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The Truth About Tim Walz
West Central Tribune ^ | November 2, 2018 | Command Sergeant Major Thomas Behrends

Posted on 08/06/2024 1:41:32 PM PDT by mn-bush-man

Tim Walz has embellished and selectively omitted facts and circumstances of his military career for years.

We, retired Command Sergeants Major of the Minnesota National Guard, feel it is our duty and responsibility to bring forth the truth as we know it concerning his service record. So, we have put together a timeline of his service post 9/11. To the best of our knowledge, this information is completely true, having been verified by all those who served in positions with first hand knowledge of the facts and circumstances of his service and departure from the Minnesota National Guard. Many of the dates and time frames are from his official discharge document and the reduction order reducing him to Master Sergeant.

On September 18th, 2001 Tim Walz reenlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard for six years.

In early 2003 he was selected to attend the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy. The non-resident course consists of two years of correspondence coursework, followed by a two-week resident phase at Fort Bliss, Texas. When a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer accepts enrollment in the course, they accept three stipulations. First, they will serve for two years after graduation from the academy, or promotion to Sergeant Major or Command Sergeant Major, whichever is later. Second, if they fail the course they may be separated from the military. Third, they will complete the course or be reduced to Master Sergeant without board action. Senior Non-Commissioned Officers initial and sign a Statement of Agreement and Certification upon enrollment. The State Command Sergeant Major or Army National Guard Command Sergeant Major counsels the soldier and certifies that the senior Non-Commissioned Officer understands their responsibilities. These stipulations are put in place because the academy is a college level school, the military invests a lot of taxpayer money in the student. The military needs to ensure they will get the return on investment that the taxpayers deserve.

In late summer of 2003, First Sergeant Walz deployed with the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to Italy. The mission was to augment United States Air Force Europe Security Forces doing base security for six months. In no way were the units or Soldiers of the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion replacing any units or military forces so they could deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan.

After the units return to Minnesota in the spring of 2004, he was selected by high level Command Sergeants Major to serve in the position of the Command Sergeant Major of the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion.

On August 5th, 2004 he was photographed holding a sign at a protest outside a President Bush campaign rally in southern Minnesota.

On September 17th, 2004 he was conditionally promoted to Command Sergeant Major. The conditions had been outlined to him when he was counseled and he signed the Statement of Agreement and Certification. If the conditions are not met, the promotion is null and void, like it never happened.

In early 2005, a warning order was issued to the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion, which included the position he was serving in, to prepare to be mobilized for active duty for a deployment to Iraq.

On May 16th, 2005 he quit, leaving the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and its Soldiers hanging; without its senior Non-Commissioned Officer, as the battalion prepared for war. His excuse to other leaders was that he needed to retire in order to run for congress. Which is false, according to a Department of Defense Directive, he could have run and requested permission from the Secretary of Defense before entering active duty; as many reservists have. If he had retired normally and respectfully, you would think he would have ensured his retirement documents were correctly filled out and signed, and that he would have ensured he was reduced to Master Sergeant for dropping out of the academy. Instead he waited for the paperwork to catch up to him. His official retirement document states, SOLDIER NOT AVAILABLE FOR SIGNATURE.

On September 10th, 2005 conditionally promoted Command Sergeant Major Walz was reduced to Master Sergeant. It took a while for the system to catch up to him as it was uncharted territory, literally no one quits in the position he was in, or drops out of the academy. Except him.

In November of 2005, while the battalion trained for war at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, it received an offer from retired Master Sergeant Walz. He offered to fund raise for the battalions bus trip home over Christmas that year.

The 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion was deployed for 22 months in 2006 - 2007. During this time, they were restricted by Army regulations and could not speak out against a candidate for office. In November 2006 he was elected to the House of Representatives. He claims to be the highest-ranking enlisted service member ever to serve in congress. Even though he was conditionally promoted to Command Sergeant Major less than eight months, quit before his obligations were met, and was reduced to Master Sergeant for retirement. Yes, he served at that rank, but was never qualified at that rank, and will receive retirement benefits at one rank below. You be the judge.

On November 1st, 2006, Tom Hagen, Iraq War Veteran, wrote a letter to the editor of the Winona Daily News. Here are a couple of sentences from the letter: But even more disturbing is the fact that Walz quickly retired after learning that his unit -southern Minnesota's 1-125 FA Battalion - would be sent to Iraq. For Tim Walz to abandon his fellow soldiers and quit when they needed experienced leadership most is disheartening.

Here is part of Tim Walzs response: After completing 20 years of service in 2001, I re-enlisted to serve our country for an additional four years following Sept. 11 and retired the year before my battalion was deployed to Iraq in order to run for Congress.

According to his official Report of Separation and Record of Service, he re-enlisted for six years on September 18th, 2001. However, in his response he says that he re-enlisted for four years, conveniently retiring a year before his battalion was deployed to Iraq. Even if he had re-enlisted for four years following Sept.11, his retirement date would have been September 18th, 2005. Why then did he "retire" on May 16th, 2005, before his supposed four-year enlistment was up? And he makes it sound like he "retired" a year before his battalion deployed to Iraq; when in reality he knew when he "retired" that the battalion would be deployed to Iraq.

The bottom line in all of this is gut wrenching and sad to explain. When the nation called, he quit. He failed to complete the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy. He failed to serve for two years following completion of the academy, which he dropped out of. He failed to serve two years after the conditional promotion to Command Sergeant Major. He failed to fulfill the full six years of the enlistment he signed on September 18th, 2001. He failed his country. He failed his state. He failed the Minnesota Army National Guard, the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion, and his fellow Soldiers. And he failed to lead by example. Shameful.

Thomas Behrends

Command Sergeant Major (Retired)

Paul Herr

Command Sergeant Major (Retired)


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: 2018; fail; failure; fraud; military; minnesota; oldnews; quitter; searchworks; walz
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1 posted on 08/06/2024 1:41:32 PM PDT by mn-bush-man
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To: mn-bush-man

This is a paid hit piece that’s already been posted multiple times today. Its missing the point that he is a 24-year honorably retired veteran. We’ve got better things to discuss than go down this path and diss veterans. Please.


2 posted on 08/06/2024 1:44:50 PM PDT by Reno89519 (Biden's Given His Farewell Address, So When Is He Leaving?)
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To: mn-bush-man

Good find. Thanks. The last paragraph summarizes it very well — he is not an honorable man who follows through on his commitments.

I’ve known for quite a while he is a hardcore leftist / communist thanks to Hinderaker at Powerline Blog. But it is worse than that.


3 posted on 08/06/2024 1:45:32 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“When exposing a crime is treated like a crime, you are being ruled by criminals” – Edward Snowden)
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To: mn-bush-man

He and Kamala are quite the well-matched team. Sewage finds its own level.


4 posted on 08/06/2024 1:46:48 PM PDT by Cowgirl of Justice
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To: mn-bush-man

She had a chance and chose to go with the ultra far left and Islamists.

Case closed.

And he ran out on his unit immediately when action was ahead.


5 posted on 08/06/2024 1:46:57 PM PDT by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant)
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To: mn-bush-man

DAMN! Not the politics, how he degraded his service, what a cowardly POS.


6 posted on 08/06/2024 1:52:54 PM PDT by OldGoatCPO (No Caitiff Choir of Angels will sing for me. )
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To: mn-bush-man

I retired while being enrolled in the nonresident portion of the USASMA in 1992. No one said a word to me. The Army was doing the big draw down post Desert Storm.


7 posted on 08/06/2024 1:54:33 PM PDT by Feckless (The US Gubbmint / This Tagline CENSORED by FR \ IrOnic, ain't it?)
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To: Reno89519

John “I served in Vietnam” Kerry is a veteran. /Spit!!!

Enough Said!!!


8 posted on 08/06/2024 1:55:11 PM PDT by OHPatriot (Si vis pacem, para bellum)
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To: Reno89519
As a vet, I knew men and women like him; he had no honor and deserved no respect. I sent people to Iraq that were total POS, but they went. This POS ducked and ran. This is important. Politically, have you forgotten about the Swift Boaters who went after Kerry?
9 posted on 08/06/2024 1:55:40 PM PDT by OldGoatCPO (No Caitiff Choir of Angels will sing for me. )
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To: Reno89519

Honorable behavior (or in this case, lack thereof) is important in determining character of a candidate. Dude wanted the bling, but not the responsibility. When compared to Vance’s service record its pretty damn shameful.

CC


10 posted on 08/06/2024 1:57:15 PM PDT by Celtic Conservative (My cats are more amusing than 200 channels worth of TV.)
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To: Reno89519

This may have been out there for a while, but he just stepped on the National Stage, and people do not know him; it is essential they do.


11 posted on 08/06/2024 1:57:23 PM PDT by OldGoatCPO (No Caitiff Choir of Angels will sing for me. )
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To: Reno89519
Witholding judgment until more info is forthcoming.

For Dems to take more military credit than earned is always a possiblity (Consider Mssrs Kerry and Blumenthal).

12 posted on 08/06/2024 2:00:48 PM PDT by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never...in nothing, great or small...Winston ChurchIill)
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To: Reno89519

He didn’t fulfil his obligation - and he chose to serve himself rather than his country when it came to a crucial time. This dang sure matters to those who judge character.


13 posted on 08/06/2024 2:01:28 PM PDT by mn-bush-man
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To: Reno89519
"Its missing the point that he is a 24-year honorably retired veteran."

Benedict Arnold was a Revolutionary War hero... before he turned traitor to the United States of America.

The article makes a valid point about Tampon Tim's lack of character. Adolph Hitler would have been a better choice for the Demonicrat ticket.

14 posted on 08/06/2024 2:03:05 PM PDT by Carl Vehse
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To: Reno89519

He’s a Commie. I don’t owe him any respect.


15 posted on 08/06/2024 2:03:44 PM PDT by Trailerpark Badass (“There should be a whole lot more going on than throwing bleach,” said one woman)
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To: mn-bush-man; Reno89519

But he served. Unlike someone who I could mention who got numerous deferments during the Vietnam War because of “bone spurs” and later said that avoiding getting any STD’s during the disco era was his own personal Vietnam.


16 posted on 08/06/2024 2:07:44 PM PDT by MD Expat in PA (No. I am not a doctor nor have I ever played one on TV. The MD in my screen name stands for Maryland)
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To: Carl Vehse; Trailerpark Badass

I think it is wrong and misguided. He is a veteran, 24-years, and retired honorable. We discredit ourselves and veterans to attack him over his service. Especially, as noted in earlier discussions today, it is often non-veterans doing the criticism. Seriously, there are other issues to discuss than his service. Otherwise we open the door to Trump avoiding service and Vance serving in public affairs. Do we really want to go there?


17 posted on 08/06/2024 2:08:39 PM PDT by Reno89519 (Biden's Given His Farewell Address, So When Is He Leaving?)
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To: Celtic Conservative
When compared to Vance’s service record its pretty damn shameful.

Vance served for only 4 years and he spent his service working in public affairs, writing about Marines and taking photographs of their work, escorting civilian news reporters and speaking about happenings on base.

18 posted on 08/06/2024 2:10:38 PM PDT by MD Expat in PA (No. I am not a doctor nor have I ever played one on TV. The MD in my screen name stands for Maryland)
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To: MD Expat in PA

He’s a communist POS and deserves no respect whatsoever!


19 posted on 08/06/2024 2:15:20 PM PDT by ohioman
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To: Reno89519

The letter above from the two Command Sergeant Majors (Retired)...tells me you’re wrong.


20 posted on 08/06/2024 2:15:50 PM PDT by moovova ("The NEXT ELECTION is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
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