Secretary of War Pete Hegseth criticized a post Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., made about his service, telling the lawmaker, “you can’t even display your uniform correctly.”
Hegseth’s comments come a day after the Department of War announced a formal review into allegations of misconduct against Kelly over a video calling on service members to “refuse illegal orders.”
“So ‘Captain’ Kelly, not only did your sedition video intentionally undercut good order & discipline…but you can’t even display your uniform correctly,” Hegseth replied to a post Kelly made on X.
“Your medals are out of order & rows reversed. When/if you are recalled to active duty, it’ll start with a uniform inspection,” Hegseth added.
Kelly on Monday posted a picture of a uniform on X, writing, “When I was 22 years old, I commissioned as an Ensign in the United States Navy and swore an oath to the Constitution. “
“I upheld that oath through flight school, multiple deployments on the USS Midway, 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm, test pilot school, four space shuttle flights at NASA, and every day since I retired — which I did after my wife Gabby was shot in the head while serving her constituents,” he added. “In combat, I had a missile blow up next to my jet and flew through anti-aircraft fire to drop bombs on enemy targets.”
“At NASA, I launched on a rocket, commanded the space shuttle, and was part of the recovery mission that brought home the bodies of my astronaut classmates who died on Columbia. I did all of this in service to this country that I love and has given me so much,” Kelly also said.
Kelly’s office did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
MARK KELLY FIRES BACK AT TRUMP OVER MILITARY COMMENTS
The Pentagon has said it might call Kelly back to active duty to face court-martial proceedings or other administrative actions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
“This matter will be handled in compliance with military law, ensuring due process and impartiality,” the department said, adding that further comments will be limited to protect the integrity of the proceedings.
Kelly also said Monday, “If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work. I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”