Vance Accuses Tim Walz Of Military Service ‘Stolen Valor’: The Disputed Allegations Explained

Topline

Republican vice presidential nominee, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, has accused Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz of leaving the National Guard to avoid being deployed to Iraq—a years-old claim that may resurface during Tuesday’s debate, even though it lacks evidence and has long been disputed by Walz and some of his fellow guardsmen.

In response to the claims, the Harris campaign said Walz retired in 2005 to run for Congress the … [+] following year

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Key Facts

Accusing Walz of “stolen valor,” Vance has alleged he “dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him” to Iraq.

Trump has also called Walz “a disgrace to our country” on Truth Social, linking to a Newsweek op-ed by right-wing podcast host and Army veteran Dan Holloway calling “Tim Walz’s abandonment of his unit . . . unforgivable.”

The claim has circulated in Minnesota politics for years, and was amplified in a 2018 open letter posted to Facebook by two retired Minnesota National Guard Command Sergeant Majors, Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr, alleging Walz “quit” the National Guard in 2005 shortly after his unit was notified to prepare for deployment to Iraq.

They accused Walz of “betraying his country” and “leaving the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and its Soldiers hanging . . . as the battalion prepared for war.”

The Minnesota National Guard was notified of its deployment in July 2005, two months after Walz announced his run for Congress, Politico reported, though there were rumors at the time of Walz’s announcement that the battalion could be deployed, retired command sergeant major Joseph Eustice, who served with Walz, told ABC News.

In response to the claims, the Harris campaign said Walz retired in 2005 to run for Congress the following year and touted his role on the House Veterans Affairs committee, calling him “a tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform.”

Walz has defended his record in the past and questioned Behrends’ political motivations, after Behrends appeared at a campaign event alongside Walz’s 2022 Republican gubernatorial opponent Scott Jensen: “I don’t know if Tom just disagrees with my politics or whatever, but my record speaks for itself,” Walz reportedly said at the time.

Some of Walz’s fellow retired Guardsmen have also disputed the characterizations: Al Bonnifield, who served under Walz and described him as “a very caring person” and “very good leader” to Minnesota Public Radio in 2018, explained that Walz retired so he could run for Congress in 2006 and had been weighing the decision before the deployment was announced.

Eustice also told the Star Tribune in 2022, Walz was “a great soldier” and speculated if Behrends is possibly holding a grudge because Walz was promoted instead of him.

Chief Critic

“When the United States of America asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did it,” Vance, a former Marine who was deployed to Iraq, said previously. “When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq … he dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him.”

Contra

“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,” the Harris-Walz campaign said in statement.

Tangent

In a New York Post interview published in August, Behrends suggested Walz falsely inflated his military rank by calling himself a command sergeant major throughout his political career, despite his rank being reduced to master sergeant since he retired before completing the terms of his promotion. Harris referred to Walz as “Sgt. Maj. Walz” while praising his background during their first campaign event together in August, hours after she announced him as her running mate. Minnesota National Guard spokesperson Capt. Holly Rockow told Minnesota Public Radio in 2018 it’s fair to say Walz served as sergeant major since that was his rank at the time of his retirement in 2005, though it was retroactively reverted back to master sergeant because he retired before completing requirements associated with his promotion. Vance also criticized Walz for saying he carried a gun “in war” when there is no evidence Walz served in a combat zone. “He said ‘we shouldn’t allow weapons that I used in war to be on America’s streets,’” Vance said of Walz. “Well, I wonder, Tim Walz, when were you ever in war?” Walz, while calling for gun controls in 2018 said “we can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war, are only carried in war.” Walz was never deployed to a combat zone, but he would have carried a gun when he was deployed to Italy in 2003 to support U.S. operations in Afghanistan after 9/11. Harris campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt told multiple outlets when the 2018 remarks resurfaced in August that Walz “misspoke” when he said he carried weapons “in war.”

Key Background

Walz—a Nebraska native who later moved to Minnesota—joined the Nebraska Army National Guard in 1981 and retired in 2005 as a master sergeant, according to Military.com, citing his military records and a statement from the Minnesota Guard. Walz responded to natural disasters and received several awards, including Nebraska Citizen Soldier of the Year in 1989. Walz simultaneously worked as a high school teacher and football coach during his time as a guardsman prior to his run for Congress in 2005.

News Peg

Walz and Vance are set to face off Tuesday in their first debate hosted by CBS from New York City. The debate could be the last of the 2024 campaign cycle as Trump has said he won’t debate Harris for a second time. Harris selected Walz after a rushed process to choose her running mate in the weeks following her entrance into the race, hoping he can appeal to midwestern voters in the crucial swing states of Wisconsin and Michigan. While the GOP has described Walz as a “far-left lunatic,” he developed a reputation as a centrist in Congress while representing a deep-red district for 12 years. He bucked his party to vote to hold former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress and to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, though he signed legislation often championed by progressives during his second term as governor.