NSL4A Senior Enlisted Leaders Endorse Tim Walz
Released August 8, 2024
Donald Trump and JD Vance’s attack on Governor Tim Walz’s military service is a dishonest and disrespectful attempt to undermine a patriotic veteran. It is ironic and shameful that Trump—someone who has never donned the uniform, nor demonstrated any willingness to serve his country—would question the dedication and sacrifices of a seasoned veteran like Governor Walz. This blatant hypocrisy disrespects the entire military community.
We are retired senior non-commissioned officers who have each had long careers in the military. We are delighted to see Governor Tim Walz, one of our fellow enlisted leaders, stand up as candidate for Vice President. He is one of us, and we feel confident that he shares our values. We don’t have that kind of confidence in Donald Trump or JD Vance.
Governor Tim Walz served honorably in the U.S. Army National Guard for 24 years, having enlisted at the early age of 17. Over his two decades of service, Walz rose to the rank of Command Sergeant Major, one of the highest enlisted positions. His military career was marked by countless leadership roles, extensive training exercises, disaster response missions, and an overseas deployment. He retired from the Guard to run for Congress, where he was a tireless advocate for servicemembers, veterans, and their families. As Ranking Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and a member of the Armed Services Committee, he led the effort to pass a bipartisan bill to provide mental health services to veterans, led a bipartisan effort to expand the GI Bill, and repeatedly voted to increase military funding.
In picking Governor Walz, a distinguished military leader and former high school teacher and football coach, Vice President Kamala Harris has demonstrated that she’s listening, that she doesn’t take us for granted, and that she plans to make tough decisions. Tim Walz has life experiences that we respect and make for good leadership. He has a solid reputation of working across the aisle and standing firm on his core values. In short, he is a no-nonsense leader who embodies the best of what we expect from our public servants and political leaders.
We are confident that Tim Walz will tackle our deeply felt concerns and fears about what the future holds for this country. The Harris-Walz Administration can get down to solving hard problems—together, with confidence in ourselves and our fellow Americans.
Tim Walz has done what we know is right for the people of his state and for Americans. As Governor of Minnesota, he has enacted legislation to feed kids at school so they can learn and live better. He enacted One Minnesota budget. He has funded programs for developing, training, recruiting, and retaining workers, empowering employers to grow their business, encouraging start-ups with more than $500 million in private investment, and supporting small businesses—especially those owned by women, veterans, people of color, and Native Americans.
Tim Walz has shown his dedication to improving the lives of his soldiers, his students, his athletes, his community, and his constituents. He is the right choice to serve as the next Vice President.
Sincerely,
Robert L. Adam, Command Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 35 years of service
Booker T. Cherry, Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 30 years of service
Fredricke A. Clayton, Command Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 33 years of service
Althea Green Dixon, Command Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 35 years of service
Gregory M. Griffin, Command Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 30 years of service
Jackie (Jay) Horton, Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 28 years of service
Harold Hunt, Command Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 30 years of service
Shirley A. Hunt, Command Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 31 years of service
Martin Pate III, Command Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 32 years of service
Kenneth Russell, Command Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 30 years of service
Walter R. Scott, Command Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 35 years of service
Sandra Townsend, Command Sergeant Major (Ret), U.S. Army, 31 years of service
