Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island attempted to deflect criticism of Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota’s retirement from the National Guard Friday, claiming Walz chose “another public service obligation.”

Walz’s retirement from the Minnesota National Guard in 2005 has come under fire since his selection as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate when a 2018 letter and Facebook post resurfaced accusing the presumptive Democratic vice-presidential nominee of avoiding a deployment to Iraq. Reed, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Walz’s departure from the National Guard was “consistent with his whole life” of service to the public. (RELATED: ‘I Would Have Told Him, Suck It Up’: Walz’ Decision To Retire Before Deployment Frustrated National Guard Superior)

“I think Governor Walz has been very clear about his service as a member of the Minnesota National Guard,” Reed told “CNN News Central” co-host Kate Bolduan. “I think what has happened is that the Republicans have seized upon anecdotal evidence to attack the record of someone who served with distinction. Anyone who served honorably in the U.S. military deserves respect, that goes to J.D. Vance also.”

WATCH:

Top Senate Dem Claims Walz Retired ‘Long Before’ Unit Was Sent To Iraq pic.twitter.com/vu61nNYOQk

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 9, 2024

The letter and Facebook post by Retired Army Command Master Sergeant Thomas Behrends, who replaced Walz as a battalion sergeant major, said that Walz knew the unit was likely to be ordered to Iraq when he retired. Retired Army Command Sergeant Major Doug Julin, who was Walz’s superior, told the Washington Post that Walz arranged the retirement with higher officials, and called Walz’s retirement a “backdoor deal” in a Sept. 26, 2022 interview with Alpha News.

“But what they’ve done is they’ve exaggerated and mischaracterized all — several things. One, he retired from the military long before his unit was alerted to go to Iraq,” Reed said Friday. “He was not avoiding Iraq, in fact, what he was doing was preparing to run for Congress to assume another public period, another public service obligation that is consistent with his whole life as a National Guardsman, as a teacher, as someone who is a community leader. So this is not unique.”

Walz retired in May 2005, two months before the unit received mobilization orders, according to Minnesota Public Radio. Julin told Alpha News that Walz had been aware of the potential deployment to Iraq in early 2005, and the then-Congressional candidate had assured Julin that he would be “going forward.”

“Then out of nowhere in June of 2005, Tom Behrends is there as the new CSM [command sergeant major],” Julin told Alpha News in 2022.

Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, the party’s nominee for vice president, accused Walz of “stolen valor” at a Wednesday campaign event, citing comments Walz made in a video posted Tuesday on X by the Harris-Walz campaign. Walz called for a ban on so-called “assault weapons,” labeling them “weapons of war, that I carried in war,” in the video. (RELATED: ‘Morning Joe’ Hosts Claim Republicans Trying To ‘Swift Boat’ Tim Walz)

Reed then compared the criticism of Walz to the campaign against Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts during the 2004 presidential election launched by “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.”

“Also, we can all recall when they went after John Kerry, who won the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, multiple Purple Hearts in Vietnam and they tried to characterize him as less than heroic,” Reed claimed. “It’s a Republican tactic and it‘s demeaning, I think, to their campaign to try to insinuate that the governor is less than a patriotic and dedicated, selfless servant in the military and in the Congress.”

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