• Omega@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Tim Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard. He served 20 years, got his retirement, and came back after 9/11 for 4 more years. His final rank was command sergeant major, but he wasn’t in the position for long enough to retire from that position. He officially retired to go into politics. Months later his squad was told they were being deployed to Iraq.

    The attacks have been:

    Claiming Coast Guard isn’t “real” service.

    Harris’s campaign erroneously listing his final rank as his retired rank.

    Claiming he avoided deployment, despite serving for 24 years and not knowing that they were deploying at the time he filed to leave.

    There are probably some other attacks. But those are the main ones I’ve seen.

    • tburkhol@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I remember attacks in GWB for avoiding the Vietnam draft by taking service in the Air National Guard, which he may or may not have taken seriously. People of a certain age may still see National Guard as a form of draft dodging akin to “bone spurs,” but it’s hard to argue that for a man who spent 20 years there.

      When I hear the dude was a teacher and National Guardsman for 20 years, I’m pretty sure that’s just a guy who took a second job because teaching doesn’t pay shit.