{"id":2336083,"date":"2024-09-03T12:22:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T16:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/veterans-from-walzs-unit-insist-he-knew-of-deployment-before-congressional-run-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-03T12:24:46","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T16:24:46","slug":"veterans-from-walzs-unit-insist-he-knew-of-deployment-before-congressional-run-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/veterans-from-walzs-unit-insist-he-knew-of-deployment-before-congressional-run-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Veterans from Walz\u2019s unit insist he knew of deployment before congressional run &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fveterans-from-walzs-unit-insist-he-knew-of-deployment-before-congressional-run-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2336083&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses claims\u200b made by four veterans from Minnesota\u2063 Governor Tim \u2063Walz&#8217;s military unit regarding\u200b his retirement from the National Guard in 2005.\u2063 They \u2063assert \u200dthat Walz\u200d was aware of an\u2064 impending deployment\u200b to Iraq prior to his decision to retire and run for Congress. One \u2063veteran, Tom Behrends,\u2064 noted that Walz&#8217;s \u200ccampaign announced his\u200d congressional bid despite him already\u200c being\u200b notified of this \u2063deployment. This scrutiny of Walz&#8217;s retirement\u2062 comes as \u200bhe has \u200cbeen selected as Kamala Harris&#8217;s\u200c running mate \u2062for the 2024 election.<\/p>\n<p>Concerns have also \u2063emerged\u2063 about Walz&#8217;s military rank claims during his campaign. He has faced allegations\u200d of &#8220;stolen valor&#8221; for stating he is \u200ca <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vp-pick-tim-walz-accused-of-stolen-valor-by-former-military-colleagues-he-abandoned-us\/\" title=\"VP Pick Tim Walz Accused of &#039;Stolen Valor&#039; by Former Military Colleagues: &#039;He Abandoned Us&#039;\">retired command <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/historic-torture-trial-in-germany-renders-verdict-against-former-syrian-intelligence-officer\/\" title=\"Historic Torture Trial In Germany Renders Verdict Against Former Syrian Intelligence Officer\">sergeant major<\/a><\/a>, although his discharge was indicated \u2064to have conditional promotion to this rank, which he \u2062may not have held for any time before his\u200b retirement. Veterans Paul Herr and Behrends\u200d criticized Walz&#8217;s actions,\u2063 calling him a &#8220;coward&#8221; for avoiding deployment and implying he \u200bused his retirement as an\u200d escape\u2064 route. the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/theyre-coming-for-your-favorite-podcasts\/\" title=\"They\u2019re Coming For Your Favorite Podcasts\">article sheds light<\/a> on \u200dthe controversial narrative surrounding Walz&#8217;s military service and its implications for his political career.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Veterans from Walz&rsquo;s unit insist he knew of deployment before congressional run<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1742606\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Four veterans from Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tim-walz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Tim Walz&rsquo;s<\/a> (D-MN) military unit argued the future <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Minnesota<\/a> governor was well aware of a future deployment before he retired to run for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Congress<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Walz&rsquo;s retirement from the military in 2005 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3117493\/tim-walz-used-incorrect-backdoor-process-to-retire-from-national-guard-his-superior-officer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>has come under scrutiny<\/a> since he was selected as Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris&rsquo;s<\/a> 2024 running mate, with some stating he retired after he was notified his unit would be deployed to Iraq. Tom Behrends, one of the veterans in Walz&rsquo;s unit, told journalist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/megyn-kelly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Megyn Kelly<\/a> that Walz&rsquo;s campaign had released a statement in March 2005 that he was seeking a congressional run, even though he had already been notified of his deployment.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3138767\/tim-walz-political-origin-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>TIM WALZ&rsquo;S POLITICAL ORIGIN STORY DOES NOT ADD UP<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;From what I&rsquo;m hearing, the leadership of the state pretty much knew something was going to be going on in the summer of &lsquo;04, and then in the fall of &lsquo;04, brigade and division and battalion leadership, you know, there&rsquo;s no evidence for sure that we know that we knew, but that&rsquo;s how it usually works, it&rsquo;s that the senior leadership knows ahead of time in a meeting that&rsquo;s classified,&rdquo; Behrends said on <em>The Megyn Kelly Show<\/em>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/82MMyuvaNQM?si=-jKu4A0IPy6Z-sm0\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> <\/p>\n<p>Walz has also been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3129873\/veterans-dnc-rebuff-stolen-valor-attacks-against-walz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>facing accusations of stolen valor<\/a> amid his claims on the 2024 campaign trail that he is a retired command sergeant major. However, he did not complete the necessary requirements for this position and was reverted back to master sergeant for benefits purposes upon his departure.<\/p>\n<p>Paul Herr, another veteran of Walz&rsquo;s unit, stated that Walz&rsquo;s discharge document from the National Guard showed that he was &ldquo;conditionally promoted&rdquo; to sergeant major on May 1, 2005, and then retired about two weeks later on May 16. He added that it is possible Walz held this position for &ldquo;zero days&rdquo; because the drill time may not have occurred during the two weeks between achieving this rank and his retirement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just one habitual lie after another, and they keep piling up, and eventually, there&rsquo;s not enough blankets to cover it up,&rdquo; Herr said.<\/p>\n<p> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rH5V0gr4FVs?si=qIm1ZrhGG4rGvPMt\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> <\/p>\n<p>Both Herr and Behrends spoke harshly of Walz&rsquo;s departure from the military, with the former arguing he was a &ldquo;coward&rdquo; for taking &ldquo;the path of least resistance.&rdquo; Behrends stated that Walz &ldquo;slithered&rdquo; out of the military before walking &ldquo;into the sunset.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nLjjmgqsbnE?si=iNIWRstte-A5XbiB\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe> <\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jd-vance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>J.D. Vance<\/a> (R-OH), former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Donald Trump&rsquo;s<\/a> 2024 running mate and a Marine veteran, has been vocal in criticizing Walz&rsquo;s military retirement before Congress, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3135312\/jd-vance-slams-harris-walz-michigan-rally\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>stating he &ldquo;did go to Iraq when my country asked me&rdquo;<\/a> and that he is proud of his service.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of the 2024 election, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-the-left-is-shocked-about-what-these-hispanic-poll-numbers-say-about-biden-2024\/\" title=\"ANALYSIS: The Left Is Shocked About What These Hispanic Poll Numbers Say About Biden 2024\">recent polling data<\/a> indicate that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3140616\/walz-maintains-favorability-edge-over-vance-in-battle-of-vps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Walz has a 44% favorable rating from respondents<\/a>, compared to Vance&rsquo;s 32% favorable rating in the same poll. The two will meet on Oct. 1 for the vice presidential debate, three weeks after Trump and Harris debate each other on Sept. 10.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1742606\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1742606\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Veterans from Gov. Tim Walz&#8217;s (D-MN) military unit claim he was aware of an impending deployment prior to his decision to run for Congress. Since being chosen as Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217;s running mate for the 2024 election, Walz&#8217;s 2005 military retirement has faced increased scrutiny, with some suggesting he stepped down after learning that his unit would be deployed to Iraq. Tom Behrends, a veteran from Walz\u2019s unit, told journalist Megyn Kelly that Walz\u2019s campaign announced in March 2005 that he was pursuing a congressional seat even though he had already been informed about the deployment. <\/p>\n<p>Behrends remarked on The Megyn Kelly Show that state leadership likely had knowledge of upcoming events as early as summer 2004 and suggested senior leaders are typically briefed in classified meetings ahead of time. Additionally, Walz is facing allegations of stolen valor due to claims made during his 2024 campaign regarding his status as a retired command sergeant major; however, he did not fulfill the requirements for this rank and reverted back to master sergeant upon leaving the service.<\/p>\n<p>Paul Herr, another veteran from Walz\u2019s unit, pointed out that Walz&#8217;s discharge papers indicated a &#8220;conditional promotion&#8221; to sergeant major on May 1, 2005\u2014just two weeks before his retirement on May 16\u2014implying it is possible he held this rank for no actual days since drill time may not have occurred during those two weeks. Herr criticized Walz\u2019s actions as habitual dishonesty and labeled him a &#8220;coward&#8221; for choosing an easier path when leaving the military.<\/p>\n<p>Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), who served in the Marines and is also running alongside former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election, has openly criticized Walz&#8217;s military retirement decisions by highlighting his own service in Iraq with pride. As they approach the elections, recent polls show that while Walz enjoys a favorable rating of 44%, Vance trails behind at 32%. The two are set to debate on October 1st following Trump and Harris&#8217; debate scheduled for September 10th<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2632,"featured_media":2336084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Tim-Walz-record-scaled-1024x684.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[39977,23437,4873,27318,32076],"class_list":["post-2336083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-congressional-run","tag-deployment","tag-veterans","tag-walz","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Tim-Walz-record-scaled-1024x684.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2336083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2632"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2336083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2336083\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2336084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2336083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2336083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2336083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}