Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the current vice president pick for 2024 Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris, has been aware of stolen valor accusations going back to 2006, according to a report from CNN.
While Walz’s service in the U.S. National Guard remains undisputed, his use of the rank “retired Command Sergeant Major” has sparked accusations of stolen valor as well as his claims to have carried weapons “in war,” even though he never served in war or a combat zone. As Breitbart News reported, Walz “listed on his official biography a higher military rank than the one he ultimately retired with, drawing criticism from some veterans”:
Walz served in the Minnesota Army National Guard and retired at the rank of master sergeant, or an E-8. However, on his official website bio, he lists a higher rank that he served at for a short period that ultimately was rescinded, as he did not complete all the requirements to serve at that rank. However, his bio implies that he retired at the rank of command sergeant major, or an E-9.
After reports surfaced questioning his use of rank, the Kamala Harris campaign altered its official website’s biography of Walz by removing its reference to him as a “retired command sergeant major” and only noting that he once served at the command sergeant major rank.
According to CNN, Walz encountered criticisms of his service characterizations going all the way back to 2006 during his run for U.S. Congress, which he denied at the time. Per the report:
That year, multiple letters to his local paper in Mankato, Minnesota, accused him of making misleading statements about his service, including whether he had served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Walz found the accusations serious enough that he personally responded to them both.
At issue were a selection of political ads and statements on Walz’s website describing his overseas military service. While they described Walz as having served overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, they neglected to specify that he did so while serving in Italy, not Afghanistan.
While the statements and ads painted a confusing picture of Walz’s service, he did say in other interviews at the time he was posted to Italy instead of Afghanistan “by the lack of the draw.” In other interviews, Walz said that he had been deployed to Italy “in support of” Operation Enduring Freedom – the war in Afghanistan. His 2006 campaign biography also read, “Prior to retiring, Walz served overseas with his battalion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. A TV advertisement at the time also called Walz “the soldier who served for two decades but ready when they attacked” that showed an image of the Twin Towers burning on the front page of a newspaper. The ad also said he was “command sergeant major, retiring four years late after a tour supporting the war in Afghanistan.”
At the time, some of the ads drew scrutiny and several letters were sent to the editors at his local paper saying that Walz had been phrasing his service in a way to suggest he set foot in Iraq or Afghanistan.
“It strongly suggests that he fought in Iraq or Afghanistan, but does not say which country,” read the letter archived letter from 2006. “Because the information is not classified, Walz can tell the voters where he deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan and his BOG (boots on the ground) dates. If Walz did not deploy downrange, he should say so.”
Other letters were written in support of Walz.
“I was wondering when the Republicans would start ‘swift boating’ Tim Walz,” read one. “Tim Walz has never lied about his service. I have heard him speak several times, and he always explains that the battalion he led was sent to Italy during Operation Enduring Freedom to provide support to the U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan.”
The accusations were intense enough that Walz himself had to respond.
“On Saturday The Free Press printed a letter which implied I embellished my military record. The details of my record can be easily found in numerous articles by The Free Press and other newspapers. Therefore, I must assume that the letter is meant to slander my good name,” wrote Walz. “For the record, I served 24 years in the Army National Guard and retired as a command sergeant major in May of 2005. I served in three NATO training missions to the Arctic and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, serving in Italy in 2003-2004.”
“Using innuendo to defame a candidate’s character has no place in this debate,” he added. “This nation must do better because we have too many important issues facing us to do anything less.”
The accusation surfaced again in November 2006, which he also denied. At least one former service member under Walz’s leadership, Sgt. Ryan Marti, came to his defense.
A viral video, which the Kamala HQ account on X originally shared on Wednesday, featured Walz touting gun control before saying he carried a weapon in war:
I spent 25 years in the Army, and I hunt … I’ve been voting for common-sense legislation that protects the Second Amendment, but we can do background checks. We can do CDC research … We can make sure that those weapons of war that I carried in war is the only place where those weapons are at. [Emphasis added]
The Kamala HQ account repeated his claim in the post sharing the clip.
Gov. @Tim_Walz: I spent 25 years in the Army and I hunt. I’ve been voting for common sense legislation that protects the Second Amendment, but we can do background checks. We can research the impacts of gun violence. We can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war,… pic.twitter.com/3IVaXi2RP2
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 6, 2024
A subsequent report from the Washington Free Beacon on Wednesday also claimed that Walz had previously presented himself as a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom. Per Breitbart News:
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), who is facing accusations of stolen valor, allegedly falsely claimed in a previous press release that he was a veteran of Afghanistan.
In a 2006 press release issued by his campaign, Walz was described as being a “veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom.”
The war in Afghanistan, which began on October 7, 2001, was called Operation Enduring Freedom, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command website. The operation’s start came after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“Democrat Tim Walz will spend Sunday, Feb. 19th and Monday, Feb. 20th traveling across Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District as he formally announces his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives,” the press release said. “Walz, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and longtime Mankato educator is unopposed for the DFL endorsement and is slated to challenge Rep. Gil Gutknecht in November of 2006.”
A photo at the time featured Walz at an anti-President George W. Bush protest in which he was seen carrying a sign that read, “Enduring Freedom Veterans for [John] Kerry.”
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