Kinzinger's military service questioned after Facebook post (updated)

Air Force pilot Adam Kinzinger (R) said he received a "flurry of emails" questioning his military service shortly after he won the GOP nomination to face Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.).

"We ended up getting a flurry of emails the day after the primary that basically had an accusatory tone," Kinzinger told The Hill. "It surprised me."

He said the letters were prompted by a Facebook thread of comments that suggested he misrepresented his military record because he said he served in Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and flew a KC-135 Stratotanker -- an aircraft that isn't typically used by AFSOC.

The Iraq War veteran easily won last week's Republican primary in Illinois' 11th district and has strong backing from the party. The race could turn into a top tier target for the GOP.

It was William Walter's Facebook profile that brought the attention to Kinzinger's military record. Walter, whose profile states he's an Air Force officer stationed in Florida, referred comment to the AFSOC public affairs office. But he posted Kinzinger "is using his military rank, position, and false AFSOC credentials to try to 'wow' voters."

Kinzinger, a member of the National Republican Congressional Committee's Young Guns program, takes issue with people questioning his service record.

"I know where I've served and I know what I've done," Kinzinger said.

The NRCC backed up their candidate.

"Are things so bad for the Democratic Party that they have to attack a distinguished member of the military like Adam Kinzinger just to keep their heads above the water?," Tom Erickson, an NRCC spokesman, said in a statement. "This is nothing but a shameless political attack by a party desperately trying to change the subject from their gross mishandeling of the economic crisis."

Democratic operatives, meanwhile, pointed to a change in his website's biography page as a sign he had overstated his military record. The 31-year-old former McLean County Board member has made his military service a central theme of his campaign.

First, the bio on his website read: "In 2003, Adam joined the United States Air Force. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in November 2003 and was awarded his pilot's wings in 2005. Captain Kinzinger now serves as a pilot with the Air Force Special Operations Command."

The last sentence was later changed to "Captain Kinzinger has served in the Air Force Special Ops, Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, and Air National Guard."

Kinzinger said the changes to his online biography were designed to clear up the misconception about his piloting experience.

"We added basically all my past commands to the bio," he said. "That was my effort to go into even more depth."

Kinzinger said he's tried getting in touch with the individuals who contacted him about his service record but added he won't back away from showcasing his time in the Air Force. "It's authored into who I am."

Updated at 8:45 p.m.