Check facts on accusations about Walz’s military service

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 28, 2024

A letter in a recent Herald needs fact checking.

Candidate Tim Walz joined the National Guard at 17 and served for 24 years in domestic and overseas deployments. He was eligible for retirement in 2001 after 20 years. He incurred a physical disability in the line of duty that led military doctors to recommend a medical discharge. Instead, after Sept. 11 he lobbied to remain so that he could serve in war time. He did not “run from a fight.”

Four years later he filed to run for Congress in February 2005. It wasn’t until a month later his battalion was advised of “possible” mobilization to Iraq in “the ensuing two years.” Walz wrote he was “dedicated to serving my country whether in Washington D.C. or Iraq.” Two months later Walz retired. It was another two months later before the unit received “an alert order for mobilization to Iraq.” Three months later the unit mobilized. Five months later (13 months after Walz filed for Congress), the battalion deployed to Iraq. Colleagues confirmed Walz’s decision to seek office and retire came before any official notice of deployment.

Walz also did not misrepresent his rank. Col. Kristen Ange of the Guard wrote Walz “culminated his career serving as the command sergeant major for the battalion” and “retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete the Sergeants Major Academy.”

Compare Walz’s record to Trump’s 5 deferments during Vietnam. Wasn’t Trump “running from a fight?”

Gary and Gretchen Brandstetter

Snohomish