Tim Walz’s military successor wrote letter asking him to stop lying about his rank for ‘political gain’

WASHINGTON, DC: Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate, was accused by his National Guard successor of lying about his military rank for “political gain,” according to private correspondence.

Walz, the current Governor of Minnesota, joined the National Guard after high school and served 24 years in the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery, eventually attaining the rank of Command Sergeant Major, according to Daily Mail.

After being informed that the battalion would be sent to Iraq, Walz retired in 2005, pursued a career in Congress, and got elected in 2006.

Private letters addressed to Walz from his National Guard successor, Tom Behrends, from 2016 accused him of lying about his rank for political gain.

What did Tom Behrends and others say regarding Tim Walz's military rank?

In a letter from April 2016, Tom Behrends wrote, “I can no longer remain silent concerning your rank.”

Behrends’ letter accused Tim Walz of not meeting the requirements for the rank of Command Sergeant Major but still using the title.

“It is quite a title to have, when it has been earned,” Behrends noted.

“I would hope that you haven't been using the rank for political gain, but that is how it appears,” he remarked.

After receiving no response, Behrends wrote another letter in October 2016 to every chair of the committee Tim Walz sat on in Congress, reiterating his concerns and comparing Walz's actions to "stolen valor" since he is using “the blood, sweat and tears of ‘real’ Command Sergeant Majors who fulfilled their duties and followed through with the requirements of the rank.”

The battalion commander who succeeded Walz also criticized the Democratic vice presidential nominee for claims of "stolen valor."

Walz has faced scrutiny over his statements about his military service, including claims of having “carried” weapons of war in combat during his 24 years in the Army National Guard.

The 60-year-old Democratic lawmaker has been confronted with allegations of misrepresenting his rank upon retiring from the National Guard and claims of being a “coward” from family members of soldiers.

Lieutenant Colonel John Kolb, who took over Walz's unit after his retirement, condemned the North Star State governor for claiming the rank of Command Sergeant Major and retiring before deployment to Iraq in a Facebook post.

Kolb stated that Walz “did not earn the rank” and criticized him for continuing to use the title.

He mentioned, “By all accounts and on the record, he was a competent Chief of Firing Battery/Gunnery Sergeant and First Sergeant. I cannot say the same of his service sitting, frocked, in the CSM [command sergeant major] chair. He did not earn the rank or successfully complete any assignment as an E9 [the highest rank for non-commissioned officers].

“It is an affront to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps that he continues to glom onto the title."

“I can sit in the cockpit of an airplane, it does not make me a pilot. Similarly, when the demands of service and leadership at the highest level got real, he chose another path.”

Internet reacts to letter written by Tim Walz's National Guard successor

Reaacting to the news that Tim Walz's National Guard successor had written letters to him where he asked him to stop lying about his military rank for political gains, one X user remarked, "8 yrs ago and that didn't slow him down or break his stride. He has to keep on moving. #BallzintheWalz."

Another user said, "Turns out that people who actually went through the process of getting CSM are upset that someone who didn't is claiming they did. In the military i thought there was a term for that."

Another user asserted, "Walz rank is public record, you idiots."

One X user claimed, "Walz ain't gonna come out of this unscathed."

Another user argued, "Walz is a coward."

Finally, this user tweeted, "Bet that superior officer would have Walz court-martialed for lying about his rank. Violation of Article 107, UCMJ. However, unlike officers, enlisted ranks cannot be re-enlisted to be court-martialed."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.