Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is facing harsh criticism from a grieving mother who accused him of taking “the coward’s way out” by retiring from the National Guard just months before his unit was deployed to Iraq. The accusations come as Walz’s military record is scrutinized following his debut as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.
Kathy Miller, whose 19-year-old son, Sgt. Kyle Miller, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2006, expressed her frustration with Walz in an interview with the Daily Mail. Sgt. Miller served in the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery unit, the same unit Walz was part of before his retirement. “My son wasn’t even 21 years old. He couldn’t even buy alcohol. Yet he took the step to serve our country while Walz found the best way to run away,” Kathy Miller said. “It was the coward’s way out.”
Walz officially retired as a command sergeant major from the Minnesota National Guard on May 16, 2005, after 24 years of service, to pursue a political career, according to CBS News. Just two months later, in July 2005, the 1-125th Field Artillery received an alert order for mobilization as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit was deployed in October, and Sgt. Miller was killed less than a year later on June 29, 2006, reported at the time.
Kathy Miller questioned Walz’s decision to retire when his unit needed him most, saying, “It makes you wonder if he will bow out in some manner and not accomplish the job he is supposed to get done.” She added, “My son stepped up to the plate. All our sons stepped up.”
Further controversy surrounds Walz’s rank. After retiring, Walz’s rank was reduced to master sergeant because he had not completed the coursework required for the US Army Sergeants Major Academy. Kathy Miller criticized Walz for claiming a rank he never earned, stating, “I don’t think it’s fair that [Walz] takes credit when he didn’t step up to the plate. When he was called to serve and protect our country, he didn’t.”
The criticism of Walz intensified with the release of a video in which he implied he had seen combat, leading Donald Trump’s vice-presidential pick, Marine Corps veteran JD Vance, to accuse him of “stolen valor.” Walz’s decision to retire instead of deploying has also been criticized by former colleagues, including retired Command Sergeants Major Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr, who wrote, “[Walz] quit, betraying his country, leaving the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion and its Soldiers hanging.”
As the debate over Walz’s military service continues, the pain of families like the Millers remains a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who served.