Senator JD Vance of Ohio accused Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota on Wednesday of quitting the Army National Guard two decades ago to avoid being deployed to Iraq and of exaggerating his service record to claim falsely that he had served in combat....
“You abandoned your unit right before they went to Iraq,” Mr. Vance said. Mr. Vance based his accusations on a Facebook post from 2018, and a paid letter to the editor to The West Central Tribune that same year in which the writers, Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr, both retired command sergeant majors in the Minnesota National Guard, accused Mr. Walz of “conveniently retiring a year before his battalion was deployed to Iraq.” ...
But Joseph Eustice, a 32-year veteran of the national guard who led the same battalion as Mr. Walz and served under him... recalled that Mr. Walz’s decision to run for Congress came months before the battalion received any official notice of deployment, though he said there had been rumors that it might be deployed....
The Harris-Walz campaign did not provide any new details about the timeline of Mr. Walz’s decision to retire....
They didn't provide any new details, I presume, because there was no factual inaccuracy to correct and any additional statements — leaning into the official notice point — would only draw more attention and potentially supply raw material for further attacks.
On Wednesday, Mr. Vance also seized on a remark by Mr. Walz in a video clip that the Harris campaign had promoted on social media on Tuesday, in which the governor told a crowd about support for gun control, saying that “we can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war, are only carried in war.” Mr. Walz never served in combat, however, which prompted Mr. Vance to accuse him of “stolen valor.”...
That's purely factual, it seems. Walz didn't serve in combat, yet Walz said — in video the Harris campaign is promoting — "I carried in war."
The Washington Post piece isn't on the home page — except as #1 on its "Most Read" list.
Here it is: "Tim Walz’s military record, National Guard departure get new scrutiny/The Harris-Walz campaign has cited his military experience as an asset. But Republicans and some who served with him have questioned claims about his service" (boldface added). It's interesting that Vance's name doesn't appear in the headline. Indeed, it doesn't come up until the 9th paragraph:
“He said we shouldn’t allow weapons that I used in war to be on America’s streets,” JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, said during a campaign event in Michigan. “Well, I wonder. Tim Walz, when were you ever in war?”
The Harris campaign, in response to those comments, said in its statement to The Post that Walz carried, fired and trained others how to use “weapons of war innumerable times.” It declined to address why Walz claimed incorrectly to have done so in war.
You'd have to define "in war" broadly and include the training phase. The campaign chose not to engage in such semantics.
“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,” the statement said. Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, served in Iraq in a noncombat role for six months beginning in fall 2005.
At that internal link, we can see that Vance's job in Iraq was "writing news releases, taking photos and interacting with journalists." It would be notable, then, if Vance, like Walz, had claimed to have served in combat.
Back to the new article:
Walz and his political allies also have inaccurately described him as a retired command sergeant major, one rank higher than he holds in retirement. Walz himself did so in a video clip from 2006 that was surfaced by C-SPAN on Tuesday and in a 2018 clip posted on his own YouTube account.
“I’m a retired sergeant major in the Army and the Army National Guard,” he told a group of voters in the latter video.
So direct statements, on video, and even promoted by him... and simply wrong. Walz had service that he could be proud of and use as a credential but he inflated it into factual misstatement. Two clear lies about military service. And The Washington Post — which I think has been going out of its way to help the Harris campaign — has laid them out plainly.
Though Walz did achieve the rank of command sergeant major, it was a provisional rank until he completed required coursework for senior leaders, National Guard officials said. He did not do so by the time he departed the military and his retirement rank reverted to master sergeant on May 15, 2005, officials said. Walz retired the next day.
Why the big rush?
The Harris campaign declined to address why Walz has inaccurately said he retired as one....
To say nothing is to concede that the the Post got it right.
Walz, asked by the oral history interviewer where his combat experience occurred, said initially that his unit — the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery — had served “throughout the European theater with Operation Enduring Freedom”....
But Thomas Behrends, a retired command sergeant major who [ who replaced Walz as the unit’s command sergeant major], said... “He’s sugarcoating it to make it more than it was” Behrends said....
Behrends has been a vocal critic of Walz’s since at least 2018, when he and another Guard member, Paul Herr, placed a scathing letter to the editor in a local newspaper, the West Central Tribune, that accused Walz of exaggerating his military career for years as he ran for governor.
“He failed his country. He failed his state. He failed the Minnesota Army National Guard, the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion, and his fellow Soldiers,” Behrends and Herr wrote. “And he failed to lead by example. Shameful.”
Behrends, who replaced Walz as the unit’s command sergeant major, has donated to Republican political causes in the past. In 2022, he promoted a petition on his Facebook page demanding that Walz resign as governor, posting a photo of a grain silo — Behrends is a farmer — festooned with the phrase “Walz is a traitor!”...
Joe Eustice, who served in the National Guard with Walz for at least a decade, said... when Walz said he wanted to pursue politics and decided to retire, there was only speculation of a combat deployment on the horizon, Eustice said. “Other than having a rumor, we were not notified that we were going to be deployed,” Eustice said....
That's the official notice/rumors distinction also noted in the NYT article.
[Doug Julin, a retired National Guard soldier], who oversaw Walz as a more senior command sergeant major, said that Walz approached him in 2005 and said he was prepared to go on their upcoming deployment to Iraq, but also was interested in running for Congress. Julin said he thought “no big deal” because other members of Congress had deployed.
But a couple of months later, Julin learned from another member of the Guard that Walz had retired. Julin was frustrated, he said, because Walz had arranged his retirement with two officers who outranked Julin.
“I would have analyzed it and challenged him,” Julin said. “It would have been a different discussion, but he went to the higher ranks. He knew I would have told him, ‘Suck it up, we’re going.’”...
The deployment to Iraq turned out to be grueling for their unit.... The soldiers were away from home for a total of 22 months, he said, and multiple people died....
पोस्ट्स
१२३ टिप्पण्या:
You see? There you go, clouding the issue with facts!
Shorter NYT: "Tim Walz is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being we have ever known. Also, you're a racist."
Stop trying to confuse me with the facts
The lying about his service serves as an insight into his character. He served in the armed forces; he should have been proud to highlight that service. There was no need to exaggerate his service. But Walz decided to do so. He couldn't just say he was a veteran, he had to lie about what he did. That's what makes it disgraceful.
There is no dishonor in being in the armed forces but never having been in combat; to the contrary, there is honor simple for serving.
But there is dishonor in claiming or even implying you were in combat when you were not.
Also check his connections to China
John Borell nailed it.
I didn't serve in combat. Didn't serve overseas.
My assignment sucked, but it was at the height of the Cold War and my DOS was key in winning that war without a single shot being fired ... even though Ronnie Raygun was going to get us all killed.
I did it. Didn't need to.
Never made a big deal about it because why would I?
I've never understood why someone would embellish their service record.
Are you THAT insecure?
Are we not going to find out?
He also could have deferred his service to run for office, as many veterans have observed. I sense some sort of Kerry-Dukakis on the event horizon. But after several google searches to spell Dukakis right, I scrolled through two dkzen pages, with specific search terms, without finding anything.
That is the bigger issue.
“Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot and astronaut who was on the shortlist to be named Harris' running mate, posted: "Hey JD Vance, did you forget what the USMC taught you about respect?”
"Tim Walz spent DECADES in uniform. You both deserve to be thanked for your service. Don't become Donald Trump. He calls veterans suckers and losers and that is beneath those of us who have actually served."
Brandon Friedman, a former Obama administration official who was deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, wrote: "No veteran who supports Walz believes he abandoned his unit. No veteran who opposes Walz believes he abandoned his unit.
"It's a dishonest political attack meant to influence people who don't know about the military. The guy simply retired after 24 years before his unit deployed."
Alexander Vindman, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, added: "Let's be clear, you 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."
Joseph Eustice, a 32-year veteran of the guard who led the same battalion as Walz, defended Walz at the time.
"He was a great soldier," Eustice told the Star Tribune. "When he chose to leave, he had every right to leave."
https://www.newsweek.com/jd-vance-military-tim-walz-veterans-stolen-valor-1936273
“conveniently retiring a year before his battalion was deployed to Iraq.” ...
This is, at best, inaccurate. Walz retired less than month after his unit got warning orders that their deployment to Iraq was planned even though he had been provisionally advanced to the CSM position.
Walz retired in May, the unit got warning orders in July, the unit deployed in September.
Lying like a Walz.
But, by early 2005, Walz's battalion was ordered to mobilize for an active duty deployment to Iraq. Shortly after, in May 2005, Walz "quit, leaving the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and its Soldiers hanging; without its senior Non-Commissioned Officer, as the battalion prepared for war," according to the two Command Sergeants Major.
“The Minnesota Army National Guard told CBS News that Walz retired on May 16, 2005. CBS News has asked Walz to clarify when he submitted his retirement papers.
The Minnesota National Guard told CBS News that Walz's unit — 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery — received an alert order for mobilization to Iraq on July 14, 2005 – two months after Walz retired, according to Lt. Col. Ryan Rossman, who serves as the Minnesota National Guard's director of operations. The official mobilization order was received on August 14 of the same year, and the unit mobilized in October.”
"I didn't serve in combat. Didn't serve overseas."
He did serve overseas. He was in Italy.
It also seems that JD is not promoting himself as a deployed Marine Veteran, but he is only responding to (mis)statements or the media is bringing it up.
RMc: "Shorter NYT: "Tim Walz is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being we have ever known. Also, you're a racist.""
Shorter RMc: Didn't read the article or Althouse's excerpts from it.
There are two things going on here - Walz's embellishing of his record and the 20-year coverup of his embellishment from the supine Minnesota media. Some of the stations in town are still spinning like Iranian centrifuges on his behalf, primarily because facts that they could have and should have shared years ago about this guy are finally coming to light and they too need to avoid scrutiny for their behavior. Really bad vetting by Team Kamala, too.
Is the misinformation that Walz spread about his military service the type of misinformation that he believes is not protected by the First Amendment?
https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/1821215515605381197
Walz: "There's no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech"
The lefties are spinning furiously. Althouse is over the target.
It's important for your long-term health to do squat everyday. Even half squat is beneficial.
This buzzkill attitude won't do anything to save our democracy. Facts are the antithesis of excitement and hype, and just give the bad people fuel for dragging us back into the mud of history.
C'mon, Althouse - we're moving into the future!! Isn't the future more exciting that all this talk about what happened in the past? You're doing way too much reading and thinking far too hard about this. That kind of behavior isn't helpful to the party and its mission.
TRUMP!! BE AFRAID!!
That's all the thinking we need. Well, until election day.
“He weighed that decision to run for Congress very, very heavy,” Bonnifield said. “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.”
And there you have it. He knew they were going to Iraq, and he got out.
A difficult decision? Yes. An understandable decision? Perhaps. But something very different from what he has sold the public.
They didn't provide any new details, I presume, because there was no factual inaccuracy to correct and any additional statements — leaning into the official notice point — would only draw more attention and potentially supply raw material for further attacks.weapons that I used in war to
There is zero way to stretch that phrasing to mean "what a war was on-going, I did...". If that was his intent, he would have said "weapons that I used while we were at war" (or some such) but that would have given the game away. He just thought no one would notice or care. Maybe he didn't expect to get so high politically and/or as a (D) no press would cover it.
If Trump had made the statements Walz made, you'd have (rightly) accused him of lying. Why haven't you in respect of Walz?
There's also assumed valor, say you were in theater but didn't do much of anything.
It was a rumor, there had not been any warning orders yet. The warning orders came on July 14, he retired May 16. There are always rumors of being deployed, not every rumor becomes fact. There were rumors of deployment for years when my daughter was attached to the Marines. Only once did they actually get deployed while she was with that unit.
My quote at 6:37 was from Inga--who then removed her post.
The Washington Post piece isn't on the home page — except as #1 on its "Most Read" list.
The NYT article is not on the home page anywhere, as far as I could tell, and I could not find it in the dead tree edition. Just a big story about Walz's "extraordinary journey."
Inga, his unit received a warning order well before his retirement. They knew they were going to be deployed, just not exactly when.
Yes I removed it because I realized people would just glom onto what you glommed onto, not understanding it was a rumor of deployment, not an actual warning order of deployment which came on July 14th. He retired on May 16, two months before the warning order. When my daughter retired after 22 years with the Navy she had to put in retirement papers months before her actual retirement date.
No that is NOT true.
“The Minnesota National Guard told CBS News that Walz's unit — 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery — received an alert order for mobilization to Iraq on July 14, 2005 – two months after Walz retired, according to Lt. Col. Ryan Rossman, who serves as the Minnesota National Guard's director of operations. The official mobilization order was received on August 14 of the same year, and the unit mobilized in October.”
Keep trying, Inga. You wear the camouflage hat well.
Howard chimes in with the only actually useful comment of the morning. I prefer to do squats no more than every other day, but doing them is essential.
Somehow I remember Johnny Carson making fun of Dan Quayle, who had given the impression that service in the Indiana National Guard might have involved combat. "It had better be tonight, baby. Tomorrow I may be in Muncie."
You mean keep telling the truth?
Mark Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot and astronaut who was on the shortlist to be named Harris' running mate, posted: "Hey JD Vance, did you forget what the USMC taught you about respect?”
That’s the whole problem with stolen valor. When you claim what you did not earn, you are doing so to demand others respect you for something you did not do. Shame on Mark Kelly for demanding respect for Walz from a person that actually went to combat.
Reading comprehension: I said warning order. According to Behrends, it was received in "early 2005," I believe in February.
I don’t care about Walz. What I want to know is: What will Kamala McGovern Harris do about it?
What did she know and when did she know it?
By stating he was a Command Sergeant Major, Walz did the equivalent of putting Summa Cum Laude on his resume when he earned Magna Cum Laude.
My father served almost thirty years as an enlisted man in the Air Force. He retired as an E-9, which is the highest enlisted rank. E-9 is the rank Walz claims to have earned.
Making E-9 is a big deal. The rough equivalent officer rank is O-6 (Full Colonel or "Chicken Colonel.") The base commander where my father was stationed last oversees about 5500 personnel and is a Full Colonel.
My dad used to say "There are more Chickens than Chiefs," and it's true-there are more O-6 than E-9. Given that there are roughly 4-5 times as many enlisted as officers, it is harder to make E-9 than O-6.
Chiefs had a front row parking slot at the commissary/BX. When my father became the senior chief on base, they offered to move him from the crappy enlisted housing to the brick duplex officers' housing. (He declined).
Walz is claiming unearned membership in a very exclusive enlisted servicemember's club.
“To retire from the military you have to apply for military retirement. There are certain specific forms and documents you have to fill out way way way ahead of your retirement date. Usually about a year prior to the date your enlistment ends that you are either locked into or that you request. This process obviously takes months and is not a sudden “yeah I’m done” situation. So the conclusion is that Tim was known to be retiring way prior to this deployment and did not on the eve of his battalion flying to Iraq just said “sorry guys I don’t wanna go, I’m retiring” and then walking away.”
Remember that he'd just gotten onto the track for promotion to CSM when he abruptly cut that short and retired. What changed in that brief period of time, other than the rumors of deployment?
Shorter RMc: Didn't read the article or Althouse's excerpts from it.
Don't have to; it's the *New York Times*, for God's sake. (And Inga is here to defend Walz in any case.)
Most Americans never serve in the military, it's a miniscule percentage who do, and needing to have served as some kind of box to check for a politican has been a non-issue since at least Bill Clinton. Americans don't care if their politicians have ever worn a uniform or not. So if you did suit up, just be honest, I don't understand the need to lie or deceive about it. It's a character defect, possibly a really serious one.
Careful, Inga, the Walz are closing in.
Have you figured out the difference between bleach and disinfectant yet?
John Henry
From th Wayback Macine a statement from Walz campaign website in March 2005:
Walz Still Planning to Run for Congress Despite Possible Call to Duty in Iraq
March 20, 2005 -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On Thursday, March 17 the National Guard Public Affairs Office announced a possible partial mobilization of roughly 2,000 troops from the Minnesota National Guard. First District congressional candidate Tim Walz currently holds the rank of Command Sergeant Major in the 1-125th Battalion, which is based in New Ulm and largely composed of men and women from southern Minnesota. The announcement from the National Guard PAO specified that all or a portion of Walz's battalion could be mobilized to serve in Iraq within the next two years.
Walz, who teaches Global Geography at Mankato West High School, has been an active member of the National Guard since 1981. He has been previously deployed during his 23 years in the National Guard, including an eight month deployment during Operation Enduring Freedom.
When asked about his possible deployment to Iraq Walz said, "I do not yet know if my artillery unit will be part of this mobilization and I am unable to comment further on specifics of the deployment."
Although his tour of duty in Iraq might coincide with his campaign for Minnesota's 1st Congressional seat, Walz is determined to stay in the race. "As Command Sergeant Major I have a responsibility not only to ready my battalion for Iraq, but also to serve if called on. I am dedicated to serving my country to the best of my ability, whether that is in Washington DC or in Iraq."
"I don't want to speculate on what shape my campaign will take if I am deployed, but I have no plans to drop out of the race. I am fortunate to have a strong group of enthusiastic supporters and a very dedicated and intelligent wife. Both will be a major part of my campaign, whether I am in Minnesota or Iraq."
He clearly exaggerated the scope of his service and the actual rank he completed. It's also very convenient that he got out shortly before his unit saw action. This wouldn't have been an issue if he was just frank about his service for the get go.
What are you talking about? This is the second time you have asked me that question. I haven’t made any comment about bleach or any sort of disinfectant. Are you senile?
Ha!
He had not put in for retirement as of March 2005 (when the notice came out of a possible deployment to Iraq). He said at that time: "As Command Sergeant Major I have a responsibility not only to ready my battalion for Iraq, but also to serve if called on. I am dedicated to serving my country to the best of my ability, whether that is in Washington DC or in Iraq."
Also see the statement by Julin in Althouse's post.
“When asked about his possible deployment to Iraq Walz said, "I do not yet know if my artillery unit will be part of this mobilization and I am unable to comment further on specifics of the deployment."
So that was in March, then in July his unit was notified they WOULD be deploying to Iraq. They deployed in October. He retired May 16.
The Minnesota National Guard told CBS News that Walz's unit — 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery — received an alert order for mobilization to Iraq on July 14, 2005 – two months after Walz retired, according to Lt. Col. Ryan Rossman, who serves as the Minnesota National Guard's director of operations. The official mobilization order was received on August 14 of the same year, and the unit mobilized in October.”
Inga shifts the goalposts more than Walz himself. First she denies the warning order of deployment months before he retired, then relies on his statement that he "does not yet know." Let's quote the WaPo again: "Walz approached [Julin] in 2005 and said he was prepared to go on their upcoming deployment to Iraq, but also was interested in running for Congress. Julin said he thought “no big deal” because other members of Congress had deployed. But a couple of months later, Julin learned from another member of the Guard that Walz had retired. Julin was frustrated, he said, because Walz had arranged his retirement with two officers who outranked Julin.
Straighten up.
Marty is stealing his father's valor in order to make a silly point about a politician's less than perfect military record.
Doesnt matter. He's got a "D" for duh. Thats what matters.
Judging by Inga’s flailing, Walz is going with “you are lying about the warning notice”. Regardless of why he left or when, he has stated to journalist that he served overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom. That should be easy to verify.
Walz also tried to bully Secret Service into allowing him a private interview with George W. Bush, when Bush was visiting the state. When interviewed to understand his intent (an interview Walz claimed was KGB styled), he become dodgy with his questions which unlike todays secret service, nearly caused his arrest and detainment. His response was “really wanted to arrest a command sergeant major who'd just returned from fighting the war on terrorism.” That’s not a quote recalled by Bush or the Secret Service. It is a quote from a journalist reporting what Walz told him.
My source: https://johnalucas6.substack.com/p/a-combat-veterans-view-of-tim-walz
Keep digging that hole Inga.
Tampon Timmy Walz, like most of those in the far-left, doesn’t embarrass easy.
Mama Mia!
"recalled that Mr. Walz’s decision to run for Congress came months before the battalion received any official notice of deployment, though he said there had been rumors that it might be deployed....
This tracks with my experience as a Marine reservist before the first Gulf War. Everyone knew our unit was going to be called-up and a few guys who were not under contract, resigned in the month or two before the "surprise" phone call we all got--get your affairs in order and report to base next Monday.
"...when Walz said he wanted to pursue politics and decided to retire, there was only speculation of a combat deployment ...." This is really lame. "Said" to whom? This guy and his dog?
BINGO!
In the Marine reserves, we requalified with the M16 every year, so I did this on at least 10 occasions. The US must have been at war one of those times but it would be completely asinine for me to claim I used a service rifle in war! I could say, during wartime but would never do that and nobody with a sense of shame would do that.
Just to supply some context, I served in the Army Reserves during the peak of the Vietnam war. I dutifully protected southern New Jersey. I don’t call myself a Vietnam vet, or even a Viet Nam Era vet, even though I think I got a ribbon for that. At one point my unit and another in Ohio were put on some kind of enhanced alert status and told one of us would be activated and deployed to sunny Southeast Asia in 12 months. We did double weekend training for a year. In the end, neither unit was called up.
I post this to refute the idea that Walz was not fully aware of his unit’s impending call up. A reserve unit that trains one weekend a month is not ready to be deployed to a combat zone. We joked that our unit would suffer 50% casualties getting on the bus. There is a lengthy process involved. In our case, a full year.
I remember one or two guys whose enlistment was over during that year choosing not to reenlist. That was OK. Their commitment was over.
I don’t recall that any of us was given the option to resign.
Walz's stolen valor is less damning than that of Blumenthal in CT, which has cost Blumenthal nothing at all in that state. For many Democrats, stolen valor is a feature, not a bug. People who really care about this were never going to vote for Walz anyway.
WaPo and NYTimes are getting all this out now so it will be old news in October, and no surprise to anyone.
Just as suspected all the fake debunking by our usual Leftists was disinformation dictated by the DNC. The MNNG confirmed he retired at "the lower rank" because he did not earn the rank of CSM by virtue of not fulfilling the last two years of his signed contract. Has Inga shown up to apologize to Drago yet? Has she ever apologized to the Swift Vote Veterans for Truth?
No remorse for spreading the DNC lies yesterday?
Deciding to retire sometime between March and May looks like a sudden “yeah I’m done” situation.
Just research Walz’s record: There’s really no defense for being a Marxist and a miserable failure as a governor.
Inga is ignorantly splitting hairs. Walz's direct CO warned him in advance so he could get his shit together and not be surprised when the official orders came down in July and he bugged out without telling the guy a month later. The DNC fake timeline won't hold up to scrutiny but truth is not a Leftist value. She also conveniently ignores that Walz lost that rank because he left before his contract was up. That's an undisputed fact. Yet he kept referring to himself as a Command Sgt Major, because he liked the title but not the responsibility to earn it.
A lot. A long time ago. Too bad her press phalanx never gets to ask her anything.
Isn't it also a fact you would have stuck to "that's not confirmed yet" if any press had asked you about being deployed? It makes perfect sense to me that Walz claimed "I don't know yet" because you don't step out in front of an order yet to be officially issued. I actually respect that white lie. But not the "carried in war" BS.
So, in the 18 days since being named the candidate, Harris has made one unscripted statement and it was gibberish.
And she’s ceased chuckling.They must’ve deployed a shock collar
I keep thinking that 41 is really old to be in combat. Was Walz a lean, mean, fighting machine?
And yet the most damning thing about Walz is the deliberate destruction of Minneapolis. I understand his wife enjoyed the smell of burning businesses.
Inga, the only person in this thread lying about Walz is you. The internet is your friend- Walz' first campaign openly admitted that he was running for Congress despite his unit likely going to Iraq months before that July 2005 notice you keep tossing around. Walz already knew before July 2005 that his unit was going to be sent into active combat areas months before he retired.
Further to my last comment, my unit’s Command Sargent Major had served when our unit had last been activated and sent to Germany during the Berlin Airlift. He was well into his 40’s. He was a badass. Walz doesn’t strike me as a badass.
I don’t particularly care that he retired instead of going to Iraq but don’t lie about the rank you retired at or what weapons you carried in war when you were never in a war zone.
“Two clear lies about military service.”
Of course, this is the Althousian definition of lie, which I’ve long maintained in comments here is embellished and overbroad. Yes, I’m saying that Althouse is a lying liar.
Walz was deployed overseas to Italy as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, itself part of the Global War on Terrorism. That was not a training exercise. Walz served in a war. Walz attained the rank of CSM before he retired.
The lies being told here are not by Walz but by those seeking to steal his valor by diminishing his military service.
That Walz was 'overseas during OEF' is accurate. The unit he was in was called up and deployed to Europe for a time in 2003.
I don't think Walz makes it to the convention as the VP nominee if this is the very best that the NYTimes and WaPo can do in defending his lies in this matter.
This doesn't strike me as a reasonable timeline. The Minnesota Governor was probably notified c. Oct, 2004 that the Army wanted to activate the battalion, and a lot of preparation went into processing personnel, getting equipment to MTOE requirements, etc. The "rumors" would have started around this time. The Army doesn't issue orders until the process is well along and the unit is believed to be 80% ready.
My son's unit was "rumored" to be going in Afghanistan in October, 2013 and underwent training. Obama announced phrased pullouts in February, 2014. Son received orders in May and was deployed for 2 months US training in June, followed by deployment to Afghanistan in August.
My guess would be that Walz was an E-8 and hoped to retire as a E-9, Command Sergeant Major, a position he held provisionally, but the deployment caused him to rethink those plans. It doesn't look good.
Inga has spent years lecturing others on "honor" and military service (leeching off her daughter's career) and attacking the service of decorated veterans (she STILL calls LGen Flynn a traitor) and here she is turning back flips for a dude that has turned out to be one big chicken hawk Stolen Valor / Blue Falcon liar and coward.
Donald Trump has more combat time than Walz.
trial.
USMC Major Megan McClung was also a Marine public affairs officer. She was killed by an IED in Anbar, Iraq. She wasn’t kicking down doors, either. She is buried in Section 60 at Arlington.
Cpl. Jennifer M. Parcell, TF Lioness 2/4
KIA 07 Feb 2007
Barwanah, Iraq
She was just escorting women across checkpoints. A female suicide bomber approached and she was KIA. She wasn’t kicking down doors.
They dont count...but Walz is a "hero" to the left...just like the deserter Bergdahl. Obambi said so, from the Rose Garden.
Rumors are that when Walz visited the 133rd Airlift Wing in July of 2021, he told them that he had earned the Combat Action Badge, while making small talk.
72 hour rule in effect.
So, to turn off runaway italics (bold, etc.) when someone earlier has neglected to properly bracket and close an html italics command (etc.) in a posting, simply put up a post consisting of (at least) a close-italics (etc.) command, to wit: </i> (for bold substitute ‘b’ for ‘i’, etc.).
A report suggests that Democrat Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — Kamala Harris’s running mate in her 2024 presidential election bid — endorsed a book that falsely labeled him a “national guardsman who served in Afghanistan.”
I am a Vietnam era veteran and participated in Jimmy Carter's debacle concerning Iran and the American hostages. Walz never got any closer than Italy to any actual 'combat'. He has claimed for years that he retired as a CSM (command sergeant major) - but since he never finished the training required to make the promotion permanent he was demoted upon retirement. His fellow Guardsmen say he retired so as to avoid actually being deployed to Iraq and abandoned his men in the process of taking early retirement. He is guilty of stolen valor and should be shunned by society.
Great post and comments! Carry on. Smoke 'em if you've got 'em.
The runaway formatting extends to subsequent posts? That's funny.
I think he said to do "squat," not "squats" - i.e., do nothing.
He put in twenty plus years and did one overseas deployment. I don't blame him for dodging the bullet when another deployment was bruited. He acted in his self interest and puffed up his resume. This doesn't reflect well on him, but that's how politicians roll. He didn't go beyond the call of duty in this case. However, in the case of late term abortions and tampons in the boy's school, he went far beyond the call for duty. In progressive causes, he doesn't just do his duty. He takes the forward position beyond the perimeter. It's not too late for President Biden to award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Ooof! (72 Hour Rule in effect) Here's a picture of Walz from 2004 holding a sign identifying himself as an Enduring Freedom /Afghanistan "vet"!
https://x.com/PaulHook_em/status/1821383433471533483?t=qM-1_YFvdukWcadL-_RZHw&s=19
It appears this dude spent most of his time literally bathing in Stolen Valor lies.
I think we just need to let this go, as long as Walz doesn’t bring it up again. I say this having retired from the Army after 26 years. He technically didn’t do anything wrong. He did upset some people. Let focus on his socialistic leanings.
"He technically didn’t do anything wrong."
Not being truthful about his rank is not wrong?
"I think we just need to let this go, as long as Walz doesn’t bring it up again."
I don't think they can do that. The veteran angle was a big part of this pick, IMO. Look at how Inga was gushing about it out of the gate.
The Harris campaign is leaning into this controversy, believe it or not. It just tweeted out an attack on Vance for supporting a different candidate, JR Majewski, despite stolen valor accusations. Republicans are already pushing back that Majewski was cleared, though, so I'm not sure how much this will help them.
"He technically didn’t do anything wrong. "
You must be some sort of bot. And there is precisely ZERO chance a 26 year veteran would let Stolen Valor go.
You guys are going to have to do alot better than that to cover for your Stolen Valor / Blue Falon boy.
That worked for me with bold last night but not italics at 8:07 am. No idea why.
“He told us that he wanted to run for Congress, and he was in a tough spot, because he was pretty sure we were going to Iraq,” Bonnifield said. “We didn’t have orders. We didn’t have any kind of orders at all.”
Bonnifield added that Walz struggled with the decision, and talked with his fellow service member for 30 to 45 minutes about, “‘What do I do? Where can I be a better person for the soldier? Where can I be a better person for Minnesota? Where can I be a better person for the United States?’”
Others who served with Walz have said similar things.
Joe Eustice, who served with Walz for years, told The Washington Post he disagreed with the governor’s politics, but Walz did not avoid combat duty and was a good soldier. At the time Walz left the unit, Eustice told the Post there had only been speculation the unit could be deployed.
“Other than having a rumor, we were not notified that we were going to be deployed,” Eustice told the Post
Tim Walz tries to conflate the M-16 rifle, which is a weapon of war, with an AR-15, which has never been used in a war. Different rifles.
"“He told us that he wanted to run for Congress, and he was in a tough spot, because he was pretty sure we were going to Iraq,” Bonnifield said.
You didn't highlight the most important part of that quote, Inga, so I fixed it for you. What Walz believed is the important point.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we got him
I was referring to my own service. Not Walz.
Do you have any reading comprehension skills at all?
From your quote, "... but Walz did not avoid combat duty ..."
He absolutely did AVOID combat duty!
Some people on the thread are arguing that he deliberately avoided combat duty. You are arguing that he inadvertently avoided combat duty.
However, you have printed an obvious untruth in the statement that Walz did not avoid combat duty.
Walz served in a war. Walz attained the rank of CSM before he retired.
The lies are being told by you. He did not serve in a war zone, though he claims he did. And his rank was knocked down after he 'retired' (with two years left on his stint) because he did not fulfill the requirements needed to achieve CSM.
These are the facts. They are not in dispute.
Nowadays, there's a huge amount of disrespect for the military. That's existed for most of our history, but it used to be offset by respect for our heroes in wars of which we are proud.
When was the last war we were proud of? I think we had some pride in stopping the "Reds" from invading South Korea, but I'm not sure we've had pride of any wars since then. The North Viet Nam forces successfully invaded South Viet Nam, after we left, and I think we're doing business with them. Maybe that should have been our policy all along.
I've not got anything much to say about a particular soldier's particular decision when to retire, but I think it's fair to comment on what he said later, when he runs for high office.
Wow.
Not only does he try and gaslight us as to the facts (do the Walz defenders think we can't read?), he throws in calling Althouse a liar for good measure.
Hmmm. That was a reply to Left Bank at 9:37am.
I solved the italics problem. But I had to delete John Henry to do it. Sorry John Henry. You used boldface. I had the theory that your post was the problem because that was the first one that appeared in italics so I took you out and solved the problem. My theory now is that the problem is using boldface so in the future I would ask everyone not to use boldface in the comments. If I get this italics effect again, I’m going to be suspicious of the first post that goes into italics and if that’s opposed to uses boldface, then we know that’s the problem.
I solved the italics problem. But I had to delete John Henry to do it. Sorry John Henry. You used boldface. I had the theory that your post was the problem because that was the first one that appeared in italics so I took you out and solved the problem. My theory now is that the problem is using boldface so in the future I would ask everyone not to use boldface in the comments. If I get this italics effect again, I’m going to be suspicious of the first post that goes into italics and if that’s opposed to uses boldface, then we know that’s the problem.
@Althouse: You don't think John Henry's post contained an unclosed italic block? With respect, I think that makes more sense.
This is a test.
It is only a test.
If this had been an actual formatting error, you would have been instructed by authorities where to turn your radio dial.
This is another test.
Part of the test.
Huh.
Leaving an italic block unclosed does NOT appear to extend italics into the next comment. I'm a bit surprised, but data is data (as we say).
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