What’s true and what’s not about Tim Walz’s military record

Members of Tim Walz’s Minnesota National Guard unit have come forward to accuse the governor of embellishing his military record and of abandoning his unit shortly before they were set to deploy to Iraq, charges echoed by Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance. But Walz, who was to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, has been defended by other members of his unit who say the issues have been exaggerated.

Vance has accused Walz of “stolen valor,” which is when a person makes fraudulent claims about their military record and is a federal crime. In return, supporters of Walz have accused Vance of making misleading claims.

What JD Vance is saying about Tim Walz’ military record

Both Walz and Vance served in the U.S. military. Vance served as a Marine, while Gov. Walz served in the Army National Guard.

However, the way Walz has characterized his 24 years of service have come under scrutiny.

On Tuesday, the Harris campaign posted a video of Tim Walz to X, where he shares his views on gun control, including his belief there should be a “common sense” ban on assault rifles.

“We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at,” Walz says.

On Wednesday, Vance criticized Walz for his statement.

“He said, ‘We shouldn’t allow weapons that I used in war to be on America’s streets.’ Well, I wonder, Tim Walz, when were you ever in war? When was this? What was this weapon that you carried into war?” Vance asked, per Fox News.

Vance served in Iraq during his time in the Marines, according to Newsweek. In his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” he shared that he was “lucky to escape any real fighting ... As a public affairs marine, I would attach to different units to get a sense of their daily routine. Sometimes I’d escort civilian press, but generally I’d take photos or write short stories about individual marines or their work.”

“I served in a combat zone. I never said that I saw a firefight myself, but I’ve always told the truth about my Marine Corps service. That’s the difference,” Vance said on Wednesday.

Vance spent four years as a Marine and reached the rank of corporal before departing for his studies at Ohio State University in 2007, according to Newsweek.

Vance is not alone in his criticism of Walz’s military record. Retired Command Sergeant Major Doug Julin, who was over Walz in the Minnesota National Guard, told CNN that Walz let “his troops down” and went over Julin’s head using a “backdoor process” in order to retire before his battalion deployed to Iraq.

Walz was also criticized for saying he was a command sergeant major when he retired, but while he served briefly in that rank he ultimately retired as a master sergeant. The Harris campaign updated its website with the change after complaints surfaced that Walz had inflated his rank.

What Tim Walz is saying about his military service

“In his 24 years of service, the Governor (Tim Walz) carried, fired and trained others to use weapons of war innumerable times,” the Harris campaign said in response to Vance, per CNN. “Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American’s service to this country — in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It’s the American way.”

Here’s what we know about Walz’s military record.

Walz joined the National Guard when he was 17 and served for 24 years, per NPR. He primarily responded to national disasters, but also deployed once to the Arctic Circle in Norway. He reached 20 years (which is the service period required before retirement) in 2001, but decided to reenlist following 9/11. He deployed to Italy in 2003 as backup for troops who had deployed to Afghanistan.

Despite reaching the highest enlisted rank possible for his unit — command sergeant major — Walz never saw active military combat, according to ABC News. By 2005, rumors were circulating Walz’s unit might deploy to Iraq. That May, Walz filed for retirement and opted to run for public office instead. Because he did not complete the coursework necessary to secure his rank as command sergeant major, he was stepped down to master sergeant in retirement, per NPR.

The timing of Walz’s retirement has been blasted by critics. Julin said he let “his troops down”; in 2018, when Walz was running for governor of Minnesota, two sergeants who served alongside Walz in the National Guard accused him of “conveniently retiring a year before his battalion was deployed to Iraq” in a letter to the West Central Tribune.

Others who served alongside Walz have defended him.

“He weighed that decision to run for Congress very, very heavy,” said Allan Bonnifield, who served with Walz, on Minnesota Public Radio in 2018. “He loved the military, he loved the Guard, he loved the soldiers that he worked with, and making that decision was very tough for him. Especially knowing that we were going on another deployment to Iraq. He didn’t take that decision lightly at all.”

Alexander Vindman, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and previous director of European Affairs at the National Guard, shared to X: “Let’s be clear, you (JD Vance) served honorably, including 6 months in combat in a public affairs unit. Walz retired after 24 years and achieved the rank of command Sergeant Major. I do not think you want to compare service records.”

Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman and former member of the Air Force, also shared to X: “OK. JD served honorably, but he wasn’t kicking down doors. He was in public affairs. Which again, is fine and honorable. Tim, after he was eligible for retirement, retired. People do that. If it was a real problem he would have been ‘stop lossed’ and prevented from retiring.”

Most official veterans groups have not weighed in on the conflict between the two campaigns.

“This means that regardless of the outcome in November, the next vice president of the United States will be a former enlisted service member. I am pleased to see both major parties recognize that military service is once again a valued experience in choosing the candidate for the second highest position in the country,” said Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander Al Lipphardt, per NPR.