Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance on Wednesday criticized his counterpart on the Democratic ticket for exaggerating his military service and staying home from the Iraq War when his unit deployed.
Speaking at a campaign stop in Wisconsin, Vance, a Marine Corps veteran, said that when his country asked him to go to Iraq in 2005, he did, but Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who served in the Army National Guard for 24 years, did not.
“You know what really bothers me about Tim Walz, as a Marine who served his country in uniform? When the United States Marine Corps, when the United States of America asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did it,” Vance said. “When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him.”
Vance’s running mate, of course, famously used a dubious medical diagnosis of “bone spurs” to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War.
Walz previously faced criticism about his military record in 2018 when he ran for governor of Minnesota, and again when he sought reelection four years later. In an open letter posted on Facebook in 2018, Thomas Behrends, a retired command sergeant major from the Minnesota National Guard, claimed Walz retired after his unit received a warning order “in early 2005” that it would deploy to Iraq.
“His excuse to other leaders was that he needed to retire in order to run for Congress,” the letter said.
But Army Lt. Col. Ryan Rossman, director of operations for the Minnesota National Guard, said Wednesday that Walz’s unit “received an alert order for mobilization to Iraq on July 14, 2005.” Walz had retired two months earlier, in May.
It’s not clear, however, if Walz has ever disputed Behrends’ timeline of his departure. A spokesperson for the Democratic presidential campaign did not immediately do so on Wednesday.
In a March 2005 press release from a website for the nascent Walz congressional campaign, Walz said he was aware of a possible mobilization of his unit and that he had a duty “to serve if called on” ― but also that he wouldn’t drop out of the race.
Behrends also said Walz exaggerated his rank when he served in Congress, saying he should not have identified himself as a retired command sergeant major. A public affairs officer for the Minneapolis National Guard said Walz attained that rank before he retired in May 2005 but reverted to master sergeant because he didn’t finish coursework needed to maintain the rank in retirement.
Others who served with Walz have said the criticism of his departure is off-target.
“He was a great soldier,” Joseph Eustice, another National Guard veteran, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2022 . “When he chose to leave, he had every right to leave.”
But Vance went further than just criticizing Walz’s departure from the Guard. He also pointed to a video clip recently posted by Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in which Walz talks about gun control and banning assault weapons.
“We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are out,” Walz said in the clip.
“What was this weapon that you carried into war, given that you abandoned your unit right before they went to Iraq?” Vance said . “What bothers me about Tim Waltz is the stolen valor garbage. Do not pretend to be something that you’re not.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Harris-Walz campaign did not directly address Vance’s comments.
“After 24 years of military service, Governor Walz retired in 2005 and ran for Congress, where he chaired Veterans Affairs and was a tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform ― and as Vice President of the United States he will continue to be a relentless champion for our veterans and military families.”
Other Harris allies, however, suggested Walz’s record stacked up favorably compared to Vance’s.
“JD served honorably, but he wasn’t kicking down doors. He was in public affairs. Which again, is fine and honorable,” Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman and pilot in the Air National Guard, posted on social media . “Tim, after he was eligible for retirement, retired. People do that.”
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