Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, recently announced as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, is facing criticism for allegedly misrepresenting his military service record. The controversy was sparked by comments from Lieutenant Colonel John Kolb, who commanded the battalion where Gov. Walz served before he retired from the Minnesota Army National Guard.
Kolb publicly criticized Gov. Walz, stating that he did not regret the governor’s early retirement, which Kolb claims occurred before Walz completed the Sergeants Major Academy or any assignment as a Sergeant Major. Kolb suggested that Walz’s decision to leave allowed for stronger leadership to emerge, particularly pointing to Thomas Behrends, who assumed leadership of the battalion during its deployment to Iraq.
Kolb praised Behrends for his dedication, noting that he sacrificed time with his family and his business to fulfill his duties. “He earned the privilege of being called Command Sergeant Major,” Kolb stated, in a clear contrast to Walz’s departure. Kolb went further, arguing that Walz’s claim of achieving the rank of E9, without completing the necessary assignments, is an insult to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps.
Kolb also used a metaphor to drive his point home: “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.”
This controversy has cast a shadow over Gov. Walz’s candidacy, raising questions about the integrity of his military service record and his commitment to leadership.
