More than 1.8 million Purple Heart medals have been awarded. The medal recognizes the sacrifices and contributions of service members seriously wounded or killed in enemy action. (Melissa Buckley/Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office)

WASHINGTON — An Iraq War veteran has petitioned the Army, claiming it failed to award him the Purple Heart for combat-related injuries suffered more than 20 years ago.

The medal, which honors extraordinary service and sacrifice on the battlefield, also unlocks medical and financial benefits for recipients and their survivors. There is no statutory time limit for awarding the Purple Heart.

Stephen J. Froom, of Colorado, a former military police soldier, argues in a petition to the Army Review Boards Agency that the military failed to consider his injuries and act to award him the Purple Heart in multiple instances.

Purple Heart medals recognize service members seriously wounded or killed in enemy action. Froom’s petition was submitted as a request to correct his military records. The award is usually a command responsibility, but the petition process is a path for correcting an omission.

Veterans awarded Purple Hearts also may qualify for special monthly compensation added to their VA disability payments, depending on the severity of injuries. The enhanced payments are to help veterans with serious medical needs.

Froom has a 100% disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, two traumatic brain injuries that caused him to lose consciousness, a shrapnel wound and other injuries, according to a Petition for Correction filed with the Army Review Boards Agency.

But more than 20 years after deployment, Froom is still fighting to receive the recognition he “rightly deserves,” said Allison Weber, his attorney. “This is about his effort to preserve his own legacy and to shed light on the contributions of other members of his unit.”

He also is seeking a Distinguished Service Cross or Silver Star for his service. The medals are the Army’s second- and third-highest decorations for valor, respectively.

“This is about claiming my legacy. Money has never been a motivator for me,” Froom said about his efforts for the formal recognition. “I have these events that shaped my life but no proof of them.’‘

Froom participated in missions to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s government and to restore order to the country, according to the petition. He served with the 204th Military Police Company.

Froom’s injuries were related to an ambush, grenade attack, firefight and car bombing while he was stationed in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, according to the petition.

There is no formal count on the number of petitions retroactively filed seeking Purple Hearts, according to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor.

“This request is made on the basis of error and injustice, in that [Specialist] Froom was injured as the result of combat,” Weber wrote in a letter that accompanied his petition.

The Purple Heart is awarded automatically to service members wounded in combat or by specific hostile acts, according to the Army.

“Despite contemporaneous documentation and eyewitness accounts, the associated awards were never formally reviewed,” Weber wrote. “He has previously exhausted all administrative remedies available to him.”

The Purple Heart also helps recipients with their medical care, disability claims and tuition assistance.

Army Specialist Stephen Froom, right, stands with Specialist Joshua Gutierrez in Iraq. Froom, who served as a military police soldier, has petitioned the Army for the Purple Heart medal for his injuries in an ambush, grenade attack, firefight and a car bombing while stationed in Iraq in 2003 and 2004. (Stephen Froom)

Recipients receive priority status for processing disability claims, according to the VA.

A Purple Heart medal may help qualify a veteran for special monthly compensation based on the seriousness of injuries, in addition to disability payments. The amount depends on the injury and impact on daily living. Examples of qualifying injuries include loss of a hand or limb, blindness or being permanently bedridden and unable to perform routine functions, such as bathing and dressing.

“A Purple Heart — and its documentation — serves as strong evidence that your injury occurred in combat, which is crucial for proving service connection for severe conditions that qualify for special monthly compensation or combat-related special compensation,” according to the VA.

Purple Heart recipients do not have copayments on outpatient services and hospitalizations at the VA. They receive priority status in scheduling VA medical appointments.

Recipients are granted full post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits, regardless of time on active duty. They receive preferences for federal government job opportunities, too.

Family members also may be eligible for health coverage, tuition assistance and other benefits.

Weber wrote that the “high op-tempo and various distractions” during Froom’s deployment led to oversight in recognizing him.

“Froom was a highly respected soldier and combat leader, who regularly exposed himself to danger to further the mission and protect his fellow unit members,” Weber wrote.

If his petition fails, Froom has the option to challenge the decision. He can sue in federal district court if an appeal is denied.

The Defense Department has not awarded Purple Hearts for PTSD, because the condition is classified as a psychological illness, not a physical injury.

Froom experienced “extreme PTSD as a result of his deployment,” according to the petition. He has had depression, painful memories and mental instability.

“I do have PTSD, but I do not feel it alone meets the standard for a Purple Heart,” Froom said.

But there’s growing pressure by veterans’ groups for the Defense Department to revisit Purple Heart eligibility, according to DisabledVeterans.org, an advocacy group founded by Benjamin Krause, an Air Force veteran and attorney.

Veterans with combat-related PTSD may be denied certain honors because their injuries are not seen, Krause said.

They often struggle “to explain the depth of their trauma to a system that often only acknowledges physical harm,” Krause said.