Democrats’ Tim Walz “Stolen Valor” Problem Is Very Real

• Tim Walz is accused of “stolen valor” for falsely asserting that he fought in war, and for identifying himself with a rank he did not earn

• He left his battalion as its deployment to Iraq was imminent, despite saying he would serve if called upon

• His former comrades have spoken out against him, causing a major headache for the Kamala Harris campaign

The story

Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), chosen by Kamala Harris as her presidential running mate, is under scrutiny for misleading the public about his military service. Walz served in the Minnesota National Guard from 1981 to 2005 and rose (briefly) to the rank of Command Sergeant Major — the most senior enlisted rank in the reserve force.

In 2003, Walz was deployed to Italy in a support role for Operation Enduring Freedom. His battalion was called again in 2005 for deployment to Iraq, but he didn’t go. Walz had submitted retirement paperwork two months prior. He never entered an active war zone and never saw combat.

The circumstances around Walz’s retirement raise questions about whether he deliberately avoided his unit’s deployment to Iraq. He also faces accusations of "stolen valor," with claims that he falsely implied or allowed others to believe he served in Iraq and Afghanistan, despite never having done so. He did fail to correct the record when such statements were made about him.

Stolen valor

Recently, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) — a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq — attacked Walz, saying, “I’d be ashamed if I were him and I lied about my military service like he did.”

This begs the question: Did Walz lie about his military service?

One avenue of attack against Walz is about him intentionally misleading the public regarding his veteran status, specifically regarding the Afghanistan War’s “Operation Enduring Freedom.” When Walz announced his 2005 run for Congress, a Minnesota newspaper identified him as “a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom.” He never corrected the record to clarify his involvement in a support role — in Europe.

Additionally, Walz repeatedly referred to himself as a “retired Command Sergeant Major.” He is not. Though he provisionally received the title, Walz did not complete the work required to keep it and was “reduced to Master Sergeant.” He was also slammed by fellow Minnesota National Guardsmen for dropping out of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy.

In 2004, he attended a protest of President George W. Bush and held a sign that read, “Operation Enduring Freedom Veteran 4 Kerry” — despite not having participated in the Afghanistan ground operation.

Though Walz was never directly involved in any war, in 2018 — while speaking to a crowd in favor of gun control legislation — Gov. Walz asserted, “We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at.”

Escaping deployment

A second attack against Walz refers to his retirement to escape deployment to Iraq. Although the media portrays his notice of retirement as having being submitted months before his deployment orders were received — with purely coincidental timing — his own comrades disagree. During a CNN appearance, Walz’s former superior confirmed that Walz was fully aware in advance that his deployment to Iraq was "going forward."

Just before dropping out of the Guard, Walz claimed in a campaign statement released on March 20, 2005 that he had a responsibility to serve if called on. "As Command Sergeant Major, I have a responsibility not only to prepare my battalion for Iraq, but also to serve if called upon."

But, three days earlier, the National Guard Public Affairs Office had announced that at least part of his battalion could be deployed to the Middle East within two years, removing all uncertainty about whether Walz knew he’d be deployed before retiring. He did.

Called out by his peers

As he was running for Minnesota governor in 2018, his former comrades published an open letter on Facebook to expose how Walz “embellished and selectively omitted facts and circumstances of his military career for years.” They listed myriad examples of Walz’s failure to stick by his battalion, and accused him of repeatedly lying and hyperbolizing about his service.

In the conclusion to his comrades’ four-page excoriation, they claim Tim Walz “failed his country. He failed his state, he failed the Minnesota Army National Guard … traitorous, fraudulent, and shameful.” Such a letter does not come across as a mere political attack against a man seeking high office, but as a warning about the man’s character.

Walz’s own battalion commander, retired Army Col. John Kolb, spoke out against Walz. Kolb said that it is “an affront to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps” that Tim Walz continues to identify himself as a Command Sergeant Major. "He did not earn the rank or successfully complete any assignment as an E9,” meaning Walz has no right to refer to himself as a Command Sergeant Major.

Why it matters

Accusations of “stolen valor” carry immense weight among veterans. For years, Tim Walz continued to identify himself as a “retired Command Sergeant Major.” He did not earn the rank, and he falsely claims to have fought in battle.

Walz wasn’t compelled to run for Congress. Though he crowed about his responsibility to serve his country if called on, seeking federal office took precedence over duty. After serving 24 years in the Minnesota National Guard, Walz will have to contend with accusations that he shunned combat and bailed on his battalion for a career in politics.