Scrutiny Over Tim Walz's Military Record as Presidential Running Mate

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, chosen as Vice President Harris's running mate, faces questions about his military service after omitting the rank of Command Sergeant Major from his official biography.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris's recently announced running mate, has come under fire for discrepancies in his military record. The Harris campaign has updated Walz's biography to remove any mention of him being a "retired Command Sergeant Major," a rank he had previously claimed.

Walz served 24 years with the Army National Guard, retiring in 2005. He was deployed to Italy in 2003 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Despite claiming to have attained the rank of Command Sergeant Major, Walz retired as a Master Sergeant.

Scrutiny Over Tim Walz's Military Record as Presidential Running Mate

Fox News Digital reached out to both the Harris campaign and Walz's gubernatorial office for comment on why Walz did not complete the coursework necessary to retain the rank of Command Sergeant Major in retirement. Neither provided an explanation.

The Minnesota Public Radio article from 2018, referenced by the Harris campaign, states that it is "legitimate for Walz to say he served as a command sergeant major." However, the article also notes that Walz did not complete the coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy or meet other requirements associated with the promotion.

Scrutiny Over Tim Walz's Military Record as Presidential Running Mate

Since being named Harris's running mate, Walz's military record has come under increased scrutiny. Veterans have raised concerns on social media and in interviews about what they perceive as "stolen valor" by Walz.

Walz has previously suggested that he deployed to combat zones during his service, stating that he would like to ban the kind of guns he had "carried in war." However, he was never deployed to a combat zone.

Scrutiny Over Tim Walz's Military Record as Presidential Running Mate

The Harris campaign has acknowledged that Walz "misspoke" when he claimed to have carried firearms "in war."

Walz also retired ahead of his unit's deployment to Iraq in 2005, and subsequently ran a successful congressional campaign in Minnesota.

Scrutiny Over Tim Walz's Military Record as Presidential Running Mate

The Minnesota National Guard has defended Walz's record, stating that he retired before his unit received deployment orders to Iraq and that he officially served in Operation Enduring Freedom because his battalion was sent to Europe to train units in artillery.

Questions surrounding Walz's military record continue to cast a shadow on his vice presidential candidacy, with both veterans and the public demanding greater transparency and accuracy about his service.