Tim Walz Rank Reduced Before Retirement

Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate for 2024, faces controversy regarding his military service claims. A statement from Minnesota National Guard Director of Manpower & Personnel, Col. Ryan Cochran, revealed that Walz's rank was reduced to master sergeant just one day before his retirement, contradicting his repeated assertions of retiring as a command sergeant major. Walz was initially promoted to sergeant major in 2004 and served provisionally in the command sergeant major role, but his official retirement on May 16, 2005, was as a master sergeant. Throughout his congressional career, Walz has maintained that he is a retired command sergeant major, a claim he first made in a political ad in 2006. Despite the National Guard's records indicating otherwise, he has used this title in various public settings and on campaign materials. The Harris-Walz campaign has not provided a clear explanation for these discrepancies, although they have updated his biography to reflect his actual rank upon retirement. Additionally, allegations have surfaced suggesting that Walz may have retired early to avoid deployment to Iraq. Retired Army Command Sergeant Major Doug Julin, who served with Walz, claimed that Walz assured him he would lead his battalion into combat but then sought early retirement. The campaign has only characterized Walz's statements as "misspeaking," particularly in light of a 2018 video where he claimed to have carried weapons "in war," despite lacking combat experience during his 24 years in the military reserves.