Last week, as we finished the final Budget Town Hall meeting, as has happened several times in the last few weeks an attendee approached me to ask me what I thought of Governor Tim Walz’s claims surrounding his service in combat and his leaving his troops? My reaction to these sorts of questions has always been one of disappointment mixed with angst. Disappointment with individuals who claimed deeds, ranks, and/ or acts they never attainted while in the service; and angst as it bears a sad reflection on the many fine service members out there who have given so much to serve our great country. While I cannot speak for other veterans, I would imagine that my feelings are not too dissimilar from those of many others who served.
During my time in the Navy, I made five overseas deployments, three of these in a combat zone; however, it must be pointed out that there is a big difference in flying over the combat zones as I did and actually being on the ground in the middle of it all like so many others including my youngest brother, the Marine. There are all sorts of dangers inherent with flying in or around a no-fly/combat zone, but nowhere near anything like being on the ground in a combat zone.
Falsely claiming to be in a combat zone is not the only issue many veterans have with Governor Walz. Many of us have a deep ingrained issue with how he stepped away from his troops and his duty right when he was needed the most. In May of 2001, I was the Leading Petty Officer of the Aircrew Division of Patrol Squadron 46. The squadron was a month away from a Western Pacific Deployment and at the last minute I was permanently grounded from flight duty for vision issues that created a severe safety concern. As you can imagine, losing your right-side field of vision might very well be an issue while in the air.
Not being a pilot, I made my case that I could still do the job as the losses of vision were only temporary and only to half of my field of vision. Rightly so, my pleas fell on deaf ears, and I was moved to the operations department of my squadron in Okinawa. So, there I was, with forty aircrewmen, many I had known for years and even more that I had instructed at the training squadron before they came to the fleet, and now all I could do is administrate and wave goodbye as they flew away. When 9/11 occurred and I had to send all of our crews to Afghanistan without me, it was one of the most heart wrenching moments of my life.
I did everything I could to try and get an “up-chit” to fly again. I begged and pleaded with every Navy and Air Force Flight Surgeon in the Western Pacific Theater of Operations, but no dice. In October, I was sent home early from deployment to run the beach detachment in preparation for the squadron’s return in December. Our Skipper did this to help me get over the fret I constantly had worrying about my Aircrewmen, but in reality, I was probably worse off back at home. Point being, Military Leaders do not abandon their troops when they are needed most and that is what I felt like by not being able to continue on with my Aircrewmen.
True military leaders are not there for themselves, they are there for their fellow service members and for the subordinates they lead. I had always intended to complete a full career. I made rate (rank) and advanced faster than most of my peers, and while personal ambition was not my prime mover, being the best “Shipmate” and taking care of my aircrewmen was that foremost important motivator in my military career. After being grounded and unable to continue on, I made the hardest decision of my life to leave the service with a medical pension. But rather than leave too early, I stayed on until I knew the Aircrew Division, my Aircrewmen, were in good hands with my replacement. After all, these were my “guys”, and I wanted to make sure they were in the best position for success that I could.
True leaders do not leave their troops when facing a combat tour. In any command, the troops know when deployments are coming, and they know where they are going. As Senior Leaders, we knew the details even if the official orders have not arrived. Knowing this, a true leader would never abandon their troops, their sailors, or their airmen – NEVER. We do not claim to be a rank we are not; we do not claim to have served in combat when we have not; and we do not abandon our troops and then lie about it – EVER. Any veteran of good stature will tell you point blank how absolutely reprehensible that is.
Lastly, I will just say this; choosing to serve in the military is one of the most honorable decisions anyone can choose. No matter whether you are in a combat role, a support role, or an administrative role, your sacrificial service is valuable and matters; and we should all be thankful for every veteran’s service. How you conduct yourself in that role is equally important as is how an individual chooses to represent or misrepresent their service is what defines their character and thereby their time in the service.
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