The Minnesota National Guard confirmed Wednesday that Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris' running mate, was demoted and not retired as a command sergeant major as he has said for years, including in his official. biography of the governor.
Although Walz temporarily held the rank of command sergeant major, he “retired as a sergeant major in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional courses at the US Army Sergeant Major Academy “, Army Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, Minnesota National Guard. said the state's public affairs officer Just the news.
The statement reignited a controversy that began during his 2018 gubernatorial run in which the National Guard claimed on social media and in a paid ad that Walz refused to deploy to the Iraq for combat duty in 2005 and lost his command sergeant major. Walz chose to run for Congress that year.
The governor's biography, published on the official website of the statesays “Sgt.Major Walz” retired from the Minnesota National Guard in 2005. At the time he was serving as one of the highest ranking members of the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion.
The Minnesota National Guard disputed his description of his final rank.
“Governor Tim Walz served from April 8, 1981 to May 16, 2005. Governor Walz served in the Minnesota National Guard's 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery after transferring from the Guard Nebraska National in 1996. While serving in Minnesota, his military occupational specialties were 13B – a gun crew member who operates and maintains guns and 13Z – senior field gunnery sergeant In Nebraska, he served as 11Z – infantry sergeant major and 71L – chief administrative specialist, operations sergeant, first sergeant and culminated his career by serving as the battalion's command sergeant major,” said Army Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, officer of Minnesota National Guard public affairs. Just the news in a statement on Wednesday.
“He retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional courses at the US Army Sergeants Major Academy,” he added.
In accordance with Army Regulation 600-8-19a soldier who does not complete the required course outcomes is automatically demoted.
“The soldier must complete the US Army Sergeant Major Course as a condition of this promotion. Failure to meet the condition will result in demotion per AR 600 – 8 – 19,” the regulation says.
This is not the first time Walz's military records have come under scrutiny. During his 2018 campaign for governor, two senior retired Minnesota National Guard officials criticized Walz's withdrawal shortly before his battalion was scheduled to deploy to Iraq.
The two retired command sergeants majors on guard duty he wrote in an open letter posted on Facebook that they felt it was their “duty and responsibility to make known the truth as we know it about his service record.” Thomas Behrends, a signer of the letter, was chosen to replace Walz.
According to the letter, Minnesota Governor Walz was selected in 2004 to serve as command sergeant major of the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and in September of that year Walz was conditionally promoted to rank.
But in early 2005, Walz's battalion was ordered to mobilize for an active duty deployment to Iraq. Shortly thereafter, in May 2005, Walz “resigned, leaving the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and its Soldiers hanging; without their senior NCO, as the battalion prepared for war,” according to the two command sergeants majors.
“When your country calls, you're supposed to face the battle, not the other way around.” Behrends told the New York Post Tuesday. he ran away It's sad.”
“He had the opportunity to serve his country and he said 'screw it' to the United States. He is not who I would choose to run for vice president,” he added.
Governor Walz's office did not respond to a request for comment Just the news.
Retired US Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Tim Haake said Just the news that, based on his experience, a command sergeant major resigning shortly before a deployment would likely have a “detrimental” effect on the unit. “The command sergeant major is the highest ranking in a unit and is the key person to ensure that troops are ready, logistically, emotionally and otherwise, for the mission.”
As a result of his abrupt retirement and breach of his conditional agreement, the plaintiffs claimed that Walz was demoted to sergeant major for his retirement.
Scrutiny of politicians over allegations of “stolen value” is not new. Most recently, a Republican candidate JR Majewski for a seat in the Ohio House coped with media pressure on the allegations, he misrepresented his service record by presenting himself as a combat veteran, a technically accurate term, but which critics argued painted a picture that he was actively involved in combat scenarios, which was not true. In fact, it was deployed to Qatar during the War on Terror in a support role.
When he ran for the Senate in 2010, now-Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut was criticized for claiming he served in Vietnam despite having no record of such service. Indeed, Blumenthal earned five military deferments of the service between 1965 and 1970, the News from New York informed at the time. Only later did he enlist in the Marine Reserve and take up domestic duties.
Senator John Kerry, who later became Secretary of State in the Obama Administration, faced scrutiny from a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that questioned his service record and circumstances surrounding their Purple Hearts. The group questioned the severity of the combat and injuries that earned Kerry three Purple Hearts, awarded for combat injuries. Group members argued, for example, the The wound Kerry received to earn his first Purple Heart was not severe enough.
But Kerry and his allies pushed back on that characterization. Kerry's commander during the incidents also defended the medals, describing how often they were handed out to soldiers.
“There was a lot of Purple Hearts, shrapnel, some of it might have been M-40 grenades,” said George Elliott, Kerry's commanding officer. according to the Boston Globe. “Purple Hearts came down in crates. Kerry, he had three Purple Hearts. None of them took him out of service. Not to belittle, that was more the rule than the exception.”
English 
Español de Venezuela 