WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz served for 24 years in the National Guard, rose through the ranks and was honorably discharged. That career is considered one of his political strengths. Republicans are trying to turn it into a weakness.
They have echoed criticism from former National Guardsmen who have denounced Minnesota Governor Walz for leaving the military in 2005 to run for Congress shortly before his unit was deployed to Iraq and for exaggerating his rank after leaving the service. They have also pointed to a comment by Walz that implied he had been deployed in combat when he had not.
It’s a risky strategy for Republicans that draws comparisons between Walz, who served decades in the military, and former President Donald Trump, who received a series of deferments to avoid deployment to Vietnam, one of which came thanks to a doctor’s note stating he suffered from bone spurs in his feet.
Walz’s supporters dismiss the criticism as politically motivated and call it a denigration of the sacrifices he and other soldiers have made. The Kamala Harris-Walz campaign team defended his record, calling him “a tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform.”
The criticism is directed less at Walz’s service record than at the way he characterized his time in uniform and how he ended his service.
An Associated Press review of Walz’s statements as a congressional candidate, congressman and governor shows that Walz vacillates between precision and carelessness on key details.
A look at the results
Rank is important
“I’m a retired command sergeant major,” Walz said in 2006 as he campaigned to unseat the six-term Republican in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District.
This statement was not true.
Walz briefly served as a command sergeant major, but that was not the rank he held when he retired. That distinction—serving as a command sergeant major but not retiring in that position—may seem insignificant to civilians. To those in uniform, it is not.
The rank is highly valued in the Army. A Command Sergeant Major, known in military jargon as E-9, is the pinnacle of achievement in the Army’s enlisted corps.
“There’s a reason there’s so much fear about this among military members that the rest of the population may miss,” said former Minnesota Army National Guard Colonel John Kolb. “The rank of command sergeant major, that rank of E-9, is sacred. It’s rare.”
As the Iraq mission approaches, Walz leaves
By military standards, Walz’s 24 years of service are impressive. He could have retired almost three years earlier. But it is the circumstances of his retirement and the overlap with his political ambitions that have drawn criticism.
In January 2005, Walz attended a boot camp in Minnesota for people interested in a career in progressive politics. A month later, Walz announced that he was considering running for Congress. Walz’s battalion was notified of a possible deployment to Iraq.
In a campaign press release, Walz stated that he would stay in the race for Congress “whether I’m in Minnesota or in Iraq.” Less than two months later, on May 16, 2005, Walz retired from the National Guard.
Walz “let slip” about carrying military weapons
Trump’s running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, seized on a comment Walz made in a 2018 video posted on social media in which Walz can be heard saying “weapons of war that I carried in war.” Vance, who served as a corporal in the Marine Corps, accused Walz of lying about being in a combat zone when he was never there.
The Harris campaign said Walz “misspoke” in the video and “makes the case for why there should never be weapons of war on our streets or in our classrooms.”
Walz and other National Guard soldiers were sent to Italy in 2003 to provide security at military bases in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, as the Pentagon called the war in Afghanistan.
Risky business
For many Democrats, the Republicans’ attacks on Walz are an eerie repeat of the tactics they used to discredit their presidential candidate, John Kerry, in 2004 by questioning his leadership skills as a speedboat commander in Vietnam.
But trying to turn Walz’s National Guard service into a political liability could remind voters that Trump never joined the military and has previously expressed disdain for those who have served, according to a 2020 report. Trump has denied that claim.
Vance was deployed to Iraq as a military journalist. After four years, he left the military to study and later pursue a career in venture capital and as a best-selling author.
Walz’s supporters dismiss the criticism as politically motivated attacks that belittle the sacrifices he and other soldiers made.
In a statement, the Harris campaign said Walz had 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 tireless champion for our veterans and military families.”
Jonathan Mattise and Richard Lardner, The Associated Press
