On Wednesday CNN fact-checked Tim Walz’s military record revealing discrepancies following his recent introduction as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate. The examination comes after Walz ended his 24-year military career in 2005, right before his unit was deployed to Iraq—a point of contention given some of his recent political statements.

Walz, a former National Guard sergeant major, has come under pressure for statements made during public appearances where he implied direct combat experience. CNN’s investigation highlighted instances where Walz’s rhetoric suggested he “carried weapons in a fighting situation.”

“There is a significant difference between being stationed in a combat area during wartime and being under direct enemy fire,” noted CNN. The network’s fact-check pointed out that no evidence supports Walz’s implications of facing direct combat, labeling these assertions as “absolutely false.”

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During a press conference in Michigan today, Trumps’ vice presidential pick JD Vance criticized Walz for his decision to leave the Army before his unit deployed to Iraq.

“When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, do you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him — a fact that he’s been criticized for aggressively by a lot of the people that he served with,” Vance said. “I think it’s shameful to prepare your unit to go to Iraq, to make a promise that you’re going to follow through, and then to drop out right before you actually have to go.”

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On Wednesday, the Minnesota National Guard revealed that Walz, who has long claimed to have retired as a command sergeant major, was actually demoted from that rank. The disclosure contradicted years of assertions made by Harris’ vice presidential running mate, including claims in his official gubernatorial biography.

Although Walz temporarily held the title of command sergeant major, he “retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy,” said Army Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, the Minnesota National Guard’s State Public Affairs Officer, who spoke with Just The News.

Walz has claimed an extensive military background with the Army National Guard, serving from 1981 until his retirement in 2005. He enlisted in Nebraska and throughout his career held various posts across the United States and beyond, including training stints in extreme environments like the Arctic Circle. Walz rose to the rank of command sergeant major, the highest enlisted rank, although he “retired” as a master sergeant for benefits purposes due to not completing specific advanced coursework​.

“He retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy,” Lt. Col. Augé told Just the News.

The scrutiny of Walz’s military records and decisions during his military career became a focal point during his 2018 gubernatorial campaign in Minnesota. Walz, who retired from the Minnesota National Guard as a Command Sergeant Major, faced criticism particularly surrounding the timing of his retirement. Two retired senior officials from the Minnesota National Guard pointed out that Walz retired shortly before his battalion was due to deploy to Iraq.

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