This story was originally published by Real Clear Wire
By Chase Spears
Real Clear Wire
Walzin Out Fake War Hero: Minnesota Governor Blames Uniforms and Deserves Humiliation.
There’s a saying among veterans that we hate each other, but we’ll circle the wagons when civilian outsiders attack. Perhaps at other times the correct rules. If so, that tradition expired long before I enlisted in the fall of 2003. Regardless, one rule remains intact for generations of veterans: lie about your military service record at your own risk. Minnesota Governor and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz learned that lesson. This is what should have been known long ago as a retired senior non-commissioned officer.
In the Army, noncommissioned officers (NCOs) lead troops directly. Officers command, plan, and make policy. NCOs make it happen. A good NCO is a storehouse of common sense in the ranks, who knows his troops. After holding the rank of Sergeant, then becoming an officer, I often mentioned the importance of officers having NCO supervision. There’s a reason most US Army officers have enlisted partners, a policy that was built into the system long ago. They are integral to a healthy balance of leadership in a military setting.
Against this background, Tim Walz’s behavior seems very much in line with the Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer, which states, “I will not use my title or position to gain personal pleasure, advantage, or security.”
The problem is that Master Sergeant Walz went into a political career as a civilian. He followed those who had come before him, until the beginning of the nation. In the US, time in the military is often a catalyst for political ambition because of the public’s view of the military. Consider John Glenn: he was drafted into the senate specifically to be a Marine and an astronaut. The same can be said of Senator Mark Kelly. Even though Americans don’t often elect veterans as president, they still elect them to Congress.
If Walz had retired, returned to civilian life, and been honest about his military record, this discussion would never have happened. Did he refer to himself as a “retired Master Sergeant, and former Command Sergeant Major of the 1St Battalion, 125Th Field Artillery,” would have been fine. I retired last year because I was selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. But I chose to retire as a Major rather than wait a month for my promotion date and complete an additional three years to maintain the higher rank upon retirement. Walz himself made a choice that intentionally to avoid fulfilling the requirement to remain a Sergeant Major and return to the rank of Master Sergeant upon retirement.
Everyone in the military leaves eventually, one way or another. Originally planning for a 30-year career, I chose to leave in 20 years for reasons of conscience and the desire to be more present with my family, after having been tours in the combat zone. It appears that Walz has retired due to his desire to avoid combat deployments altogether, despite claims of re-enlisting specifically to fight in the Global War on Terrorism. There are many reasons why people do not like the idea of ​​deploying to Iraq, a war the Bush Administration should not have started. After completing his initial enlistment requirements, Walz had the legal right to withdraw from the Sergeant Majors academy and retire, rather than continue to lead his battalion. It is fair to debate the honor or dishonor associated with Walz stepping in as a senior leader when the unit needed him and going behind the back of his direct supervisor to do so. But the fact remains, their choice is to be a free citizen. Many other people have made the same choice.
But choosing to step down and then creating a fake war hero identity for political gain deserves a lot of contempt. Walz tried to cast himself in the likeness of Rambo, but proved to be more emasculated, dancing retired Master Sergeant on the political stage.
After being freed from the shackles associated with his military status, Walz falsely branded himself a warveteran, a claim debunked by the left-leaning press who did everything possible to ensure that Harris won in November. Each time he lacks ethical savvy, acolytes running Walz’s public relations efforts claim he’s just “misspoken.” That’s a lie. Veterans know that they served in a designated combat theater and that they carried weapons in a war zone. This is not a distinction to be taken lightly. Suggestions are used to spit in the face of those who have been on the ground in dangerous places, putting their lives on the line in the defense of America.
One can criticize Walz for a variety of crazy policy choices, a short list of which includes: tampons in boys’ bathrooms, setting up a snitch COVID hotline, letting Minneapolis burn in 2020, joining Minnesota on the list of states whose purpose is to ignore elections. college, the enthusiastic homosexual grooming of children in public schools, and the signing of legislation that removed the rights of child survivors of attempted abortions. He deserves condemnation for playing the “military defender of the nation” card while also saying there is no right to free speech in the pesky Constitution he pledged allegiance to as a soldier. Walz’s record as an elected official is beyond reproach. Even without bringing his time in the National Guard into the conversation, he is not qualified for leadership at any level. But since he has repeatedly lied about his military service for personal gain over the years, it should be added to Walz’s long list of actions that make him unfit for political office.
Chase Spears served as a US Army public affairs officer for 20 years, retiring as Major-Promotable in 2023. Among other pursuits, he enjoys writing about courage, civil-military relations, communications ethics, and policy. Chase holds a Ph.D. in leadership communication from Kansas State University, where his research focuses on the reality of political norms and military action. He can be found on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Substack at @drchasespears.
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