St. Paul, MN — The Minnesota National Guard has clarified that Governor Tim Walz retired from service before his unit was scheduled for deployment, countering accusations made by Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. Vance claimed that Walz knowingly retired to avoid deployment, but records show otherwise.
According to the National Guard, Walz retired on May 16, 2005. The 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery received an alert for mobilization to Iraq two months later, on July 14, with the official mobilization order following on August 14. Walz had previously served during Operation Enduring Freedom, deploying from August 2003 to April 2004, where he supported security missions in Europe and Turkey. Walz stated that he retired after 24 years of service to pursue a congressional seat in Minnesota’s 1st District.
