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I do not believe claiming to have earned military medals is comparable to lying about having a better (_______ - fill in the blank) than someone else has. Let’s view it thusly -if an active duty soldier places a medal or ribbon upon their uniform that was not earned, they are subject to punishment under the UCMJ. If this is no big deal, then perhaps the military should end punishment of this transgression? After all, it’s just a little white lie, and meaningless. Placing said medal(s) or ribbon(s) on one’s uniform would NOT result in their receiving any benefit, now would it? A soldier’s pay isn’t based upon sporting these medals or ribbons. Advancement in rank is also not based upon receipt of such medals/ribbons. So, where is the benefit? No harm, no foul, right? I’m not buying your argument there is no benefit, or potential benefit from claiming to have “EARNED” medals/ribbons one has not earned.

"if an active duty soldier places a medal or ribbon upon their uniform that was not earned, they are subject to punishment under the UCMJ"

I see you can't find a framer who said that lying should be punishable under the law. So now you are going to compare what is punishible under the UCMJ to what happens in the civilian world? Really? Article 89 says that you can be punished for disrespect towards a superior officer. So if someone tells the boss to f--- off should that be punishable? Article 123 says that if you bounce a check you can be punished. Is that what we want in the civilian world? Is the whole UCMJ the standard of conduct for everyone now? If you're going to apply one article of the UCMJ to civilians, then you have to apply all of them if your logic is to hold up.

"I’m not buying your argument there is no benefit, or potential benefit from claiming to have “EARNED” medals/ribbons one has not earned."

You don't have to "buy" it. You have to prove that Alvarez injured someone else or gained by his lies in some way. Some esoterical argument that he hurts all of the men and women in uniform is not going to cut it in a court of law. And it shouldn't. I don't want to live in a thought police and speech police society.