Walz’s Rank Was Reduced a Day Before He Retired
- August 18, 2024
The Minnesota National Guard revealed earlier this week that Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democrat vice presidential candidate, had his rank reduced to master sergeant a day before he retired, which means that he never retired as a command sergeant major as he has claimed numerous times in political ads and in political settings. Minnesota National Guard Director of Manpower & Personnel Army Col. Ryan Cochran said in a statement sent out to journalists on August 13, 2024 (emphasis added):
Governor Tim Walz received his notification of eligibility for retirement on August 3, 2002. He was promoted to sergeant major (E-9) on September 17, 2004, and immediately began serving as the command sergeant major for the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery while his packet was submitted to the National Guard Bureau to appoint him to command sergeant major (E-9). Once approved by NGB, he was laterally appointed to command sergeant major (E-9) on April 1, 2005. He retired from the Minnesota National Guard on May 16, 2005. Our records do not indicate when he made his request to retire. Leadership reviews and approves all requests to retire. He was administratively reduced to master sergeant (E-8) on May 15, 2005, because he did not complete all required U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy coursework.
The statement said Walz’s rank was reduced to master sergeant (E-8) on May 15, 2005, and he retired on May 16, 2005. According to a publicly available Army National Guard document, Walz had his military record corrected on September 10, 2005.
Despite retiring as a master sergeant on May 15, 2005, Walz spent his entire congressional career claiming he was a retired command sergeant major — despite not being a retired command sergeant major. And despite serving in a command sergeant major role provisionally and having that rank rescinded, he put the rank on coins he handed out as a congressman, and on his then-Twitter bio. However, Walz claimed he was a retired command sergeant major (E-9) in his first political ad for U.S. Congress in 2006, and continued doing so throughout his time as a congressman.