Gov. Wes Moore: Tim Walz Serves America With Distinction | Opinion

I joined the Army when I was 17 years old. I was so young, my mother had to sign my commission papers. College was expensive, and the military promised our family they would help pay for tuition. But what started as an effort to earn my degree soon became the first step on a lifelong journey guided by service.
Like many Americans, the military was my gateway to a career of helping others. Our nation’s veterans often choose to continue giving back to our country even after they’ve put away the uniform—from starting a small business to becoming a deacon at their local church to running an afterschool program.
Nowhere is that lifelong commitment more on display than in the life and career of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. When Vice President Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate, she elevated a true patriot who has spent his life serving our communities.
To understand the significance of Walz’s military service, you need to understand the breadth of his achievement. Walz joined the National Guard when he was 17. He entered as an infantryman, but soon gravitated toward field artillery—often referred to by soldiers as the “King of Battle.”
Walz rose through the ranks and concluded his 24-year career in the military with the rank of “sergeant major,” an honor bestowed on fewer than 1 percent of all active-duty and reserve soldiers. Walz’s career in the Guard was defined by the kind of mission-driven excellence to which every service member aspires.
From the first moment I met Gov. Walz, I knew that our time in the Army amounted to more than a shared experience: We shared a common perspective. He learned the same principles that I did in the armed forces. Veterans believe in the common decency of their fellow Americans. We believe that what someone does is far more important than who they are or where they’re from. We believe that nobody should be left behind. These are the values that drive Tim Walz every day—and have guided his work in civilian life.
From inspiring students as a social studies teacher at Mankato West High School to representing the people of Minnesota in the U.S. Congress and the State Capitol, Tim Walz has always raised his hand to lift our communities. He exemplifies what we hope for all veterans: That the mission continues, even after your term of service concludes. Walz hasn’t devoted his life to politics—he has devoted his life to people. And that devotion must be celebrated.
Harris’ selection of Tim Walz was an inspired choice. But her detractors have tried to undercut this historic decision by casting doubt on Walz’s service with the Army National Guard. Among his fiercest critics has been Republican vice-presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (OH), himself a military veteran. When I first read some of the attacks that Vance has leveled against Walz, I wasn’t just stunned, I was offended.
All soldiers, past and present, owe a profound debt to those who came before us. Walz was charting the path from military service to public service when Vance and I were still in high school. That path has helped steer countless veterans toward lives of leadership, including me. But now, Vance seems to spite the very shoulders he stands on.
And here’s the real tragedy: Vance knows better. When you join the military, you immediately understand that you are inheriting a tradition that stretches back before you were born. Our predecessors showed us how to be better patriots, better civilians, and better Americans. Instead of criticizing Walz, Vance should be thanking him for blazing the trail.
It takes deep courage to defend the flag—and that courage extends to our service members and their loved ones. Gov. Tim Walz embodies that courage. He has dedicated his life to family, community, and country—and his story has guided others toward lives of selfless service. When we elect Harris president and Walz vice president, they won’t just make America better, they will make America proud.
Wes Moore is the governor of Maryland and a U.S. Army combat veteran.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.