Tom Schilling, a veteran who served with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, alleges that Walz abandoned his unit prior to their deployment to Iraq in 2005, calling his actions "dishonorable."
Tom Schilling, a veteran who served in the same battalion as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, has accused Walz of abandoning his unit shortly before their deployment to Iraq in 2005.
"We all did what we were supposed to do, we did the right thing," Schilling said in an interview on Fox News' "Jesse Watters Primetime." "It's dishonorable what he did. He left somebody else up to take over his spot. He just ditched us."
Gov. Walz's Battalion Member Accuses Him of 'Ditching' Soldiers Before Iraq Deployment
Schilling's allegations come as Walz is being considered as a potential running mate for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Walz is described as a retired "command sergeant major" in his governor's website biography and has also claimed he carried a gun "in war," despite never experiencing active combat.
Gov. Walz's Battalion Member Accuses Him of 'Ditching' Soldiers Before Iraq Deployment
According to the Minnesota National Guard, Walz's unit was not given deployment orders to Iraq until July 2005, and Walz had put in his retirement papers five to seven months prior to his actual retirement in May 2005.
Schilling maintains that Walz's departure left a void in the unit's leadership, which could have had disastrous consequences if he had become commander-in-chief.
Gov. Walz's Battalion Member Accuses Him of 'Ditching' Soldiers Before Iraq Deployment
"He probably knew he wasn't a good leader and he wanted to do something else, and we did get a really good leader with Command Sgt. Behrends," Schilling said.
Ret. Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Behrends, who also served with Walz, has also publicly criticized Walz's description of his military career.
"He's used the rank that he never achieved in order to advance his political career," Behrends said of Walz on Fox News. "I mean, he still says he's a retired command sergeant major to this day, and he's not. He uses the rank of others to make it look like he's a better person than he is."
Army Lt. Col. Ryan Rossman, Minnesota National Guard's Director of Operations, provided details of Walz's service in a statement to Fox News, confirming that he held multiple positions within field artillery but retired as a master sergeant in 2005.
The Harris-Walz campaign has issued a statement on the controversy surrounding Walz's military career, emphasizing his 24 years of service and his advocacy for veterans.
Schilling, however, believes that Walz's actions during the riots and the COVID pandemic demonstrate that he lacks the necessary leadership qualities.
"When I see the leadership that Walz offered to Minnesota," Schillling said, "I'm thankful he didn't come over there, or we'd have brought back a lot more body bags."
Schilling also accused Walz of "stolen valor" for claiming to have carried a weapon during war.
The Harris-Walz campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Walz was deployed to Italy with the Minnesota National Guard's 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery in 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He returned to Minnesota in 2004.
