Walz’s exit from Minnesota National Guard left openings for critics to pounce on his military record

WASHINGTON (AP) — John Kolb, a retired Minnesota National Guard colonel, knew Tim Walz by reputation as an “excellent leader” who adroitly guided the enlisted troops in his field artillery battalion. But Kolb was stunned by what he saw when Walz left the military and entered politics.

Walz retired from the National Guard in 2005 to run for Congress just before his unit received an order to mobilize for the war in Iraq. Then during the campaign, Walz overstated the rank he held at the point he left the service.

“That is not the behavior I would expect out of a senior noncommissioned officer,” Kolb said in an interview.

Those two sides of Walz’s service have been in the spotlight now that the Minnesota governor is the Democratic nominee for vice president. Supporters have lauded Walz’s 24 years of service in the National Guard, where he rose through the enlisted ranks and received an honorable discharge.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«RELATED COVERAGE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> RELATED COVERAGE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Here’s a look at questions about Tim Walz’s military record </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Senior NORAD Air Force commander nominated to be next National Guard Bureau chief </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Nominations for National Guard leaders languish, triggering concerns as top officers retire </bsp-custom-headline> </bsp-list-loadmore>

“What I know about Tim Walz is he did his job diligently,” said retired Minnesota National Guard Brig. Gen. Jeff