Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who was announced as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate Tuesday, retired from the Army National Guard as a master sergeant after 24 years in uniform, according to the Minnesota National Guard. Master sergeant is one of the more senior ranks for enlisted soldiers.
Lt. Col. Kristen Augé, spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard, stated that Walz officially retired as a master sergeant in 2005, despite having obtained the rank of command sergeant major during his service. This was due to not completing additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.
Although Walz is identified as “Command Sergeant Major Walz” on his official biography page, he did not fulfill the requirements to hold that rank permanently. In the Army, the command sergeant major serves as the senior enlisted leader in a battalion or higher unit echelons, responsible for enforcing training, performance, and appearance standards.
It is common for enlisted leaders at the rank of command sergeant major to be conditionally promoted pending completion of required professional military education. If the necessary coursework is not finished, the service member reverts to their previous rank, as in Walz’s case, where he reverted to master sergeant.
The reason for Walz not completing the required coursework remains unclear, and inquiries have been made to his office for clarification. During his tenure with the Minnesota National Guard, Walz served in the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery, fulfilling roles as a cannon crew member and field artillery senior sergeant.
It is currently unknown whether Walz had any combat deployments during his military service.
