Tim Walz Faces Criticism Over Military Service Amid Vice Presidential Campaign

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, is under intense scrutiny following accusations from J.D. Vance that he abandoned his National Guard battalion before they deployed to Iraq. Vance, a former Marine and vice presidential candidate, lambasted Walz for what he described as a dereliction of duty.

Vance’s remarks, made during an interview with the Daily Mail, were scathing. “Your job as a senior enlisted guy in a unit is to keep your people safe. That’s not a job you can switch out of on a moment’s notice. If he abandoned his troops before they went to Iraq or wherever, it’s absolutely shameful,” Vance asserted.

Walz, who served in the Army National Guard for 24 years, retired in 2005, four years into a six-year reenlistment. This decision has become a focal point of criticism, especially after a campaign video featured Walz discussing his experience with firearms in the military. “Look, you should not be able to carry the weapons that I carried in war,” Walz stated in the video, prompting Vance to question his combat experience.

“There was a clip the Kamala campaign posted about him where he’s making a gun control argument. He said, ‘Look, you should not be able to carry the weapons that I carried in war.’ And I’m thinking to myself, well, when did you go to war? What weapon did you carry in the war, Tim, because apparently you skipped out on your unit before they went to Iraq,” Vance added.

Walz has acknowledged that he never saw combat. His overseas deployments included Italy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and joint training exercises with NATO forces in Norway. Despite these assignments, retired Command Sergeants Major Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr accused Walz of embellishing his military career. They claimed he reenlisted for six years in 2001 and was promoted to Command Sergeant Major in 2004. However, when the battalion was ordered to prepare for deployment, Walz retired, leaving his unit without its senior Non-Commissioned Officer.

As the 2024 election nears, these allegations have added to the scrutiny of the Harris-Walz ticket. Vance’s comments have intensified the debate over Walz’s military service and his qualifications for the vice presidency, raising questions about his commitment and integrity.