Veterans have alleged that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz of "embellishing" his military service and deserted his National Guard battalion. They claim that Walz, who is now the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, never saw combat and left the service before his unit's 2005 deployment to Iraq.
Walz, 60, ended his military service just in time to begin his political career, successfully winning a seat in Congress in 2006. Walz, chosen by Vice President Kamala Harris as her running mate, served over twenty years in the Army National Guard. His selection strengthens the nominee's stance on defense issues. The timing of his separation from military came to light during his 2008 gubernatorial campaign.
Never Saw Combat, Left Service Midway
In a 2018 letter posted on Facebook during Walz's initial gubernatorial campaign, retired Command Sergeants Major Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr claimed that Walz ended his 24-year National Guard career after finding out his battalion was headed to Iraq. They also alleged that he had previously promised his comrades that he would go with them.
"On May 16th, 2005, [Walz] quit, betraying his country, leaving the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and its Soldiers hanging; without its senior Non-Commissioned Officer, as the battalion prepared for war," Behrends and Herr wrote.
Behrends and Herr condemned Walz for leaving the National Guard to pursue a congressional seat, noting that he could have requested permission from the Pentagon to run for office while still on active duty.
They also accused him of bypassing the necessary paperwork for a proper military discharge, saying he "slithered out the door," as indicated by his retirement documents showing "soldier not available for signature."
The National Guard members further charged the now two-term Minnesota governor with "embellishing and selectively omitting facts about his military career for years."
The letter was originally revealed by the Daily Wire.
Many in His Defense
Despite the accusations, Walz has maintained that he has "an honorable record," and other service members who led the same battalion have come to his defense.
"He was a great soldier," said Joseph Eustice, a 32-year National Guard veteran, in a 2022 interview with the Star Tribune.
"When he chose to leave, he had every right to leave," Eustice added, suggesting that the criticisms of Walz's record might have come from disgruntled soldiers who were overlooked for promotions.
Another National Guard member who served under Walz said that the future U.S. lawmaker had been considering a congressional run before 2005.
"Would the soldier look down on him because he didn't go with us? Would the common soldier say, 'Hey, he didn't go with us, he's trying to skip out on a deployment?' And he wasn't," Al Bonnifield recalled to Minnesota Public Radio of Walz's concerns about dipping out before the deployment to Iraq.
"He talked with us for quite a while on that subject. He weighed that decision to run for Congress very heavy [sic]," Bonnifeld added. "He loved the military, he loved the guard, he loved the soldiers he worked with."
"We all do what we can. I'm proud I did 24 years," Walz has said about his service.
Walz enlisted in the National Guard after high school and served in the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery, where he rose to the rank of command sergeant major before retiring. During his time in Congress, Walz opposed then-President George W. Bush's plans to increase troop levels in Iraq.
