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Wannabee or Not?
Footnote: From todays Army times on line version.
Candidate’s military resume questioned
By Rick Maze
Times staff writer
An Army veteran running for Congress is facing questions about his military résumé.
Former Army captain Chris Wakim, a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, says he is a disabled veteran, West Point graduate and “Gulf War veteran” but has admitted under questioning that he never left the U.S. during operations Desert Shield or Desert Storm.
Wakim is running for the U.S. Congress, trying to unseat Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, D-W.Va., who spent 13 years in the Army Reserve beginning in 1970 and who, like Wakim, rose to the rank of captain before getting out of the military.
During a hotly contested race for West Virginia’s first congressional district, Wakim’s résumé has received a lot of attention and has undergone some changes. But he has stuck by his claim to be a Persian Gulf War veteran although he told reporters Tuesday that he spent the war assigned to Fort Devens, Mass., training troops who were deploying for the war.
Because he received no campaign ribbons, such as the Southwest Asia Service Medal for Gulf War veterans, Wakim does not fit the traditional definition of a war veteran although his campaign claims he meets the definition in federal law because he was in the service during a period of war.
Roll Call newspaper reported Wednesday that Wakim said he is a disabled veteran, receiving a disability check from the Defense Department for injuries suffered in the Army that include a broken back, crushed elbow and reconstructed knee. Wakim, however, did not provide any details about when and how he received the injuries. He received an honorable discharge in 1991.
Wakim’s biography calls him “a disabled veteran honorably discharged for injuries sustained in the line of duty.”
He also says he served in command and staff positions in the U.S. and Europe, rising to be a company commander for the Fourth Infantry Division before his military career ended.
In a recent interview with Arab American Institute, Wakim appeared to blur the details of his Gulf War service, saying his background as an Arab-American and his education were valuable to the Army.
“My company specialized in desert warfare, and certainly that was a timely specialty because of the first Gulf War,” he said. ”I lent my expertise as a desert fighter to develop our fighting force.”
Wakim is of Lebanese descent.
Mollahan has had his own troubles in seeking re-election because he has been under investigation for ties to nonprofit groups that have benefited from receiving money from Congress in earmarked appropriations sponsored by Mollahan.
While denying any wrongdoing, Mollahan was pushed by fellow Democrats under pressure from Republicans to give up his position as ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee while the investigation continues.
Candidate’s military resume questioned
By Rick Maze
Times staff writer
An Army veteran running for Congress is facing questions about his military résumé.
Former Army captain Chris Wakim, a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, says he is a disabled veteran, West Point graduate and “Gulf War veteran” but has admitted under questioning that he never left the U.S. during operations Desert Shield or Desert Storm.
Wakim is running for the U.S. Congress, trying to unseat Rep. Alan B. Mollohan, D-W.Va., who spent 13 years in the Army Reserve beginning in 1970 and who, like Wakim, rose to the rank of captain before getting out of the military.
During a hotly contested race for West Virginia’s first congressional district, Wakim’s résumé has received a lot of attention and has undergone some changes. But he has stuck by his claim to be a Persian Gulf War veteran although he told reporters Tuesday that he spent the war assigned to Fort Devens, Mass., training troops who were deploying for the war.
Because he received no campaign ribbons, such as the Southwest Asia Service Medal for Gulf War veterans, Wakim does not fit the traditional definition of a war veteran although his campaign claims he meets the definition in federal law because he was in the service during a period of war.
Roll Call newspaper reported Wednesday that Wakim said he is a disabled veteran, receiving a disability check from the Defense Department for injuries suffered in the Army that include a broken back, crushed elbow and reconstructed knee. Wakim, however, did not provide any details about when and how he received the injuries. He received an honorable discharge in 1991.
Wakim’s biography calls him “a disabled veteran honorably discharged for injuries sustained in the line of duty.”
He also says he served in command and staff positions in the U.S. and Europe, rising to be a company commander for the Fourth Infantry Division before his military career ended.
In a recent interview with Arab American Institute, Wakim appeared to blur the details of his Gulf War service, saying his background as an Arab-American and his education were valuable to the Army.
“My company specialized in desert warfare, and certainly that was a timely specialty because of the first Gulf War,” he said. ”I lent my expertise as a desert fighter to develop our fighting force.”
Wakim is of Lebanese descent.
Mollahan has had his own troubles in seeking re-election because he has been under investigation for ties to nonprofit groups that have benefited from receiving money from Congress in earmarked appropriations sponsored by Mollahan.
While denying any wrongdoing, Mollahan was pushed by fellow Democrats under pressure from Republicans to give up his position as ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee while the investigation continues.
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