One of the more intriguing hits from the GOP oppo research on Tim Walz is what some are claiming amounts to “stolen valor”.

That might be overstating things, but there are some oddities surrounding Walz’ retirement from the National Guard.

He retired because he claimed he needed to do so in order to run for Congress. Others have pointed out he could have worked that out with the Pentagon.

He retired within a year after going through advanced training at the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, despite such training obligating him to serve a minimum of two more years. As a result he was reduced in rank upon retirement to Master Sergeant.

He retired shortly after receiving word that his unit was scheduled to deploy to Iraq. While a decision about retirement is a personal one and Walz was apparently fully within his rights to do so, the timing is at the very least “awkward”, leading some veterans to accuse Walz of “betraying” his unit.

However, within the retirement itself there is nothing to suggest that Walz’ tenure in the National Guard was not one of distinction. The reporting is unclear what aspects of his Guard career Walz has dissembled on to support a charge of “stolen valor”, although the timing of his retirement is sure to sustain at least some controversy among veterans.