A retired Air Force master sergeant says two little pins told voters a story Flippo’s military record does not support.
David Flippo wore the same hat for his whole campaign. On it sat his Bronze Star pin. Right next to it sat two Valor devices, small “V” pins that signal heroism in combat.
Then the Washington Post broke a scandal over his military valor claims. Immediately afterward, Flippo showed up to public appearances in a plain green hat. No Bronze Star. No Valor devices.
Nevada News & Views asked the Flippo campaign what the two Valor devices were meant to represent and which awards in his record they match. The campaign did not respond by the Monday noon deadline.
Now a retired Air Force master sergeant is asking the same question. What were those two Valor devices for?
What the Pins Mean
A “V” on a military award stands for valor. It means heroism in direct combat. It is a big deal, and veterans know it.
Daniel J. Casentini, MSgt Ret, USAF, says the answer is hiding in plain sight.
“Lt Col Flippo has not been transparent about his awards and decorations while he served in the USAF, but any former service member can derive the awards he earned by looking at the photo he used in his own campaign,” Casentini said.
That photo shows Flippo in his Air Force uniform, ribbons on his chest. To a veteran, a ribbon stack reads like a résumé.
According to Casentini, only two of Flippo's awards can even carry a Valor device. One is the Bronze Star. The other is his Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. And the Bronze Star ribbon in that official photo has no Valor device on it. That matches what the Washington Post reported last week.
Flippo earned his Bronze Star in 2004 for service, not combat heroism. Yet his 2023 campaign video called him a “recipient of the Bronze Star that he received for valor.” A fundraising email this February said he “earned the Bronze Star for valor.”
His campaign blamed “honest staff mistakes.” It said a copywriter mixed up the Bronze Star with his Outstanding Unit Award, which does carry a Valor device. Flippo apologized for “not proofing the material closer.”
The Elephant in the Room
That excuse covers videos and emails. It does not cover a hat.
A copywriter doesn't choose what goes on a candidate's head. Flippo did. He wore it to event after event, for months.
And the math doesn't work. By Casentini's count, Flippo has only one award with a Valor device, the unit award. So even if you buy the mix-up story, it explains one Valor device. He wore two, right beside his Bronze Star.
“Lt Col Flippo's wearing of two V devices on his hat, directly adjacent to his prominently displayed Bronze Star, seems to be a dishonest attempt to deceive uninformed voters into believing he earned the Bronze Star for Valor in my opinion,” Casentini said.
He also believes the setup gave Flippo cover.
“Lt Col Flippo probably pins the V devices to the side of the hat so he can conflate the two awards to the uninitiated, and then claims plausible deniability when he's confronted with his deception,” he said.
“It smacks of stolen valor to veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and know better,” he added.
Military awards expert Doug Sterner told the Post, “It amounts to a lie.”
Retiring GOP Rep. Mark Amodei was blunter. “I'm not having my last action walking out the door to hug a guy who I think is a fraud,” he said.
The “Combat” Claim
Casentini also questions Flippo campaign website line that calls him a “combat commander leading 1,000 Airmen in battle on the ground.” Casentini says the Army had already secured the base before those airmen got there.
He honors their service. They faced real danger from rocket and mortar fire. But he draws a line.
“Leading 1,000 Airmen on a mostly-secured base in a combat-zone is not ‘Leading 1,000 Airmen in Combat,'” he said.
“Lt Col Flippo's characterization of his combat service has been deceptive since he began his campaign in CD2. The display of the two V devices on his hat is just another example of his disingenuousness,” Casentini added.
Not the First Excuse
The hat isn't the only question. Flippo still hasn't filed the financial disclosure every House candidate owes voters. His campaign blames the closing of “one of his businesses.” Nevada News & Views dug into the records.
His HobbyTown store in Utah liquidated this spring. The company behind it was dissolved back in 2021, after taking $87,016 in pandemic loans. The store kept running for four more years anyway. And as it closed, another $350,000 of Flippo's money flowed into his campaign.
A video editor. A copywriter. A business closing. The excuses keep piling up.
What Comes Next
Election Day is November 3. The 2nd District leans strongly Republican, so Flippo is still favored. But questions like these tend to follow a candidate.
The fix is easy. Flippo could post his full military record, called a DD-214, for anyone to see. He could explain the two V pins in his own words.
Ask the campaign to release that record and explain the hat. Bring it up at town halls and GOP club meetings. Ask a veteran what those pins mean. Then decide for yourself.
Honesty isn't a left or right thing. It's the ground everything else stands on.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI.
