Senate Minority Whip JD Vance of Ohio has intensified his criticisms of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s military record, claiming that Walz avoided serving in Iraq when he left the Army National Guard to seek election to Congress in 2005. Walz is running as a mate for President Trump.
The Democratic contender for vice president, Walz, was also accused by Vance of making an unfounded claim about his service in a war zone while serving in the Army National Guard.
Despite Walz’s retirement two months before his unit was ordered to deploy to Iraq, Republicans and Democrats alike are trying to paint a picture of the obscure governor in the wake of his Tuesday selection as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running partner by casting doubt on his military background. The Harris team is attempting to appeal to people with Walz’s selection—among other things, his 24-year military service—while Republicans are attempting to undermine his appeal by depicting him as a leftist who is out of touch with reality.
Unlike their running mate, both Vice President candidates Walz and Vance have military experience.
After 24 years of service, Walz retired in 2005 from the Army National Guard. Within same year, he began running for the 1st Congressional District of Minnesota, a seat he ultimately won in November 2006.
Vance accused Walz of deserting his unit prior to its 2006 deployment to Iraq during a campaign stop in Michigan on Wednesday.
I volunteered to serve my nation in Iraq when the United States Marine Corps and the American government requested me to. What they required of me, I carried out with dignity, and I am immensely proud of the service I rendered. You know what Tim Walz did when his country asked him to go to Iraq? Vance stated that he had left the Army and let his regiment go without him.
In order to run for Congress, Walz submitted his papers to the Federal Election Commission on February 10, 2005. In a statement made the following month, Walz’s campaign stated that he wanted to remain in the race, following the guard’s announcement of a potential deployment to Iraq within two years.
The details of the deployment remain unclear, and I am unable to speak further at this time,” Walz stated in the press release from March 2005, about whether or not his artillery unit would be included in the mobilization.
“As Command Sergeant Major, it is my duty to prepare my battalion for Iraq and to be prepared to serve in the event that I am summoned. “I have no intention of withdrawing from the race, but I am unwilling to speculate on the trajectory of my campaign in the event that I am deployed. My commitment to serving my country to the utmost extent will remain unchanged regardless of my location—in Washington DC or Iraq,” he stated. Having a wonderful, supportive community and a smart, hardworking wife has been a blessing. No matter where I run my campaign—in Iraq or Minnesota—both will play a significant role.
By May 2005, Walz had hung up his hat with the Army National Guard, states the Minnesota National Guard. Walz explained his decision to step down from the guard position in an interview he gave to the Library of Congress in 2009. He cited worries about the Hatch Act, which restricts government employees’ ability to engage in political activities, and his desire to devote himself fully to running for Congress.
Many military personnel submit their retirement paperwork well in advance of their scheduled retirement date. The exact date that Walz sent in his retirement paperwork is unknown.
When asked when Walz submitted his retirement paperwork, the Harris campaign did not comment quickly.
According to a National Guard article detailing his unit’s deployment to Iraq, alert orders were sent in July 2005, just two months after Walz retired. The unit set a record for the longest continuous deployment of any military unit during US operations in Iraq, lasting 22 months, after first mobilizing to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, in the fall of 2005 to prepare for deployment. The Guard claimed this feat in March 2006.
Vance accused the governor of being “dishonest” in asserting his claims of war service, and he attacked Walz for making those claims in his remarks on Wednesday.
According to Vance, Walz informed him that Americans “shouldn’t allow weapons that I used in war to be on America’s streets,” implying a desire for stricter gun control measures.
On Tuesday, Vance cited a social media video that the Harris campaign had posted in which Walz discussed his shift in stance in the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting and his newfound support for a ban on assault weapons.
This is the sole location where those weapons of war, which I carried during the conflict, are,” Walz stated in the film.
A representative from the Minnesota Guard stated that Walz was sent to Vicenza, Italy, in August 2003 by the Minnesota National Guard to assist the United States in its fight in Afghanistan. During his military career, he did not go on a deployment to a conflict zone, such as Afghanistan or Iraq.
“The Governor carried, fired, and trained others to use weapons of war innumerable times in his 24 years of service,” stated a Harris campaign official. Governor Walz has expressed his gratitude to Senator Vance for risking his life in defense of our nation and has pledged never to disparage or discredit the sacrifices made by any American. That’s how Americans do it.
According to his military record, Vance was an enlisted combat journalist for four years in the Marine Corps, specializing in public relations. He was sent to Iraq once, for around six months. He was a corporal when he quit the military in September 2007.
When asked about Vance’s concerns on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pushed back.
To serve his nation, this young man enlisted when he was just seventeen years old. As a member of the Army National Guard, he served for twenty-four years. I take it this person has taught high school before, correct?” That was what Jean-Pierre said. “A high school coach who hails from a Midwest small town—his bio does a good job of describing who he is and what he has accomplished; I won’t say anything more.”
The criticisms leveled against Walz’s military record are not new. In 2022, the Republican challenger to the Minnesota governor allegedly held a press conference with veterans during the last stages of the campaign, criticizing the governor for his decision to leave the National Guard. This was reported by the Star Tribune.
Walz justified his duty at that moment.
“Everyone does their part. Walz told the Minnesota newspaper, “I’m proud I did 24 years.”. “My record is one of honor.”
His rank upon retirement was a focal point of the state’s complaints of his military background during his gubernatorial bids.
Walz retired as a master sergeant, one rank below command sergeant major, despite reaching the rank of command master sergeant. The reason for his retirement was that “he did not complete additional coursework at the US Army Sergeants Major Academy,” according to the Guard.
According to Joseph Eustice, a 32-year veteran who served as Walz’s battalion commander, Walz did not commit any wrongdoing when he departed from the Guard in 2022, as reported by the Star Tribune.
“He was an exceptional soldier,” Eustice remarked. “He was fully within his rights to depart when he made that decision.”