Fact Check: DNC Claims Tim Walz Rose to Command Sergeant Major

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a campaign rally at
AP Photo/Jae Hong
Wendell Husebø

CLAIM: The Democratic National Committee claimed Wednesday in a video that Gov. Tim Walz rose to the rank of “Command Sergeant Major.”

VERDICT: True but missing context.

Walz is not a retired command sergeant major. The military promoted him to command sergeant major, but his rank was reduced to master sergeant a day before he retired because of his failure to complete the requirements to remain a command sergeant major. He is a retired master sergeant (E-8), not a retired command sergeant major (E-9).

Walz retired on May 16, 2005, Breitbart News’s Kristina Wong reported:

The rank and title of command sergeant major carries weight — as a command sergeant major is in charge of enlisted soldiers in a battalion. While Walz was promoted to command sergeant major, he did not retain that rank, since he retired before his contract was up and did not finish the Sergeant Majors Academy. He was reduced back to a master sergeant on May 15, 2005, a day before he retired, according to a statement from the Minnesota National Guard released on August 13, 2024. The statement said (emphasis added):

Governor Tim Walz received his notification of eligibility for retirement on August 3, 2002. He was promoted to sergeant major (E-9) on September 17, 2004, and immediately began serving as the command sergeant major for the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery while his packet was submitted to the National Guard Bureau to appoint him to command sergeant major (E-9). Once approved by NGB, he was laterally appointed to command sergeant major (E-9) on April 1, 2005. He retired from the Minnesota National Guard on May 16, 2005. Our records do not indicate when he made his request to retire. Leadership reviews and approves all requests to retire. He was administratively reduced to master sergeant (E-8) on May 15, 2005, because he did not complete all required U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy coursework. [Emphasis added]

Wendell Husebo is a political reporter with Breitbart News and a former RNC War Room Analyst. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality. Follow Wendell on “X” @WendellHusebø or on Truth Social @WendellHusebo.

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