Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, recently announced as Vice President Kamala Harris's pick for vice president, is facing allegations regarding the military rank listed on his official biography.

Walz is being criticized by some veterans for listing a higher military rank on his professional biography than the one with which he actually retired, raising questions of integrity as he joins Harris's campaign, as Breitbart reports.

Details of Walz's Military Service

The governor served in the Minnesota Army National Guard and retired at the rank of master sergeant (E-8). His official biography, however, lists him as having retired as a command sergeant major (E-9). This discrepancy has led to accusations of stolen valor from some members of the veteran community.

According to records, Walz was conditionally promoted to command sergeant major on Sept. 17, 2004. However, he failed to complete the additional coursework required at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy. As a result, his promotion to command sergeant major was nullified.

Despite this, Walz's biography incorrectly states that he retired from the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion as a command sergeant major in 2005. In reality, Walz was officially reduced to master sergeant on September 10, 2005, after failing to complete the required academy coursework.

The Battalion's Deployment and Walz's Retirement

In early 2005, the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion received orders to prepare for deployment to Iraq. On May 16, 2005, Walz left the unit, stating he needed to retire to run for Congress. According to Department of Defense directives, he could have run for Congress while still serving, provided he received permission from the Secretary of Defense.

During the battalion’s training for war in November 2005, Walz offered to fundraise for their bus trip home over Christmas. The 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion was deployed for 22 months from 2006 to 2007.

In November 2006, Walz was elected to the House of Representatives. He has claimed to be the highest-ranking enlisted service member ever to serve in Congress, despite his conditional promotion and subsequent reduction in rank.

Veterans' Response to Walz's Claims

Thomas Behrends, who replaced Walz for the deployment to Iraq, has spoken out against Walz’s actions and claims. Behrends contacted Walz with his concerns in 2016 but did not receive a response.

Lieutenant Colonel Kristen Augé stated, “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.”

Behrends and another veteran, Paul Herr, highlighted the conditions under which Walz’s promotion was made. According to them, “On September 17th, 2004 he was conditionally promoted to Command Sergeant Major. The conditions had been outlined to him when he was counseled and he signed the Statement of Agreement and Certification. If the conditions are not met, the promotion is null and void, like it never happened.”

Statements from Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr

Behrends and Herr provided context to the battalion’s preparation for deployment and Walz’s departure. They stated, “In early 2005, a warning order was issued to the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion, which included the position he was serving in, to prepare to be mobilized for active duty for a deployment to Iraq.”

They further added, “On May 16th, 2005 he quit, leaving the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and its Soldiers hanging; without its senior Non-Commissioned Officer, as the battalion prepared for war. His excuse to other leaders was that he needed to retire in order to run for congress. Which is false, according to a Department of Defense Directive, he could have run and requested permission from the Secretary of Defense before entering active duty; as many reservists have. If he had retired normally and respectfully, you would think he would have ensured his retirement documents were correctly filled out and signed, and that he would have ensured he was reduced to Master Sergeant for dropping out of the academy. Instead he waited for the paperwork to catch up to him. His official retirement document states, SOLDIER NOT AVAILABLE FOR SIGNATURE.”

Further Accusations by Behrends

Behrends has been vocal about his disapproval of Walz’s actions. He expressed, “As soon as the shots were fired in Iraq, he turned and ran the other way and hung his hat up and quit.”

Behrends’s strong words reflect widespread frustration: “The public needs to know how pathetic his leadership was as a National Guardsman. He abandoned us. What the hell kind of leader does that? As soon as the shots were fired in Iraq, he turned and ran the other way and hung his hat up and quit.”

Behrends also recounted that Walz’s campaign materials misrepresented his rank, “He was saying that and there were campaign letters coming in the mail saying that. They said, right on there, he’s a retired command sergeant major. Just tooting his own horn, hanging on the coattails of people that actually are command sergeant majors that went through all the process and put all the time in.”

Summarizing his view, Behrends concluded, “It’s stolen valor is really what it is. I don’t know of anybody else that’s done what he’s done.”

Conclusion: Questions on Integrity Loom Over Campaign

The controversy surrounding Tim Walz's claimed military rank has cast a shadow over his entry into the national political scene alongside Kamala Harris.

As veterans question his integrity and accuracy of his service record, it remains to be seen how this issue will affect the campaign.