On Tuesday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz defended his military record in the face of GOP scrutiny since becoming Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate last week.
He said he was proud of his service and criticized Republicans for disparaging it after attacks from the Party based on his time in the military.
“Proud to Have Served”
During a campaign appearance in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Walz stated, “These guys… are even attacking me for my record of service, and I just want to say, I’m proud to have served my country and I always will be.”
In recent days, Republicans have focused on Walz’s military record, claiming that he exaggerated his service.
“Stolen Valor Garbage”
The claims about Walz’s military record have been echoed loudly by Sen. JD Vance, who became the running mate of former President Donald Trump last month.
Walz has made exaggerated claims about his military service according to the Republican Party. These inflated statements have been referred to as “stolen valor garbage” by Vance.
Rank and Timing of Retirement
Walz was a congressman, a coach, a social studies teacher in high school, and a member of the Nebraska and Minnesota Army National Guards.
However, some of the governor of Minnesota’s characterizations of his service have been questioned, such as his rank at the time of his retirement and the timing of his retirement.
Serving in Iraq
Vance, a Republican from Ohio who served in the Iraq War, has been particularly vocal about the claims regarding Walz’s deployments and retirement from the guard, suggesting that Walz retired to avoid serving in Iraq in 2005.
According to a review of Walz’s military record and statements from the Minnesota Army National Guard on Iraq, Walz rose to the rank of command sergeant major but did not complete coursework for the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.
Walz “Misspoke”
As a result, he retired with the rank of master sergeant. Additionally, Walz retired prior to his battalion’s mobilization and deployment to Iraq, according to the records.
The Harris campaign has said that Walz “misspoke” in 2018 when remarks were made by him that implied he had served in combat.
Updated Language
In the midst of the controversy surrounding Walz’s military service, the Harris campaign has updated the language on their website to more accurately reflect Walz’s rank.
The Minnesota governor made a reference in his speech to his military service on Tuesday during his first solo campaign event since joining the Democratic ticket.
Enlisting at 17
Walz stated that he signed up for the Army National Guard two days after his 17th birthday and “I served for the next 24 years for the same reason all my brothers and sisters in uniform do — we love this country.”
Walz went on to say, “I am damn proud of my service to this country. And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record.”
“Thank You for Your Service”
He went on to say that he had “a few simple words” for “anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country,” which included his rival, Vance.
Walz said, “Thank you for your service and sacrifice.” In a social media post on Tuesday, Vance responded to the remarks, thanking Walz for his service as well.
Teasing Further Debate
However, Vance also made the accusation in his social media post that “you shouldn’t have lied about it” and teased additional discussion on the matter in a vice presidential debate.
Walz has earned medals while serving in both Nebraska and Minnesota Army National Guards as well as deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Past Service
Walz was initially enlisted in the Nebraska Army National Guard in 1981 where he served as an infantry senior sergeant and administrative specialist for 15 years.
Following that he transferred to the Minnesota Army National Guard in 1996 where we served as a cannon crewmember and field artillery senior sergeant.
Vance’s Comments
Vance said of his time in the military, “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.”
He continued, “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 Harris-Walz campaign’s response stated, “Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American’s service to this country.”
