Questions about military record cause Vance meltdown [View all]
... Vance served a single four-year enlistment in the public affairs section in the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, and according to his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, the Republican nominee was lucky to escape any real fighting. Still, that hasnt stopped Vance from accusing Walz, who served with the Army National Guard for 24 years, of exiting the service before his unit was deployed to Iraq.
Walz actually left his unit months before it received a mobilization order for Iraq. The unit deployed to Iraq almost a year after Walz retired ...
Keilar, who is married to an active duty Green Beret, took issue with how Vances own military service was being framed.
You introduced him as a combat correspondent, which was what his title was, but when you dig a little deeper into that, he was a public affairs specialist, someone who did not see combat, which certainly the title combat correspondent kind of gives you a different impression. So he may be the imperfect messenger on that, Keilar said.
Keilar conceded that, At the same time, then you have this argument going on where it seems to be, Did you really serve your country unless you were shot at a lot? And I just think thats a very, kind of, gross place to be because there is so much service and sacrifice that goes on in the military ...
https://newrepublic.com/post/184718/jd-vance-tim-walz-military-record-questions