Replace & Erase: Walz's service record

The Harris/Walz campaign quietly edited its website this week

Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, has a potential "Stolen Valor" problem.

Replace and Erase is already happening.

Via Politico:

Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign updated its online biography of running mate Tim Walz’s military service amid Republican efforts to question his record in the Army National Guard. 

On its website, the Harris campaign axed a reference to Walz as a “retired command sergeant major” and now says that he once served at the command sergeant major rank — a small change that nonetheless reflects his true rank at retirement from the Army National Guard. Walz, the governor of Minnesota, served for 24 years in the National Guard before retiring in 2005 from the military to run for the U.S. House, where he became the most senior enlisted soldier to serve in Congress.

Well, that's weird.

Politico says Walz was hit with criticisms when he ran for governor in 2018, with retired National Guard members claiming he misrepresented his service — which it appears he did, including a claim he made when he was a Congressman in 2007 by stating he was "deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom."

Walz is still misrepresenting himself, according to a lengthy article by Jordan Schachtel.

The internet is littered with Walz's claims of serving overseas in the military. It's hard to believe the Harris campaign missed this.

Here's an example from his now-defunct gubernatorial campaign website, which is archived extensively on the WayBack machine:

More To The Story

What is verifiable

Walz was part of the 25th Field Artillery Battalion; he had re-enlisted in mid-September 2001. The re-enlistment would have expired in the same month in 2007. At that time, he was a First Sergeant; an E-8 designation.

Walz committed to attend the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy in 2003. This agreement came with an obligation to remain enlisted for a minimum of two more years following any future promotion.

Walz was "frocked" as a Command Master Sergeant, designation E-9, in mid-September 2004. He did not complete the academy work, therefore, he was never actually promoted to that rank. 

Walz's battalion was told it would head to Iraq in March 2005.

Walz quit the National Guard in May 2005; almost a full two and half years before the term of service he agreed to in 2001. 

Walz has maintained he quit in order to run for Congress, however, he did not announce his campaign until Feb. 16, 2006. FEC filings show his campaign was registered Feb. 10, 2005.

Walz has repeatedly stated over the years he was a command sergeant major.

He filed paperwork with the MN National Guard to retire at the incorrect rank of E-9, a Command Sergeant Major. The MN National Guard figured it out, and properly corrected the filing, demoting him to an E-8 since he had not fulfilled his contractual obligations.

The Minnesota National Guard, both in 2022 and this past week, have confirmed that Walz "retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy."

Army Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, Minnesota National Guard’s State Public Affairs Officer issued the statement below or a similar statement to several media outlets this past week. 

"Governor Tim Walz served from April 8, 1981, to May 16, 2005. Governor Walz served in the Minnesota National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery after transferring from the Nebraska National Guard in 1996.
While serving in Minnesota, his military occupational specialties were 13B - a cannon crewmember who operates and maintains cannons and 13Z -field artillery senior sergeant. In Nebraska, he served as a 11Z - infantry senior sergeant, and a 71L - administrative specialist.

He held multiple positions within field artillery such as firing battery chief, operations sergeant, first sergeant, and culminated his career serving as the command sergeant major for the battalion.
He retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy."

View the demotion document here.