Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s running mate, exaggerated his military service by saying he retired as a Command Sergeant Major (CSM), when he only served in that capacity but retired as a Master Sergeant, and carried “weapons of war … in war,” despite never having served in an active war zone. (Read details here.)
Now let’s look at some of the Republicans who signed a letter criticizing Walz. Their dirty laundry was catalogued by Newsweek in an article here.
Rep. Ronnie Jackson (R-TX) signed the letter “Rear Admiral – U.S. Navy (Retired).” But Jackson, like Walz, only served in that rank and retired at a lower rank. Why? Because he was demoted from Rear Admiral to Captain for drinking on the job.
Rep. Troy Nels (R-TX) proudly wore his Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) even after the Pentagon revoked it, because as a Public Affairs Officer serving in Afghanistan, he wasn’t eligible for it.
Not anyone who served in the military can put “Retired” after their name and rank. That’s reserved for careerists who served at least 20 years. Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX), Sens. Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Rick Scott (R-FL), and 26 other Republicans who signed the letter put “Retired” after their names despite not satisfying that criterion, according to VoteVets, a progressive group.
Photo: If Ronnie Jackson was on active duty today, you’d address him as “Captain Jackson,” not “Admiral Jackson,” but if he wanted to be called “Demoted Former Admiral” or “Ex-Admiral Busted to Captain,” I’d humor him.