National Guard Denies JD Vance's Accusations About The Walz Team Leaving The Army Before The Iraqi War

Walz team. (Wikimedia Commons/Office of Governor Team Walz & Lt. Governor totaling Flanagan)

JAKARTA - The National Guard has denied allegations of Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, who said candidate for vice president of Kamala Harris from the Democratic Party, Tim Walz, left the Army before the Iraqi War.

Vance accused Walz of leaving his battalion before they were delivered to Iraq in 2005. Vance and Walz with their respective pairs will compete in the United States presidential election which will be held on November 5.

"When the United States Marine Corps, when the United States asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country, I did," Vance said in a campaign in Pennsylvania State on Wednesday evening.

"I did what they asked for, and I did it with respect and I am very proud of that service. When the Walz Team was asked by his country to go to Iraq, do you know what he did? He left the army and let his unit go without him," Vance said.

However, the Minnesota National Guard told The National that Walz retired after 24 years on duty on May 16, 2005, about two months before his 125th Medan Artillery battalion where he served receiving standby orders to leave for Iraq.

Criticism of Walz's military record first appeared in a 2018 letter posted to Facebook by retired Majors Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr.

They accused the Minnesota Governor of "tricking his country" and "the-125th Medan Artillery Battalion and its soldiers adrift".

Records seen by The National show Walz is an outstanding veteran. He has extensive experience in field artillery, including as the head of the firing battery and the operating sergeant, said Minnesota National Guard spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Kristen Auge.

However, there are several elements of Walz's military record that seem to have exaggerated him in previous political speeches.

During a campaign event in 2018 for governorship, he implied he had been carrying firearms "in war".

"We can examine the impact of gun violence," said Walz.

"We can confirm the weapons of war, which I carry in war, are only carried in war," he continued.

According to records provided by the Minnesota National Guard, he was never sent to the combat zone. In August 2003, Walz was sent to Vicenza, Italy, to support Operation Enduring Freedom.

Meanwhile, Harris' campaign team told The Washington Post that Walz used "war weapons many times".

"Governor Walz will never insult or underestimate the dedication of any American citizen to the country, in fact, he thanked Senator Vance for risking his life for our country," the statement said.

Separately, VoteVets, a veteran organization in favor of Democrats, said, as a "field artillery soldier, Team service is not without risk".

"He suffered significant hearing loss while on duty around large weapons, requiring surgery and an inner ear implant after retiring," the organization said.

Claims regarding the special rank he picked up at retirement have also sparked debate. Walz and Democratic allies say he is a "tiring major target", an inappropriate claim, according to his records.

Despite his temporary rank as caretaker of the command major, his title was reinstated and he was "retired as a major sergeant in 2005 for allowance purposes, as he did not complete an additional course," said Lieutenant Colonel Auge.

"The Walz team devoted most of its youth to serving our state and state uniformly. Compared to Donald Trump who has avoided military service several times," Mike Lavigne, a retired major sergeant in the US Army who now works with VoteVets, told The National in a statement.

"Trump's track record is anti-enforcement, anti-military family, anti-Golden Star family, and anti-veterant. They can try but they will never be able to run away from it," he said.