A former Army National Guard soldier, who held a commanding position over Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, has claimed that Walz “did something wrong in service.” This revelation comes amid a surge of Republican criticism surrounding Walz’s military record, following his recent selection as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate for the 2024 election.
Senator JD Vance, who is on the vice presidential ticket with former President Donald Trump, has leveled accusations of “stolen valor” against Walz, asserting that he “abandoned” his unit by retiring prior to its deployment to Iraq in 2006.
Retired Command Sergeant Major Doug Julin criticized Walz for allegedly letting “his troops down.” He contended that Walz secured his retirement in May 2005, just before the battalion received deployment orders for Iraq. While it is true that Walz retired before his unit deployed, there is no solid evidence supporting the notion that this was a tactic to evade combat.
In a Thursday night interview with CNN’s Laura Coates, Julin accused Walz of using a “backdoor process” for his retirement, alleging that he “went around” him instead of following proper channels. “He knew he was going forward,” Julin stated, implying that Walz was aware of impending orders even though they had not been issued yet.
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Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard, achieving the rank of command sergeant major before entering politics. He secured a U.S. House seat in 2006 and was elected as Minnesota’s governor in 2018.
Both Vance and Walz share a military background, albeit limited. Vance served in the Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq for six months, while Walz spent nine months in Italy in a support role during the Afghanistan conflict. Neither has seen combat.
Contrarily, some of Walz’s battalion members, like retired Staff Sergeant Ryan Marti, disagree with Julin’s critique. Marti, who served alongside Walz, defended him, stating, “Absolutely not, I don’t think he tried to avoid the deployment at all.” He expressed pride in Walz’s decision to advance to Congress, regarding it as a promotion rather than an evasion of duty.
Marti added, “Tim is probably one of the most honorable men I know,” echoing sentiments shared by others from their unit who appreciate Walz’s contributions to public service.