Sponsor
James Baird
Representative · R-IN
Representative · R-IN
The bill allows a retroactive Medal of Honor to correct a past oversight and affirms DoD's authority to fix awards, trading a meaningful act of recognition and institutional fairness for a modest cost and the potential precedent of more late-award exceptions.
Service members and veterans benefit because the Army and Department of Defense are explicitly affirmed to correct past award decisions, improving institutional fairness and the ability to right historical oversights.
Individual veterans (e.g., Nicholas Dockery) can receive the Medal of Honor despite statutory time limits, ensuring their documented heroism is formally recognized and honored.
Taxpayers and military personnel face a precedent risk because granting this exception may encourage additional late-award requests and further discretionary exceptions.
The Department of Defense and White House incur processing, administrative, and ceremonial costs for a retroactive Medal of Honor, creating modest financial and operational burdens on federal resources.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Waives time limits and authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to Nicholas Dockery for valorous actions on October 2, 2012, in Afghanistan.
Official title: Nicholas Dockery Medal of Honor Act
Introduced January 21, 2026 by James Baird · Last progress March 26, 2026
Authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to Nicholas Dockery (formerly Kareem N. Dockery) for acts of valor he performed while serving in the Army on October 2, 2012, in Afghanistan. The bill waives any statutory time limits that would otherwise bar the award and identifies the actions as those for which he previously received the Silver Star. The law simply creates a legal exception to allow the Medal of Honor to be conferred despite statutory time bars; it does not change military awards policy generally, create new benefits, or appropriate funds.