Fact-checking claims about Tim Walz’s military record
- Published
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz's military record has come under scrutiny since he was announced as Kamala Harris's running mate.
Walz's Republican critics accused him of intentionally avoiding combat in Iraq by resigning from the National Guard months before his unit was deployed there.
In August, the Harris campaign separately acknowledged that Walz had "misspoke" in 2018 when he said he carried assault weapons "in war".
We’ve looked into Walz's record.
Did Walz tell the truth about experiencing combat?
Minnesota Governor Walz served for 24 years in the Army National Guard, a military force that is usually deployed within the US to respond to events such as natural disasters, but is also part of the US Army reserve.
In August, Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance accused Walz of "stolen valour".
Vance referred to a video promoted by the Harris campaign which featured a comment made by Walz in 2018, while he was advocating for gun control.
In the clip, external, Walz said he had "carried weapons in war".
This was not true. Walz went to Italy with the National Guard in 2003 as part of support for the US war in Afghanistan but he was never deployed to an active war zone.
On 9 August, the Harris campaign issued a statement saying that “in making the case for why weapons of war should never be on our streets or in our classrooms, the Governor misspoke”.
Why did Walz retire from the military?
In August Vance claimed: “When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the army and allowed his unit to go without him.”
Several former National Guard colleagues have previously publicly voiced frustrations at Walz’s decision to leave their unit before deployment to Iraq but others have rejected assertions that he retired to avoid combat duty.
In February 2005, while he was still in the National Guard, Walz filed an application, external to run for election as a member of Congress from Minnesota.
The following month it was announced that there would be “a possible partial mobilisation of roughly 2,000 troops from the Minnesota National Guard” to Iraq within the next two years, according to a 2005 press release, external from Walz’s congressional campaign.
In the statement, Walz said: “I do not yet know if my artillery unit will be part of this mobilisation.”
He added: “I don’t want to speculate on what shape my campaign will take if I am deployed, but I have no plans to drop out of the race."
Walz retired from the National Guard in May 2005, which he later said was so he could focus fully on running for Congress.
His National Guard unit received orders to mobilise for Iraq in July 2005, and was sent there in March 2006, according to the battalion’s history page., external
On 13 August 2024, Mr Walz responded directly to his critics, recalling that he'd joined the National Guard aged 17: "I served for the next 24 years for the same reason all my brothers and sisters do, we love this country. Then in 2005 I felt the call of duty again, this time giving service to my country in the halls of Congress."
Did Walz mislead about his rank?
The Trump campaign has accused Walz of lying about having retired as a command sergeant major.
His official biography on the Minnesota state website says, external: “Command Sergeant Major Walz retired from the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion in 2005.”
He did reach the rank of command sergeant major near the end of his service, but he would have had to serve in that role for three years to retire at that rank officially, says the National Guard.
Personnel files show Walz was reduced one rank - to master sergeant - after retiring for benefits purposes.
Kamala Harris announced Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday
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What about Vance's military record?
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance
Vance served for four years in the US Marine Corps.
He was deployed to Iraq for about six months in 2005 as a military journalist, although he didn't experience combat.
“I was lucky to escape any real fighting,” he said in his 2016 memoir.
He left the Marine Corps in 2007 as a corporal to attend Ohio State University.
This article, first published on 8 August, was updated to reflect a statement on 9 August from the Harris campaign on Mr Walz's comment that he carried weapons "in war". It was further updated to add comments on his military service from Mr Walz on 13 August.
