Man who served under Walz says governor retired before unit had deployment news
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4818655-walz-veteran-service-record/
Man who served under Walz says governor retired before unit had deployment news
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4818655-walz-veteran-service-record/
27 comments
>Joe Eustice, who served with Walz for years, told The Washington Post that while he disagreed with the governor’s politics, he did not avoid combat duty and was a good soldier. At the time Walz left the unit, Eustice told the post there had only been speculation the unit could be deployed.
>“Other than having a rumor, we were not notified that we were going to be deployed,” Eustice told The Post.
This has been thoroughly debunked even back when he ran for Congress and Governor.
Even if he did have deployment news, at 24 years in… who cares if he retired?
This is true. The timeline is roughly:
– Feb 2005: Walz files to run for Congress
– March 2005: Unit is informed there is a possibility of deployment to Iraq within 2 years, Walz’ campaign says he will stay in race but will deploy if needed.
– May 2005: Walz’ retirement is finalized
– July 2005: Unit is given alert that they’ll deploy
– March 2006: Unit deploys to Iraq.
As others have pointed out, military retirement is a somewhat lengthy process and if it was finalized in May 2005 then that means he was in the process well before the notice of a *possible* deployment in March.
That won’t stop those on the right from attempting to pretend he retired to avoid a deployment, but it’s good that the information flatly debunking it is made available to people.
It’s amazing how people just believe the bullshit around this story. You don’t get to decide when you leave the military–when your contract is nearing its end you either submit for retirement/separation or renewal and *then* the military gets to decide if they will let you proceed with your decision.
Remember this is the same party that refused to give Obama his due when he finally caught and eliminated Osama bin Laden. They lambasted John Kerry with made up stories about his service record; and they follow a man, Trump, who mocked John McCain’s time as a POW, when he went against Trump. They can’t be trusted to fairly critique, and should be ignored whenever they speak about, anyone’s, including their own, character.
Why are people even acting like a man can just go into a congress whenever he pleases? They do realize there needs to be an empty seat and do all the campaigns?
Actually neverminded. These people wouldn’t know.
Republicans? Blatantly lying to the American People to manipulate us into giving those weird little tyrants power? The Republican Party?
Say it ain’t so –
MAGA says he lied by talking about carrying a gun in war, but he deployed to Europe and Turkey, where his unit engaged in security missions for Operation Enduring Freedom in 2003. He never said “in combat,” and he clearly did not lie.
MAGA says he lied about his rank, but he did achieve the rank he has claimed. He only retired a rank lower due to not having completed a required training course at the time of his retirement. He did not lie.
MAGA says he abandoned his unit to avoid deployment, but his unit received mobilization orders two months after he had retired and deployed many months later. He also would have begun the process of retiring well before he formally retired. Yet again, he did not lie.
The only ones who have lied are the MAGA nuts trying to attack the service record of a 24-year veteran. Worse, they lie about his service record to try and prop up Trump, who dodged the draft multiple times.
Is that all the Republicans could find?
Here’s the thing, even if it was the case he retired before a deployment, he was already over 40 and had served for 24 years.
More important was how he fought for veterans when he got to Congress.
So, not only did he not retire to avoid deployment, he continued his service to the military after getting elected. What did Vance do, besides shitting on briars?
After 24 years of service, 41 years old at the time, and could’ve been as old as 43 in the deployment window? Ya absolutely no shame in retirement in any scenario.
Cadet Bone Spurs deployed to Epstein Island.
Walzs unit was ordered to [deploy](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tim-walz-military-record/) on July 14, 2005.
Walz had already filed his paperwork to run for office in [February 2005](https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/112/25038731112/25038731112.pdf) – *5 months* before the deployment notice.
He would have known that he intended to retire before running for office.
This is all so ironic for 2 reasons.
Trump literally draft dodged.
Trump literally praised his own ability to draft dodge.
Honestly, he served 24 years. That’s a choice. That’s not just staying as long as you were forced to for enlistment, he made a choice to serve.
If after 24 years he decided he DID know about the deployment and he honestly decided he didn’t want to die in Iraq, and rather move on to public service, as he did, why the hell would I fault him for that? Remember how there were no WMDs? Yeah, I do.
I’m so glad members of his unit are the ones now defending him, as being the good person and leader he is shown to be.
“I know that there are certainly folks that did far more than I did. I know that,” Walz said in 2018. “I willingly say that I got far more out of the military than they got out of me, from the GI Bill to leadership opportunities to everything else.” that’s not lying, that’s being honest af.
What’s hilarious is Vance, who did not engage in combat himself either and served as a military correspondent, thinks it’s wise to attack a distinguished man with decades of service against his 4 years of enlistment from ages 18-23. And he didn’t have a choice to say, “no” to going to Iraq, which he only did for 6 months anyways.
I’d love to see a Walz v. Vance debate where this gets brought up. The counter attack is so easy.
“I served 24 years and am proud of that service. I honor your service as well Senator Vance. You and Mr. Trump have both said running mates don’t matter though, so let’s talk about Mr. Trump’s service record. He received 5 draft deferments during his youth. Why didn’t he serve his country?
It speaks more to Vance’s total lack of character than anything else… Just an absolutely shitty and honorless claim to make. Vance is one weird, traitorous motherfucker.
Considering Trumps well publicized draft dodging I am really surprised the right is using this to attack Walz – it seems to deliberately bring attention to Trumps’s deficiencies.
He served his country. There is no rule that says “YOU MUST KILL PEOPLE TO BE CONSIDERED A REAL HERO”.
Republicans love attacking veterans……hate and cruelty is all they have
Speaking as a former government employee, the precise date you submit retirement papers is based on strategy. I knew the general time I would retire for years. The exact date was based on a lot of considerations (my birth date, my anniversary date for service, the end of a quarter). Everybody probably knew he was going to retire a year or more before the announced date.
Yeah. It’s solidly debunked but I wouldn’t care if an email was found where he told someone he was retiring after 24 years of service after receiving news of pending deployment.
He served for 24 years.
That’s far longer than Vance who served longer than most of his Republican twat brigade.
They can shove it. They don’t care about active service members and they care less about former service members.
It’s annoying this even needs to be humored when Donald Trump is on the other ticket
I wouldn’t have an issue no matter what the timing was. He served his country honorably for 24 years. He did enough.
He doesn’t owe anyone any more explanation and he most certainly doesn’t need to explain himself to those who didn’t serve at all.
Go ask anyone who has served that had to suffer through Stop Loss and they’ll all tell you that anyone who got out were smart/fortunate to have done so and they’d done enough.
Nobody who served (conservative or liberal) is going to fault someone for dropping retirement paperwork after 24 years of service.
This is such an incredible non-issue.
People literally will punch out if they get an assignment they don’t like and no one bats an eye. Not feeling up to a 1 year tour to the Middle East? Take the 7-day option and separate the service.
It’s a volunteer service for a reason and nobody serving wants to see that change.
typical fake ass MAGA
claim to worship the armed forces, yet whenever a veteran Dem runs it’s nitpick apart their career
It’s ok for Bone Spurs to dodge the draft and W to join the National Guard, but if it’s a Dem they better fucking be Steve Rogers or they’re not military enough
fuck outta here