Tim Walz faces 'stolen valor' accusations from former unit commander amid VP campaign

So, he did know about the deployment and used it as a way to bolster his campaign. Not a good look. Guy plays fast and loose with the facts. Typical politician, nothing new here, but the left is always portraying themselves as "better" than the usual political hack. They're not.
“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,” the campaign said in the release.

While Democrats have said Walz in 2004 told the National Guard he intended to retire, the press release made no mention of those plans — and instead seemed to try to gain support off the possibility of him being shipped onto the battlefield.

The campaign’s release quoted Walz as saying: “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.”
Tim Walz campaigned on possible deployment to Iraq in 2005 — then left National Guard before being sent (msn.com)
 
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CaptainObvious said:
So, he did know about the deployment and used it as a way to bolster his campaign. Not a good look. Guy plays fast and loose with the facts. Typical politician, nothing new here, but the left is always portraying themselves as "better" than the usual political hack. They're not.
“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,” the campaign said in the release.

While Democrats have said Walz in 2004 told the National Guard he intended to retire, the press release made no mention of those plans — and instead seemed to try to gain support off the possibility of him being shipped onto the battlefield.

The campaign’s release quoted Walz as saying: “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.”
Tim Walz campaigned on possible deployment to Iraq in 2005 — then left National Guard before being sent (msn.com)
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Your first take on this was correct. He did his 20, qualified to retire, extended to support Iraq, by the time it was an obvious fraud with no WMDs, decided to run for a political office where he could actually do something.

He was artillary and senior. There was no statistical danger to him in Iraq either way.

He had been deployed to an Italian base supporting Iraq.

He seems a decent and fit enough guy, he is only six months older than Kamala.

 
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The actual timeline of his retirement has been misrepresented many times.

Walz retired in May of 2005
His unit wasn't ordered to mobilize until July.
THEY DIDN'T DEPLOY UNTIL 2006.

It is very 'thin gruel' as the Wall Street Journal editorial board said which shows that they can pin nothing on him.
 
elderado said:
Liar. Full stop.

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JD Vance, using the arguably misleading title of "combat correspondent," on his campaigns and the details surrounding Walz's retirement—including the rank at which he retired, when this occurred, and the subsequent withdrawal—are likely to come to light, which is welcome.

Based on an interview with Walz's immediate superior officer, the situation appears to be as follows:

Walz was aware of a potential deployment, though it was not guaranteed. He notified his superior that he was waiting for confirmation of his acceptance to run for office, following protocol. Initially, he was informed that he was not accepted by the party, and he communicated this to his superior. However, the decision was later reversed, and shortly after signaling that he would deploy, Walz approached an officer two ranks higher, who accepted his retirement.

This decision angered his immediate superior, who felt bypassed and has since been complaining on CNN and other platforms. Walz had the option to run for office while remaining in the National Guard, but he didn’t want the optics of getting elected before deployment and then requesting an exemption, as other members of Congress have done in the past. Instead, he preferred a clean break, with nearly a year remaining before his unit’s actual, potential, deployment, allowing ample time to find a capable replacement.

There is clearly some bad blood between Walz and his immediate superior for going over his head. Walz held the rank he claimed, but it appears that something related to revenge or other motives may have occurred concerning his retention of that rank.

This is what I want to understand before making any decisions, especially after seeing his former superior exaggerate and mischaracterize Walz’s retirement as "quitting." It’s clear that the situation is personal for the officer, and his judgment is likely influenced by being bypassed.
 
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