The U.S. Army hasn’t determined whether a reserve officer killed in Sunday’s terror attack in Orlando, Florida, will posthumously receive a Purple Heart medal.
Capt. Antonio D. Brown was one of 49 people killed at Pulse nightclub when 29-year-old Omar Mateen attacked with a semi-automatic rifle.
Though he was not in uniform nor on duty during the attack, recent history suggests the officer will eventually receive the medal, as changes to the Defense Authorization Act in 2014 have allowed officials more leeway during the approval process.
“[Military officials] will need the facts and clarifications from law enforcement to make future determinations,” Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jerry Pionk told Army Times Thursday.
Americans who received a Purple Heart as a result of the legislative changes include victims of the Nov. 5, 2009, terror attack at Fort Hood U.S. Army Base in Texas; Four Marines and a sailor killed in the July 16, 2015, terror attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee; and then-U.S. Airman Spencer Stone, who helped foil a terror attack while riding a French train on Aug. 21, 2015.
The Times noted that Purple Heart recipients are not required to engage an enemy to receive the medal.
Mateen called 911 during the massacre and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group before he was killed by a SWAT team.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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