Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz‘s military record has come under renewed scrutiny following Vice President Kamala Harris’ announcement of Walz as her operating mate on the Democratic ticket.
On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump’s operating mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, who’s an Iraq Battle veteran, seized the chance to focus on his opponent’s army report, resurfacing claims about his deployments and his retirement from the guard.
Walz served honorably in each the Nebraska and Minnesota Military Nationwide Guards, incomes medals and deploying in help of Operation Enduring Freedom. However his remaining days of service have been known as into query, centering on his rank and if he retired to keep away from a 2005 deployment to Iraq.
A CBS Information evaluate of Walz’s army report and statements from the Minnesota Military Nationwide Guard present Walz achieved the rank of command sergeant main however was diminished in rank to grasp sergeant after retirement since he had not accomplished coursework for the U.S. Military Sergeants Main Academy.
On Iraq, information present Walz had retired earlier than his battalion was mobilized and deployed to Iraq. A 2005 assertion from his web site signifies Walz was initially ready to deploy to Iraq amid his bid for Congress. CBS Information has requested Walz for touch upon when he determined to retire.
A snapshot of Walz within the army
Walz retired from the Minnesota Military Nationwide Guard’s 1st Battalion, one hundred and twenty fifth Area Artillery in 2005 after greater than 24 years in service, the Minnesota Military Nationwide Guard instructed CBS Information.
Walz first enlisted within the Nebraska Military Nationwide Guard in April 1981, serving as an infantry senior sergeant and administrative specialist. In 1996, Walz transferred to the Minnesota Military Nationwide Guard, the place he first labored as a cannon crewmember and discipline artillery senior sergeant.
Minnesota Nationwide Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. Kristen Augé instructed CBS Information that Walz “held multiple positions within field artillery such as firing battery chief, operations sergeant, first sergeant, and culminated his career serving as the command sergeant major for the battalion.”
Walz earned a number of Military commendation and achievement medals throughout his greater than 24 years of service.
Walz deployed in August 2003 in help of Operation Enduring Freedom. The Minnesota Nationwide Guard instructed CBS Information the battalion supported safety missions at numerous areas in Europe and Turkey. Walz was stationed at Vicenza, Italy, on the time and returned to Minnesota in April 2004.
Controversy over a 2005 Iraq deployment
On Wednesday, Vance resurfaced claims that Walz retired from the Nationwide Guard to keep away from deploying to Iraq.
“When the United States Marine Corps, when the United States of America, asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country I did it. I did what they asked me to do, and I did it honorably and I’m very proud of that service,” stated Vance.
He added: “When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him — a fact that he’s been criticized for aggressively by a lot of the people he served with.”
The claims first gained prominence when Walz ran for governor of Minnesota in 2018. On the time, retired Military veterans Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr, who each served as command sergeant majors, posted on Fb a prolonged letter accusing Walz of “embellishing” his army profession and abandoning his Military Nationwide Guard battalion forward of a 2005 deployment to Iraq.
Within the letter, Behrends and Herr write that in early 2005, Walz’s unit — 1st Battalion, one hundred and twenty fifth Area Artillery — was slated to deploy to Iraq. On the time, Walz was serving because the unit’s command sergeant main.
Behrends and Herr claimed that from the time the unit was instructed to organize for an Iraq deployment and when Walz retired, he instructed different Military leaders he can be going to Iraq however later resigned his place earlier than the deployment to keep away from going to a fight zone.
Walz has stated he left the guard to run for Congress, in line with the Star Tribune. In 2006, Walz received his election to Congress in opposition to a six-term Republican incumbent.
Data present Walz formally filed paperwork with the Federal Election Fee on Feb. 10, 2005.
In March 2005, the Nationwide Guard introduced a doable partial mobilization of roughly 2,000 troops from the Minnesota Nationwide Guard, in line with an archived press launch from Tim Walz for U.S. Congress.
“I do not yet know if my artillery unit will be part of this mobilization and I am unable to comment further on the specifics of the deployment,” stated Walz within the March 2005 assertion.
The assertion continued: “As Command Sergeant Major I have a responsibility not only to ready my battalion for Iraq, but also to serve if called on. I am dedicated to serving my country to the best of my ability, whether that is in Washington DC or Iraq,” stated Walz, who indicated on the time he had no plans to drop out of the race. “I am fortunate to have a strong group of enthusiastic support and a very dedicated and intelligent wife. Both will be a major part of my campaign, whether I am in Minnesota or Iraq.”
The Minnesota Military Nationwide Guard instructed CBS Information that Walz retired on Could 16, 2005. CBS Information has requested Walz to make clear when he submitted his retirement papers.
The Minnesota Nationwide Guard instructed CBS Information that Walz’s unit — 1st Battalion, one hundred and twenty fifth Area Artillery — obtained an alert order for mobilization to Iraq on July 14, 2005 – two months after Walz retired, in line with Lt. Col. Ryan Rossman, who serves because the Minnesota Nationwide Guard’s director of operations. The official mobilization order was obtained on August 14 of the identical 12 months, and the unit mobilized in October.
CBS Information reviewed the deployment historical past for the Minnesota Military Nationwide Guard which reveals that within the fall of 2005, 1st Battalion, one hundred and twenty fifth Area Artillery was mobilized in preparation for a deployment in help of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion educated at Camp Shelby in Mississippi and deployed to Iraq as a motorized safety activity power.
In 2018, Tom Hagen, a army reservist who served in Iraq, wrote a letter to The Winona Day by day Information claiming Walz was not being candid about his service report and needed folks to know that the longer term Minnesota governor didn’t serve in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Walz responded in the identical newspaper and criticized Hagan as dishonoring a fellow veteran, in line with MPR Information. Walz wrote: “There’s a code of honor among those who’ve served, and normally this type of partisan political attack only comes from one who’s never worn a uniform.”
Joseph Eustice, a 32-year veteran of the guard who additionally led Walz’s battalion, instructed the Star Tribune in Oct. 2022 that the governor fulfilled his responsibility.
“He was a great soldier. When he chose to leave, he had every right to leave,” stated Eustice.
Walz’s rank as a command sergeant main
Official biographies on the Minnesota authorities web site and Vice President Kamala Harris’ web site describe Walz as a “retired Command Sergeant Major.” Nonetheless, paperwork reviewed by CBS Information present this isn’t correct; whereas Walz served at one level as a command sergeant main, he retired at a decrease rank.
Military veteran Anthony Anderson, who routinely obtains army information from the Protection Division utilizing the Freedom of Data Act and has labored with CBS Information on comparable tales, offered Walz’s information for evaluate. CBS Information has additionally requested the paperwork from the Nationwide Guard.
One of many paperwork reveals Walz reverted again to grasp sergeant from command sergeant main when he retired from the Minnesota Nationwide Guard in Could 2005.
Military troopers promoted to the rank of sergeant main or command sergeant main are required to attend the Sergeants Main Course, or what was previously referred to as the U.S. Military Sergeants Main Academy.
Lt. Col. Augé, the Minnesota Nationwide Guard spokesperson, instructed CBS Information that Walz retired as a grasp sergeant in 2005 for “benefit purposes” as a result of he didn’t full extra coursework on the U.S. Military Sergeants Main Academy.
Whereas Walz can say he served as a command sergeant main within the Minnesota Military Nationwide Guard, his official biographies are incorrect in referring to him as a “retired Command Sergeant Major.”
