Tim Walz, a prominent figure in the political sphere, has been accused of misrepresenting his military rank.
He has repeatedly claimed to be a retired "Command Sergeant Major" in various public addresses. However, the reality of his military career tells a different story. Walz retired at the rank of Master Sergeant, a step below the rank he claimed, due to his failure to complete the necessary requirements to retire as a Command Sergeant Major before his 2005 Congressional run.
As reported by The Post Millennial, Walz's false claim was particularly evident during a 2009 farewell address to the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, which was preparing for deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Despite his actual rank of Master Sergeant at the time of his retirement, Walz introduced himself as a "retired Command Sergeant Major." This discrepancy has been a recurring theme in Walz's post-military career, with multiple instances of the false claim surfacing.
CBS News reported that Walz did reach the conditional rank of Command Sergeant Major. However, he was demoted to Master Sergeant upon retirement due to his failure to meet the conditions and complete the coursework for the US Army Sergeants Major Academy. This revelation has led to accusations of Walz violating the "Stolen Valor" act, a law that criminalizes false claims about military decorations to obtain tangible benefits.
The Home of Heros provides a summary of the law, stating, "A revised version of the statute, the Stolen Valor Act of 2013, specifically amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for someone to claim they have served in the military, embellish their rank or fraudulently claim having received a valor award specific in the Act" for the purpose of seeking benefits.
Walz's retirement from the military in 2005 was timed just before his unit's deployment to Iraq, a move that allowed him to run for Congress. Thomas Behrends, who succeeded Walz in his position, wrote in a letter, "In early 2005, a warning order was issued to the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion, which included the position [Walz] was serving in, to prepare to be mobilized for active duty for a deployment to Iraq. On May 16th, 2005 he quit, leaving the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and its Soldiers hanging; without its senior Non-Commissioned Officer, as the battalion prepared for war." This departure, coupled with his false claims, raises questions about Walz's integrity and respect for the military institution he once served.
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