The former battalion commander of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s former Minnesota Army National Guard unit, John Kolb, recently made scathing remarks about Walz’s military career. Kolb criticized Walz for retiring early from the Minnesota National Guard, not completing the Sergeants Major Academy, breaking his enlistment contract, and not successfully completing any assignment as a Sergeant Major. He claimed that Walz got out of the way for better leadership.
According to the Minnesota National Guard website, Kolb served as a lieutenant colonel of the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery from 2005 to 2007. Walz retired from the same battalion in 2005 before it deployed to Iraq. Kolb, who is now an attorney, did not respond to requests for confirmation on his Facebook post criticizing Walz’s military service.
Walz has faced accusations of “stolen valor” for claiming to be a “retired Command Sergeant Major” despite having his rank reduced to master sergeant after retirement due to not completing required coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy. The Harris campaign recently changed Walz’s biography to state that he “served as a command sergeant major.” Walz retired from the Minnesota Army National Guard in 2005 after 24 years of service and went on to have a successful political career.
Kolb accused Walz of fraudulently using the retired command sergeant major rank and claimed that he did not earn the rank or successfully complete any assignment as an E9. He emphasized that it was an affront to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps for Walz to continue using the title.
Kolb also praised retired Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Behrends, who replaced Walz in the battalion when he retired, as a great leader who earned the title of Command Sergeant Major. Behrends has been vocal about his concerns regarding Walz’s military career since Harris announced him as her running mate. He accused Walz of using the rank he never achieved to advance his political career.
The news of Kolb’s Facebook post criticizing Walz has gained traction on social media, with prominent figures like Donald Trump Jr. calling attention to it. The Harris campaign has not responded to requests for comment on Kolb’s remarks. The controversy surrounding Walz’s military service continues to be a topic of discussion as the 2024 campaign unfolds.
