Walz spent 24 years in the National Guard. What to know about his military experience
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has worn many hats. He was a six-term congressman, a public school teacher and a football coach.
The 60-year-old governor — who was announced as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate on Aug. 6 — also brings something else to the ticket: military experience.
Walz spent 24 years in the Army National Guard, eventually rising to the rank of command sergeant major.
The Nebraska native enlisted in the Army National Guard at age 17 after graduating high school, according to his congressional biography.
He served full time with the reserve force after attending Chadron State College and before becoming a high school teacher and coach, according to his gubernatorial biography.
During his tenure in the National Guard, Walz responded to natural disasters, including floods and tornadoes, according to a 2018 Minnesota Public Radio report.
His battalion was also stationed overseas to support Operation Enduring Freedom — a component of America’s war on terror — though he never saw combat.
“I know that there are certainly folks that did far more than I did. I know that,” Walz told the outlet. “I willingly say that I got far more out of the military than they got out of me, from the GI Bill to leadership opportunities to everything else.”
He also earned multiple military awards, including a pair of Army Achievement Medals and was named Minnesota’s Citizen Soldier of the Year in 1989, according to Military.com.
Walz retired from the National Guard when he was 34 after becoming a command sergeant major — which is described by the Army as a “senior NCO (non-commissioned officer) of the command at battalion or higher levels.”
He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2006 after campaigning on an anti-war platform, according to NPR.
Once in office in 2007, he voted for an amendment to recall U.S. troops from Iraq after 90 days, though he later voted in favor of supplemental war funding.
Walz was re-elected five times, leaving office in 2018. At the time, he had the distinction of being the “highest-ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress,” according to his congressional biography.
During his 2022 campaign for governor, his opponent criticized him as having left his battalion shortly before it deployed to Iraq, according to the Star Tribune.
Walz said he retired in order to run for Congress.
“We all do what we can. I’m proud I did 24 years,” Walz said, according to the outlet. “I have an honorable record.”
Since becoming governor, he has said he valued his time with the military, claiming it gave him valuable experience.
“I couldn’t be more grateful for the skills that being a member of U.S. Army National Guard gave me,” he said in a 2020 Minnesota National Guard news release.
“In the Guard, you put your community first,” he said. “Everything you do, you do to ensure the health, safety, and security of the people who are depending on you. And as Governor, those are principles of servant leadership that I rely on every day.”
Harris’ choice of Walz as her running mate all but guarantees the next vice president will have military experience.
Former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, served in the U.S. Marine Corps between 2003 and 2007.
This story was originally published August 6, 2024 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Walz spent 24 years in the National Guard. What to know about his military experience."