Tim Walz Lied About His Military Service For Years

Let’s cut through the noise and get to the heart of the matter. Over the past few days, there’s been a lot of chatter about the military service of Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn. But here’s the thing: when it comes to military service, there are a few things that no veteran ever forgets—the name of their basic training drill sergeant, their rank at discharge, and whether they’ve been deployed in a combat zone.

Gov. Walz, however, seems to have a bit of trouble with the latter two.

Walz, who is now Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, has made his military service a centerpiece of his political narrative. Yet, as the spotlight intensifies, the cracks in that story are becoming all too evident. The governor has repeatedly “misspoken” about his service in the National Guard, and that’s putting it lightly.

Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not questioning his service to our nation. By all accounts, Walz served honorably. But there’s a significant difference between honorable service and misleading the public about the nature of that service. And it’s precisely this kind of misrepresentation that’s giving Walz and the Democrats some well-deserved political heartburn.

Here are the facts: Walz’s former unit was deployed to a war zone, but he was not. In 2005, just months before his fellow soldiers were sent off to Iraq, Walz retired. Many service members never deploy to a combat zone, and that doesn’t diminish their contribution to our nation. But here’s the kicker—Walz has, on multiple occasions, suggested that he did deploy to a combat zone. As a member of the Minnesota National Guard, Walz served during the War on Terror, but his tours were in Italy and Norway, far removed from the harsh realities of Iraq or Afghanistan.

During his 2018 campaign for governor, Walz leaned heavily on his military background, even going so far as to inflate his service. “We can make sure those weapons of war, that I carried in war, are only carried in war,” he said, pushing for an assault rifle ban. After being called out for this misleading statement, the Harris-Walz campaign brushed it off, saying the governor had “misspoken.” But this wasn’t some minor slip of the tongue.

Let’s be clear: a soldier who has been deployed to a combat zone knows it. And those who haven’t should never claim otherwise. It’s not “misspeaking”—it’s lying.

Walz has also long claimed to be a retired Command Sergeant Major (CSM), a prestigious enlisted rank of E9. But the truth is, he retired as a Master Sergeant (MSG), an E8. Retiring as an E8 is nothing to scoff at—it’s a mark of a solid military career. So why the “misrepresentation”? Why has Walz spent nearly two decades embellishing his military rank and deployment status? At what point does this stop being a “misrepresentation” and start being a lie?

John Kolb, who took over as lieutenant colonel of Walz’s National Guard unit after the governor left to run for Congress, didn’t mince words. He called Walz’s rank embellishment “an affront to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps” and bluntly stated, “He did not earn the rank or successfully complete any assignment as an E9.” Kolb’s words are a harsh indictment of Walz’s actions, and they reflect the frustration and anger of veterans who see someone—especially a fellow veteran—playing fast and loose with the truth about their service.

In the coming weeks, Walz’s allies in the Democratic Party will try to spin this, painting him as the victim. Don’t buy it. Timothy Walz, MSG (USA Retired), had countless opportunities to come clean and set the record straight. But instead, he chose to perpetuate a false narrative for personal gain.

This isn’t just some exaggerated war story told over a few beers. This is a nearly 20-year-long charade that Walz has woven about his military service. And for that, he needs to be held accountable.