Ladies and gentlemen, there's been a lot of chatter lately about Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, especially after Vice President Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate for the 2024 election. The spotlight on Walz has brought some controversies back into the conversation, particularly regarding his military service and how he's portrayed it throughout his political career.
Let’s unpack what’s been making headlines. A retired Command Sergeant Major, Thomas Behrends, who served in the same battalion as Walz, recently appeared on The Ingraham Angle and didn’t hold back in criticizing the governor.
Behrends accused Walz of embellishing his military record, stating that Walz retired from the Minnesota National Guard just before his unit deployed to Iraq in 2005. According to Behrends, Walz has used a rank he never officially held—Command Sergeant Major—to boost his political image.
Gov. @Tim_Walz: I spent 25 years in the Army and I hunt. I’ve been voting for common sense legislation that protects the Second Amendment, but we can do background checks. We can research the impacts of gun violence. We can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war,… pic.twitter.com/3IVaXi2RP2
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 6, 2024
Now, here’s where things get a bit more complicated. The Minnesota National Guard has clarified that while Walz was promoted to Command Sergeant Major in 2004, he didn’t complete the additional two years of service required to retire with that rank.
Instead, he retired as a Master Sergeant, a slightly lower rank. This distinction is important because it affects how Walz is perceived, especially when he’s described as a retired Command Sergeant Major, both in his official biography and in public statements.
Behrends, along with another veteran, Tom Schilling, has expressed deep frustration with how Walz has presented his military service. They argue that Walz’s portrayal is misleading and dishonorable, especially to those who served with him and completed their deployments. Schilling, during an interview on Jesse Watters Primetime, didn’t mince words, accusing Walz of abandoning his unit and leaving others to pick up the slack.
This controversy isn’t just about the details of military ranks; it’s about trust and integrity. Critics like Behrends and Schilling feel that Walz’s actions—and how he’s represented them—don’t align with the values of honor and duty that are so central to military service. They believe that embellishing one’s record is a serious offense, especially for someone who’s climbed the political ladder by highlighting their veteran status.
On the flip side, Walz’s campaign has responded by emphasizing his long service in the military and his subsequent work as a tireless advocate for veterans in Congress. They argue that his record speaks for itself and that he’s always been committed to supporting those who’ve served.