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A Texas congressman introduced legislation on Thursday to get “American Sniper” Chris Kyle the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in Iraq. As Checkpoint already explored, it’s highly unlikely it will happen. But the effort is also under fire from some who have served and see it as a political posturing.

The military blog This Ain’t Hell weighed in on the subject Friday. Army veteran Jonn Lilyea wrote that while he defends Kyle’s legacy in combat, the Navy SEAL has never been considered by the Navy for the nation’s top award recognizing combat valor. Williams introduced the legislation two days after Marine veteran Eddie Ray Routh was convicted of murdering Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, on Feb. 2, 2013 at a gun range in Texas.

via Effort to get Chris Kyle the Medal of Honor under fire by veterans – The Washington Post.

I concur with Jonn.

Rep. Williams is at best sincere but misguided, at worst, cynically exploiting the Medal of Honor, and Kyle, for political purposes.

And as Jonn notes, should Kyle be deserving of further accolades, the Navy has other options, such as a lesser award like the Legion of Merit, or perhaps even naming a future ship for him.

The Medal of Honor award process is already far too politicized (I can’t even begin to write on the news on CPT Swenson this week).