WASHINGTON (AP) – Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz served 24 years in the National Guard, rose through the ranks and received an honorable discharge. It is a record that is considered one of his political strengths. Republicans are trying to turn that into a weakness.
They have drawn criticism from former National Guard members who condemned Walz, the Minnesota governor, for retiring from the military in 2005 to attend Congress shortly before his unit deployed to Iraq and exaggerating the value he held after leaving the service. They have also pointed to Walz’s comment suggesting that he had seen the fight, when he had not.
It’s a risky strategy for Republicans that invites comparisons between Walz, who served decades in the military, and former President Donald Trump, who received multiple deferments to avoid serving in Vietnam, including a deferment obtained with a doctor’s letter stating he suffered from bone spurs. at his feet.
Walz’s supporters dismiss such criticism as politically motivated and denigrating the sacrifices he and other troops have made. Kamala Harris-Walz’s campaign has defended her record, saying she is a “tireless advocate for the men and women in uniform.”
The criticism is not so much about Walz’s service, but about how he has characterized his tenure and how he ended his tenure.
An Associated Press review of Walz’s statements as a congressional candidate, congressman and governor shows that Walz has alternated between accurate and sloppy on key details.
An overview of the findings
The ranking matters
“I’m a retired sergeant major,” Walz said in 2006 while campaigning to unseat a six-term Republican in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District.
That declaration was not true.
Walz briefly served as command sergeant major, but that was not his rank when he retired. That distinction—serving as a command sergeant but not retiring—may seem minor to civilians. For those in uniform, it is not.
Value is valued in the military. Known as an E-9 in Army parlance, the command sergeant major is the pinnacle of achievement in the Army forces.
“There’s a reason there’s so much anxiety about this among soldiers that may be lost on the rest of the population,” said former Minnesota Army National Guard Col. John Kolb. “The rank of command sergeant major, that E-9 rank, is sacred. It’s rare.”
With the Iraq settlement looming, Walz is leaving
In military terms, Walz’s 24 years of service is remarkable. He could have retired almost three years earlier. But under scrutiny are the circumstances surrounding his retirement and how it overlapped with his political ambitions.
In January 2005, Walz attended a boot camp in Minnesota for people interested in careers in progressive politics. A month later, Walz announced that he was considering a run for Congress. Walz’s battalion was notified of a possible deployment to Iraq.
In a campaign press release, Walz said he would stay in the congressional race “whether I’m in Minnesota or Iraq.” Less than two months later, on May 16, 2005, Walz retired from the National Guard.
Walz “misspoken” about carrying weapons of war
Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, seized on a comment Walz made in a 2018 video posted on social media in which Walz said “the weapons of war I carried in the war.” Vance, who served as a corporal in the Marine Corps, accused Walz of lying while in a combat zone.
The Harris campaign said Walz “misspoken” in the video and “makes a case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms.”
Walz and other Guard troops were sent to Italy in 2003 to secure a base in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the Pentagon’s name for the war in Afghanistan.
Risky business
For many Democrats, the GOP barrage against Walz is an eerie replay of tactics used to smear their 2004 presidential candidate, John Kerry, by questioning Kerry’s leadership as a fast-boat commander in Vietnam.
But the effort to turn Walz’s National Guard credentials into a political liability could remind voters that Trump never joined the military and has previously expressed disdain for those who served, according to a 2020 report. Trump has denied the claim.
Vance was deployed to Iraq as a military reporter. After four years, he left the army for university and later a career in venture capital and as a best-selling author.
Walz’s supporters dismiss the criticism as politically motivated attacks that denigrate the sacrifices he and other troops have made.
The Harris campaign said in a statement that Walz has been a “tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform — and as Vice President of the United States, he will continue to be a relentless champion for our veterans and military families.”
