Tim Walz introduced as ‘Command Sergeant Major’ at DNC

Of course he didn’t bother correcting them.

I got out a month before Bush 1 signed the stop loss order. When the balloon went up I was living out of a seabag in an empty room just waiting for my date to fly to Pendleton. I loaded my platoon on a C5 and walked with them to the bird.
They were all telling me to don’t do it (reenlist), man that was the worst day of my life. BSSG-1 was the first in theater for support of 3rd Marines. When they got back I was there partying in Waikiki with them. I have since asked some of the guys how they view my getting out. All say I was under orders and they waited too late to get me. Not a coward to the guys that matter. Walz orchestrated his own way to weasel out on his men. I vote coward.

This seems to be the topic of choice for our SV…err…VP candidate. For good reason. Walz was no more a Command Sergeant Major than I was. Sure, he wore the rank, but I learned early on that there are paycheck collectors/rank wearers and there are NCOs. That perpetually pregnant E6 in S1 might wear the rank of a SSG six hours a day, but she carries far less authority and has much less respect than the subordinate CPL who works 0600-1800 daily. The dual-tabbed E7 is a cool guy but is far less capable than the SSG who preceded him as PSG and is easily seen through as being a stylish sort without any substance to his character. Unless I’m missing something, Walz wasn’t even a paycheck collector at the E9 level. Being frocked as a CSM (or 1SG for that matter) means that you wear the rank and [technically] carry the authority, but you’re still an E8 (or E7). As for breadth and character of service, those mean a lot but aren’t “Get Out of Jail Free” cards. Walz served 24 years, most likely well over 1/4 of his life, but when it came time to answer his nation’s call, he took the chickenshit way out. Why accept a position as a battalion CSM only to give it up months later when the battalion is slated to deploy to a combat zone? McCain, Kerry, and other swamp creatures earned accolades and endured inarguable suffering in Vietnam but went on to become the very types of people that many of us despise. Spending a few months in-country and earning fairly high awards doesn’t offset betraying your country as a rich-bitch husband, just as spending years as a POW before becoming a wealthy Washington elite doesn’t shield you from criticism. We came, we served, we conquered, and no one gives a rat’s ass about what we once did or were besides ourselves and our true comrades (many of whom are regulars here). Walz is waltzing around playing Big Daddy CSM when he was, at most, the background fiddler in the world’s… Read more »

Well, I watched the rest of the story, and hereby rescind all criticism of the Pasta Traumatic Stress Disorder candidate: Walz of Duty: Stolen Valor – YouTube

Well, he didn’t do 24 years in the Guard. He did like 40 days a year times 24 years with the Guard. That would tally up to 960 actual days doing Army things over that period. Not too challenging.