Tim Walz embellished his military service record

[RDKirk]

The promotion was first earned. Command sergeant major leadership development courses follow promotion and depending on the unit, a Tactical Commanders Development Program or Brigade Combat Team Commanders Development Course may also be a requirement. Walz retired from the National Guard before completing these courses, so he was demoted for retirement benefit purposes. He was a Command Sergeant Major on his last day of service, so he is eligible for the Command Sergeant Major (Retired) title.

Provisionally.

The Minnesota National Guard confirmed Wednesday that Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris' vice presidential running mate, was demoted and did not retire as a command sergeant major like he has claimed for years, including on his official gubernatorial biography.​

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While Walz temporarily held the title of command sergeant major he "retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy," Army Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, the Minnesota National Guard’s State Public Affairs Officer, told Just the News.​

The National Guard is rather flexible about such things compared to the active duty military. "Command Sergeant Major" is a position rather than a specific pay grade, the actual pay grade being E-9, which is also the grade of a Sergeant Major and the Sergeant Major of the Army. As was said, he held it provisionally and retired from that position.

As I said, National Guard is rather flexible, and it's not unusual for people to be promoted into a grade that their particular unit has open while they catch up with requirements on the back side. If his unit needed a Command Sergeant Major, the unit's fairy godmother would make him one.

IMO, his real rank is whatever pay grade he's being paid in retirement, which is E-8 at Master Sergeant. That's what I'd call myself if anyone asked, but I don't know exactly how the National Guard handles the ceremonial aspect of that situation.

Edit: The truth lies on his form DD-214. Whatever that says is what he should be called.

 

[probinson]

The National Guard is rather flexible about such things compared to the active duty military. "Command Sergeant Major" is a position rather than a specific pay grade, the actual pay grade being E-9, which is also the grade of a Sergeant Major and the Sergeant Major of the Army. As was said, he held it provisionally and retired from that position.

As I said, National Guard is rather flexible, and it's not unusual for people to be promoted into a grade that their particular unit has open while they catch up with requirements on the back side. If his unit needed a Command Sergeant Major, the unit's fairy godmother would make him one.

IMO, his real rank is whatever pay grade he's being paid in retirement, which is E-8 at Master Sergeant. That's what I'd call myself if anyone asked, but I don't know exactly how the National Guard handles the ceremonial aspect of that situation.

Thank you for the explanation.

 

[JosephZ]

Recently, I got promoted to SFC. However, I will not be allowed to call myself a retired SFC unless I fulfill at least a total of 3 years of time in service as a SFC.

Can you provide the National Guard regulation that states this?

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[probinson]

He served as a high-ranking, non-commissioned officer in a field artillery regiment — damaging his ear and hearing to the point of necessitating surgery, according to medical records obtained by Minnesota Public Radio — and reached the rank of command sergeant major. However, he retired one rank lower as a master sergeant “for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy,” Army Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, a spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard, told Spectrum News in a statement.

In 2018, a spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard told MPR that it was legitimate for Walz to say he served as a command sergeant major even if he retired at a lower rank.

As his biography page shows, he doesn't say he served as a command sergeant major. He says he retired as command sergeant major.

 

[civilwarbuff]

How so?

but this doesn't change the fact that he served as a Command Sergeant Major and earned the right to be titled as such.
It actually does.....You were never military, were you?

 

[civilwarbuff]

The National Guard is rather flexible about such things compared to the active duty military.

No it is not. They follow the rules for promotion and retirement.

 

[Arcangl86]

Based on this article from a couple of years ago, CSM Behrends was originally passed over for promotion in favor of Walz.

 

[RDKirk]

Can you provide the National Guard regulation that states this?

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A promotion carries with it a few years of additional service commitment. I don't think I ever personally knew of anyone who didn't fulfill that (everyone wanted that extra bit of retirement money), but if someone had sufficient years to retire before finishing that commitment, I would expect retirement would be at the previous grade held.

 

[probinson]

Have no fear, the fact-checkers are already on the case!

Fact Check: NO Evidence VP Candidate Walz Overstated Army National Guard Rank Or Abandoned Unit Before Deployment | Lead Stories

Did Tim Walz, Minnesota governor and Democratic Party vice presidential pick, overstate his rank in the Army National Guard and...

leadstories.com

 

[RDKirk]

No it is not. They follow the rules for promotion and retirement.

Yes, it is with regard to how promotions occur. In the National Guard, promotions depend a lot on unit requirements, which is not the case in the regular Army. For instance, if you stay in a unit that has no higher authorization than a particular grade, that grade is as far as you can progress. You would have to transfer to a different unit with a higher grade authorization.

 

[probinson]

A promotion carries with it a few years of additional service commitment. I don't think I ever knew of anyone who didn't fulfill that, but if someone had the years to retire before finishing that commitment, I would expect retirement would be at the previous grade held.

Maybe you don't know the answer for this, but if someone were contemplating retirement, is it common practice for them to accept a provisional promotion knowing that they won't be able to fulfill the requirements for the new title?

 

[probinson]

Recently, I got promoted to SFC. However, I will not be allowed to call myself a retired SFC unless I fulfill at least a total of 3 years of time in service as a SFC.

ABC News is confirming this was the case with Walz as well.

What is noteworthy is that Walz still uses the rank of command sergeant major on his website.​

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Walz indeed achieved that rank in service in September 2004. But he would have had to serve in that particular role for three years to retire as one officially, according to the National Guard.​

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What to know about Walz's military record and Vance's accusations of 'stolen valor'

Donald Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, is alleging Kamala Harris' running mate, Tim Walz, is guilty of "stolen valor." Here's what to know about his record.

abcnews.go.com

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[Vambram]

That’s nice. If there’s more to it, they’ve done and exceedingly poor job of articulating their issues with him. As it is, it comes off as partisan moaning. People retire from the military all the time. Some middle aged guy with other ambitions who already retired doesn’t want to get to deployed into a garbage war? Good for him. Go home.

Walz was a Battalion Command Sergeant Major who was expected to lead his Battalion by example and was expected to lead all of the rest of the NCOs of his Battalion in that deployment into Iraq. Instead, he failed completely in his duty to do so.

 

[JosephZ]

but this doesn't change the fact that he served as a Command Sergeant Major and earned the right to be titled as such.
It actually does.....You were never military, were you?

I'm a veteran.

 

[RDKirk]

Whatever his DD-214 says he retired as is what he should call himself. If this gets to be an issue, that's the document he needs to show.

As for him retiring two months before his unit got their orders.....

Well, when I had gotten my last promotion and had completed the additional commitment it required, there came open an especially undesirable position in South Korea for my specialty and rank. My career field was quite small, and there were fewer than a dozen people in the Air Force who were eligible for that position...we all knew each other from various common assignments over the years.

I watched with some semi-amused concern as person after person got assigned to that lousy slot...and then immediately put in his retirement papers. It was getting down pretty close to me, and I surely didn't want a remote tour at that point in my career and life. But before it got to me, they snagged a guy who still had his promotion commitment to finish, and had been CONUS since his previous overseas tour longer than I'd been...so he was higher on the list. But for sure, if the call had gotten down to me, I'd have retired instead.

Let's not be coy children about that kind of thing. There might be some middle-aged hell hounds champing at the bit to get out and kill some Huns, but for the most part with the Guard and Reserves, you're talking about middle-aged men fighting a paunch, dealing with thinning hair, with wives wanting them to stay home for a while and kids in middle school.

 

[RDKirk]

Walz was a Battalion Command Sergeant Major who was expected to lead his Battalion by example and was expected to lead all of the rest of the NCOs of his Battalion in that deployment into Iraq. Instead, he failed completely in his duty to do so.

If you're eligible to retire, you've done your duty four or five times over. Now, if he'd actually received orders by then, you might have an argument, but without even orders in hand, you're just blowing smoke about "duty."

 

[iluvatar5150]

Walz was a Battalion Command Sergeant Major who was expected to lead his Battalion by example and was expected to lead all of the rest of the NCOs of his Battalion in that deployment into Iraq. Instead, he failed completely in his duty to do so.

So, in your opinion, under what conditions is a commander allowed to retire?

 

[Tropical Wilds]

TL;DR, congrats or sorry that happened, whatever the case may be.

His service compared to Trump’s (and a majority of Americans) is admirable and commendable.

 

[Vambram]

Whatever his DD-214 says he retired as is what he should call himself. If this gets to be an issue, that's the document he needs to show.

As for him retiring two months before his unit got their orders.....

Well, when I had gotten my last promotion and had completed the additional commitment it required, there came open an especially undesirable position in South Korea for my specialty and rank. My career field was quite small, and there were fewer than a dozen people in the Air Force who were eligible for that position...we all knew each other from various common assignments over the years.

I watched with some semi-amused concern as person after person got assigned to that lousy slot...and then immediately put in his retirement papers. It was getting down pretty close to me, and I surely didn't want a remote tour at that point in my career and life. But before it got to me, they snagged a guy who still had his promotion commitment to finish, and had been CONUS since his previous overseas tour longer than I'd been...so he was higher on the list. But for sure, I the call had gotten down to me, I'd have retired instead.

Let's not be coy children about that kind of thing. There might be some middle-aged hell hounds champing at the bit to get out and kill some Huns, but for the most part with the Guard and Reserves, you're talking about middle-aged men fighting a paunch, dealing with thinning hair, with wives wanting them to stay home for a while and kids in middle school.

Thank you for your informative point of view. The biggest quibble I have with your post is the characterization of Guardsmen and Reservists. Most of my fellow soldiers with whom I have served in the Army National Guard are less than 30 years old and they are in good, but not great, physical shape.

 

[Vambram]

If you're eligible to retire, you've done your duty four or five times over. Now, if he'd actually received orders by then, you might have an argument, but without even orders in hand, you're just blowing smoke about "duty."

I don't believe that the senior NCOs who served with Walz agree with you concerning blowing smoke about duty.