Former chief of Walz’s battalion publishes scathing message geared toward governor’s navy profession: report

The battalion commander of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s former Minnesota Army National Guard unit issued a scathing message to Vice President Kamala Harris’ operating mate amid mounting “stolen valor” accusations, in response to media experiences. 

“I do not regret that Tim Walz retired early from the Minnesota National Guard, did not complete the Sergeants Major Academy, broke his enlistment contract or did not successfully complete any assignment as a Sergeant Major. Unwittingly, he got out of the way for better leadership,” John Kolb wrote on Facebook, the Daily Mail reported. 

Kolb served as a lieutenant colonel of the first Battalion, one hundred and twenty fifth Field Artillery from 2005 to 2007, the Minnesota National Guard reveals on its web site. Walz served in the identical battalion till 2005, when he retired forward of the battalion deploying to Iraq that very same 12 months. 

Kolb now works as an legal professional in Minnesota. Fox News Digital contacted Kolb for affirmation on the Facebook publish and extra touch upon Walz’s navy service however didn’t obtain a reply previous to publication.

WALZ ACCUSATIONS OF ‘STOLEN VALOR’ PROMPT BATTLE BETWEEN HOUSE VETERANS

Walz has come beneath mounting criticism for “stolen valor,” together with veterans slamming him for saying he’s a “retired Command Sergeant Major.” Walz had earned the rank of command sergeant main earlier than his retirement, however his rank was decreased months after retiring to grasp sergeant, as he didn’t full the required coursework with the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy. 

The “retired Command Sergeant Major” rank was promoted by the Harris marketing campaign till final week, when it modified Walz’s biography to learn that he “served as a command sergeant major.”

Walz retired from the Minnestoa Army National Guard in 2005 after 24 years of service. He then launched a profitable congressional marketing campaign and was sworn in as a member of the U.S. House representing Minnesota in 2007. 

Kolb continued in his social media publish that he doesn’t have a touch upon Walz retiring early, because it was “his right to retire early,” however that he’s fraudulently utilizing the retired command sergeant main rank. 

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“By all accounts and on the record, he was a competent Chief of Firing Battery/Gunnery Sergeant and First Sergeant. I cannot say the same of his service sitting, frocked, in the CSM [command sergeant major] chair. He did not earn the rank or successfully complete any assignment as an E9,” he mentioned. 

“He did not earn the rank or successfully complete any assignment as an E9,” Kolb wrote within the reported social media publish. “It is an affront to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps that he continues to glom onto the title. I can sit in the cockpit of an airplane, it does not make me a pilot. Similarly, when the demands of service and leadership at the highest level got real, he chose another path.”

“​’It is an affront to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps that he continues to glom onto the title,” Kolb continued. “I can sit in the cockpit of an airplane, it does not make me a pilot. Similarly, when the demands of service and leadership at the highest level got real, he chose another path.”

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Kolb tagged retired Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Behrends within the publish, in response to the Daily Mail, who changed Walz within the battalion when he retired, and lauded the veteran as a “great leader.”

“​​Thomas Behrends was the right leader at the right time. He sacrificed to answer the call, leaving his family, business and farming-partner brother to train, lead and care for soldiers. He earned the privilege of being called Command Sergeant Major,” he wrote. 

“Like a great leader he ran toward and not away from the guns.” 

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Behrends has been sounding the alarm about Walz’s navy profession since final week, when Harris first introduced the Minnesota governor as her 2024 operating mate. 

“He’s used the rank that he never achieved in order to advance his political career,” Behrends instructed Fox News host Laura Ingraham final week. “I mean, he still says he’s a retired command sergeant major to this day, and he’s not. He uses the rank of others to make it look like he’s a better person than he is.”

Reports of Kolb’s Facebook publish have since unfold throughout social media, together with Donald Trump Jr, former President Trump’s son, writing, “Tim Walz’s Battalion Commander absolutely destroys him over his Stolen Valor. How long is the leftwing media going to keep ignoring all of this?”

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The Harris marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to Fox News Digital’s request for touch upon Kolb’s publish. 

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