Shortly after Gov. Tim Walz was picked as Vice President Harris’s running mate, stories about stolen valor surfaced, with the focus being on then-Sergeant Major Walz’s leaving a military unit before a deployment.

For me, as a Marine veteran of almost 40 years, Walz’s conduct violated every principle of leadership that noncommissioned officers, staff noncommissioned officers, and officers hold as bedrock to their service to our great nation.

In the wake of the campaign controversy, Walz’s responses and lack thereof cause me even more concern. Such behavior cements my view that he does not understand his errors and is unfit to serve as a Vice President of the United States.

My reaction stems largely from the very dismissive attitude of the press to the issues surrounding Gov. Walz’s National Guard service. To most media, the story seems a “nothingburger,” a distraction, or political posturing at best.

To those of us who have served, whether in harm’s way or not, his conduct is an affront.

December 2024 will mark the 20th anniversary of being recalled to active duty out of military retirement from the Marine Corps Reserve. I was one of the thousands who eventually would be so summoned to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. This was about the same time that Tim Walz decided to “retire,” his unit having received advanced notification of service at the same time as I was called.

Neither I nor my family hesitated to answer the call of duty.

It was a requirement for us to leave our homes and deploy to a combat zone to serve a greater good. For the thousands of Americans who died and for their families, the sacrifice will be forever remembered and emblazoned in our hearts and minds.

For those who have not served in the military, please allow me to put the issues in perspective.

First, Tim Walz was selected to attend the schools necessary to become a Sergeant Major -- a senior noncommissioned officer rank. As a Marine Reserve Colonel, I can assure you that every Sergeant Major with whom I served was key to our command. We were joined in lockstep to ensure the safety of our Marines (and other service members with us) and accomplish the mission.

Walz’s acceptance of promotion to Sergeant Major required him to complete the necessary schooling and to serve an additional time period afterward. His selection meant that someone else was denied a taxpayer-funded opportunity, which he ultimately threw away for personal reasons.

Accepting a military promotion is a huge obligation and responsibility.

Enlisting in the military is a commitment that must be honored. Not to do so may result in a less than honorable discharge. Those graduating from service academies must serve five years after being commissioned. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Walz’s early departure before completing the service requirements for Sergeant Major was an instance of a person “with connections” getting special treatment not afforded to first-term service members. Most senior members of the military would never consider using their position or political power in such a way, but apparently that was not a problem for Tim Walz.

Second, Walz retired at a time when he would have been needed the most -- a time of deployment to danger where his unit its young soldiers sorely needed the leadership his experience and training were expected to provide.

I know the acuteness of the need because I was in Iraq at about the same time Walz’s unit would have been missing him. The intensity of combat was picking up. Improvised explosive devices were taking a toll on our forces.

What Walz did was a dishonorable abandonment of his soldiers. He apparently felt okay with somebody else taking his place -- with some other family going without their father or husband.

In 2005, Walz had a seminal event -- one that defines who you really are. It was a test of character that he failed. He chose to retire rather than honor his commitments to his soldiers, his command, his state and our nation.

He does not deserve a second chance to fail us again -- this time at the highest level.

Col. Frank Ryan, USMCR (Ret.), served in Iraq and briefly in Afghanistan. He served three terms in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and was on the Board of Trustees of Pennsylvania’s teacher pension system. He is a CPA specializing in corporate restructuring and has served on numerous boards of publicly traded and non-profit organizations. He can be reached at FRYAN1951@aol.com

Image: Lorie Shaull