history. Spend the day on the beach, learn about places connected to the Civil War and the Underground Railroad, or challenge yourself on the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage. For a trip with variety and plenty of local character, these Maryland destinations are well worth planning around.