Tim Walz's own words, 7/29/2006, my emphasis...
"Open debate, clear understanding critical
On Saturday The Free Press printed a letter which implied I embellished my military record. The details of my record can be easily found in numerous articles by The Free Press and other newspapers. Therefore, I must assume that the letter is meant to slander my good name.
For the record, I served 24 years in the Army National Guard and
retired as a command sergeant major in May of 2005. I served in three NATO training missions to the Arctic and deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, serving in Italy in 2003-2004.
Last week my opponent admitted his inability to understand issues of national security when he did an about face and publicly acknowledged two things I’ve been saying all along — Baghdad is a mess and the information coming out of this administration is unreliable.
Open debate and a clear understanding of who the candidates are is critical in ensuring we have the most representative and honest government possible. Using innuendo to defame a candidate’s character has no place in this debate. This nation must do better because we have too many important issues facing us to do anything less.
Tim Walz
Candidate for 1st Congressional District
D-Mankato"
Source
He lied...
Army Lieutenant Colonel Kristen Augé, the state public affairs officer for Minnesota National Guard, told
Just the News on Wednesday that the governor did not retire as "Command Sergeant Major Walz" in 2005, as stated on Minnesota's official website, but as master sergeant "because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy." A soldier who does not complete the requisite coursework is automatically demoted, according to Army regulations.
The Minnesota National Guard said Walz retired as a "master sergeant," not a "command sergeant major," as his biography states.
www.newsweek.com
And here, he uses wishy-washy language to imply he served in combat...
Walz' words, 2/17/2006...
"Walz served overseas with his battalion in support of Operation Enduring Freedom."