Tim Walz's Military Service Record Draws Attention

The military service record of Governor Tim Walz has invariably been in the media spotlight since his recent selection as vice president kamala harris’s running mate in the upcoming election. The decision of the U.S. House Rep from Minnesota’s First District to retire from the Minnesota Army National Guard, which subsequently turned to be immediately before his battalion’s deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, has caused quite a stir among some veterans.

Tim Walz enlisted in the Nebraska Army National Guard in 1981, eventually serving in the Minnesota Army National Guard and earning a number of awards and medals, including obtaining the rank of command sergeant major CSM. Although nothing suggests that the governor did not serve his country commendably and with devotion, the disputes around the descriptions of his military career in official biographies, no doubt, deserve attention.

The continued necessity to adjust the designation of service because Walz has not completed the required coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy and the consequent correction of the award totals in official biographies reflect the complexity of anticipating the effects of the retirement decision. Notably, as the elections approach, the retirement from the Minnesota Army National Guard continues to receive attention. It is hardly relevant to describe the evolution of candidates’ images in the context of political competition, especially when these candidates have previously served in the military, without considering their role in these military operations and how their service ended.