Walz Accused of Inflating Military Record to Advance Political Career

Minnesota National Guard retiree Paul Herr alleges Walz misrepresented his rank and experience, including claiming to be a retired sergeant major when he retired as a master sergeant.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz is facing scrutiny for allegedly embellishing his military record, with one of his former fellow guardsmen accusing him of lying about his rank and experience.

Minnesota National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Herr (Ret.), who first raised the allegations against Walz in 2018, appeared on "Fox & Friends" to explain why veterans have accused the governor of "stolen valor."

Walz Accused of Inflating Military Record to Advance Political Career

"He continually claims that he's a retired [sergeant] major. He is not, he is a retired master sergeant," Herr told host Steve Doocy.

Herr claims that while Walz told other soldiers he would be deploying to Iraq, he was simultaneously having "backroom conversations" to ensure he could retire before the unit deployed.

Walz Accused of Inflating Military Record to Advance Political Career

Walz's service ended when he retired from his unit in the Minnesota National Guard just before the unit deployed to Iraq in 2005, according to the New York Post. However, the Minnesota National Guard told Fox News that Walz's unit did not receive deployment orders to Iraq until July, and that he had submitted retirement papers five to seven months prior to retiring in May 2005.

Despite this, Walz's official biography on the Minnesota governor's website describes him as a retired "command sergeant major." He has also claimed to have carried a gun "in war," although he never experienced active combat.

Walz Accused of Inflating Military Record to Advance Political Career

Herr and Ret. Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Behrends, a former member of Walz's battalion, have criticized Walz's claims.

"He's used the rank that he never achieved in order to advance his political career," Behrends told "The Ingraham Angle." "He still says he's a retired command sergeant major to this day, and he's not."

Walz Accused of Inflating Military Record to Advance Political Career

Herr believes the most egregious aspect of Walz's actions is the motivation behind them.

"He subverted the chain of command, and he went around the chain of command. The brigade [sergeant] major had no clue. These are all important facts, and he did it to continually feather his own bed... That was the shameful part of it," Herr said.

Walz Accused of Inflating Military Record to Advance Political Career

Behrends claims Walz was promoted to command sergeant major in 2004 but was required to serve two additional years to retain the rank. Walz's early retirement terminated the promotion, reducing his rank to master sergeant.

"What he did, basically, was he quit," Behrends said. "He didn't complete that condition of doing two years after graduation, so he gets reduced to a master sergeant."

In a statement, the Minnesota National Guard confirmed Walz's service dates and his role as command sergeant major for the battalion. However, it also stated that Walz retired as a master sergeant in 2005 because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.

Herr dismissed this response as "very political," arguing that Walz "never entered" the coursework and that he retired "for benefit purposes."

Walz's alleged misrepresentations have raised concerns among veterans and military experts, who maintain that it is important for public figures to be truthful about their military service.