(Rightallegiance.com) – Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz is under fire for allegedly misleading the public about his military record. The controversy intensified after one of his fellow Minnesota National Guardsmen, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Herr, accused Walz of lying about his rank and experience during his time in the military.
Herr, who has previously criticized Walz for his claims, appeared on “Fox & Friends” to explain why veterans, including himself, believe the governor has engaged in “stolen valor.” Herr stated, “He continually claims that he’s a retired [sergeant] major. He is not; he is a retired master sergeant,” during his conversation with host Steve Doocy.
Walz’s military career concluded in 2005 when he retired from the Minnesota National Guard just before his unit was deployed to Iraq. According to Herr, Walz had assured other soldiers that he would be joining them on the deployment, while secretly working behind the scenes to secure his retirement before being sent overseas. The New York Post reported that the Minnesota National Guard confirmed Walz’s unit was not given deployment orders until July 2005, months after he had already filed his retirement papers.
The controversy is further fueled by discrepancies in how Walz is described in official and public accounts. On the governor’s website, Walz is referred to as a retired “command sergeant major,” a title that critics argue he never rightfully earned. Furthermore, Walz has claimed that he carried a gun “in war,” despite never having participated in active combat.
Herr and other veterans, including retired Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Behrends, have criticized Walz for allegedly using a rank he never achieved to advance his political career. Behrends, who served in the same battalion as Walz, remarked on “The Ingraham Angle” that Walz continues to falsely claim he is a retired command sergeant major. “He uses the rank of others to make it look like he’s a better person than he is,” Behrends said.
Herr also condemned Walz’s behavior as self-serving, stating that Walz “subverted the chain of command” to benefit himself. Herr emphasized the seriousness of Walz’s actions, noting that the brigade sergeant major was unaware of Walz’s maneuvers, which he described as “shameful.” He also highlighted that Walz never completed the rigorous training required at the Sergeant Majors Academy, despite signing a commitment to do so. “He never did one scrap of work,” Herr said, adding that Walz was stripped of the command sergeant major title upon leaving the Minnesota National Guard. Yet, Walz continues to claim the rank.
Behrends provided additional context, explaining that Walz had been promoted to command sergeant major in 2004 but was required to serve an additional two years to finalize the promotion. Walz’s early retirement invalidated the promotion, reducing his rank to master sergeant. “What he did, basically, was he quit,” Behrends said. “He didn’t complete that condition of doing two years after graduation, so he gets reduced to a master sergeant, and that’s what he is right now, is a retired master sergeant.”
In response to the controversy, the Minnesota National Guard issued a statement confirming Walz’s service dates from April 8, 1981, to May 16, 2005. The statement also clarified that while Walz held multiple positions in field artillery and served as the Command Sergeant Major for his battalion, he ultimately retired as a Master Sergeant in 2005 because he did not complete the required coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.