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General Officer Assignments

The chief of staff of the Army announces the following general officer assignments:

Lt. Gen. (Promotable) Charles R. Hamilton, deputy chief of staff, G-4, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C., to commanding general, U.S. Army Materiel Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

Maj. Gen. Christopher G. Beck, deputy commanding general, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas, to commanding general, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Maj. Gen. Peter N. Benchoff, chief of staff, U.S. Army Pacific, Fort Shafter, Hawaii, to director, Program Analysis and Evaluation, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-8, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.

Maj. Gen. James E. Bonner, commanding general, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, to deputy commanding general, U.S. Army North, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.

Maj. Gen. Timothy D. Brown, director, J-2, U.S. European Command, Germany, to commanding general, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Maj. Gen. Glenn A. Dean III, program executive officer, Ground Combat Systems, Warren, Michigan, to deputy commanding general, Acquisition and Systems Management, U.S. Army Futures Command, Austin, Texas.

Maj. Gen. David J. Francis, director, J-3 Operations/Cyber, U.S. Africa Command, Germany, to chief of staff, U.S. Africa Command, Germany.

Maj. Gen. William H. Graham Jr., deputy commanding general of civil and emergency operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C., to deputy chief of engineers and deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C.

Maj. Gen. David C. Hill, commandant, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, to deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, D.C.

Maj. Gen. Mark H. Landes, commanding general, First Army Division East, Fort Knox, Kentucky, to commandant, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania.

Maj. Gen. Allan M. Pepin, commanding general, Military District of Washington; and commander, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region, Washington, D.C., to chief of staff, U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

Maj. Gen. Walter T. Rugen, director, Future of Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, to director, Army Aviation, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.

Maj. Gen. William D. Taylor, director, Army Aviation, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C., to commanding general, 2nd Infantry Division (Combined), Eighth Army, Republic of Korea.

Maj. Gen. Joel B. Vowell, commanding general, U.S. Army Japan and I Corps (Forward), Japan, to commander, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Inherent Resolve, Iraq.

Maj. Gen. Darren L. Werner, commanding general, U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Michigan, to deputy chief of staff for logistics and operations, U.S. Army Materiel Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

Maj. Gen. David B. Womack, deputy commanding general, V Corps, Germany, to commanding general, U.S. Army Japan and I Corps (Forward), Japan.

Brig. Gen. Richard T. Appelhans, director of intelligence, U.S. Forces Korea: and deputy director of intelligence, Combined Forces Command, Republic of Korea, to commanding general and Commandant, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca, Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

Brig. Gen. Phillip C. Baker, deputy commanding general (Support), 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, to director, Future of Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

Brig. Gen. James B. Bartholomees, deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army Pacific, Fort Shafter, Hawaii, to chief of staff, U.S. Army Pacific, Fort Shafter, Hawaii.

Brig. Gen. Jonathan C. Byrom, commander, 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force, U.S. Army Europe-Africa, Germany, to commanding general, U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center; and director of Army safety, Fort Rucker, Alabama.

Brig. Gen. Dale S. Crockett, commandant, U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School, U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, to deputy commanding general (Operations), Eighth Army, Republic of Korea.

Brig. Gen. Jason A. Curl, deputy commanding general (Operations), 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, New York, to director, CJ3, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation Inherent Resolve, Iraq.

Brig. Gen. John M. Cushing, deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Fort Knox, Kentucky, to commanding general, Combat Capabilities Development Command, U.S. Army Futures Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

Brig. Gen. Thomas M. Feltey, commandant, U.S. Army Armor School, U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, Fort Benning, Georgia, to deputy commanding general, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas.

Brig. Gen. Andrew C. Gainey, deputy commanding general (Operations), 3rd Division (France), France, to commanding general, 56th Artillery Command, U.S. Army Europe-Africa, Germany.

Brig. Gen. Kimberly A. Peeples, commanding general, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cincinnati, Ohio, to commanding general, Mississippi Valley Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Brig. Gen. Mark C. Quander, commandant of cadets, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York, to commanding general, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Brig. Gen. Richard J. Quirk IV, senior defense official and defense attaché, U.S. Defense Attaché Office, United Arab Emirates, to senior defense official and defense attaché, U.S. Defense Attaché Office, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Brig. Gen. Ronald R. Ragin, deputy commander for support, Security Assistance Group-Ukraine, Germany, to commanding general, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Europe-Africa, Germany.

Brig. Gen. Lori L. Robinson, deputy commanding general (Support), 2nd Infantry Division (Combined), Eighth Army, Republic of Korea, to commandant of cadets, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York.

Brig. Gen. Monte L. Rone, deputy chief of staff, Operations, Multinational Corps Northeast, NATO, Poland, to commandant, U.S. Army Infantry School, U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence; and director, Future Soldier Lethality Cross Functional Team, Army Futures Command, Fort Benning, Georgia.

Brig. Gen. Philip J. Ryan, commanding general, U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command; and deputy commanding general, Futures, U.S. Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to commander, Special Operations Joint Task Force-Levant, Operation Inherent Resolve, Kuwait.

Brig. Gen. Eric P. Shirley, commander, Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Defense Logistics Agency, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to commanding general, 1st Sustainment Command (Theater), U.S. Army Central, Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Brig. Gen. Michael J. Simmering, deputy commanding general (Operations), 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas, to commandant, U.S. Army Armor School, U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, Fort Benning, Georgia.

Brig. Gen. Jason C. Slider, director, Mission Command Center of Excellence, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to deputy commanding general (Operations), 3rd Division (France), France.

Brig. Gen. Colin P. Tuley, deputy director, Strategy, Plans and Policy, J-5, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, to deputy commanding general, XVIII Airborne Corps, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. VanAntwerp, deputy commanding general (Operations), 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, to deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army Pacific, Fort Shafter, Hawaii.

Brig. Gen. John W. Weidner, deputy director, Plans, J-5, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, to chief of staff, U.S. Forces Korea, Republic of Korea.

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Walz credits National Guard service with sharpening leadership skills he hopes to use as vice president

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, center, listens to local authorities in 2019 talk about the damage caused by a winter storm. Minnesota National Guard leaders and Walz listen to how the 224th Transportation Company assisted after the storm. (Sebastian Nemec/Minnesota National Guard photo)

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has long credited his Army National Guard service with developing his leadership capabilities, skills he hopes to take to the White House as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

Her selection of Walz, a 24-year veteran of the Nebraska and Minnesota Army National Guards, practically ensures a military veteran will become the next vice president.

Walz, a Democrat who has served as Minnesota’s governor since 2019, rose to a command sergeant major in the artillery before retiring in 2005 to enter politics. He served six terms in Congress and was twice elected Minnesota’s governor.

“I couldn’t be more grateful for the skills that being a member of U.S. Army National Guard gave me,” Walz said in a 2020 Army release, highlighting how he was leveraging his Guard experience to help him manage the coronavirus pandemic. “In the Guard, you put your community first. Everything you do, you do to ensure the health, safety and security of the people who are depending on you. And as governor, those are principles of servant leadership that I rely on every day.”

The selection of Walz also nearly guarantees a former enlisted service member will serve as vice president. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in the election, chose JD Vance, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq as an enlisted combat correspondent, as his running mate.

Waltz served in numerous leadership positions during his National Guard career, records show. He achieved the rank of command sergeant major, briefly serving as the top enlisted soldier for the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment before his retirement. He ultimately retired at the rank of master sergeant because he did not complete sergeant major training requirements before his service ended, according to the Minnesota National Guard.

Walz enlisted in the Nebraska Army National Guard as an infantryman at 17 years old in 1981, military records show. In campaign material, Walz said he was encouraged to serve by his father, a Korean War-era veteran who went to college on the G.I. Bill.

Walz eventually went into artillery, according to the Guard. He served primarily as a traditional Guardsman, serving as a schoolteacher and football coach in his civilian job.

In 1989, Walz was named the Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the year, according to his governor’s biography. He earned numerous other awards, including an Army Commendation Medal and two Army Achievement Medals, according to the Guard.

Walz served in several disaster response missions in Nebraska and Minnesota during his time in uniform, and he deployed to Italy in 2003 to serve with the European Security Force, which was supporting operations in Afghanistan, according to the Army.

During his second campaign for governor in 2022, Walz faced criticism for retiring from the Army National Guard when his battalion was preparing for a deployment to Iraq. Walz pushed back on the criticism, saying he left the military to focus on his first run for Congress.

Walz acknowledged in a 2018 interview with Minnesota Public Radio that he never saw combat even after reenlisting following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“I know that there are certainly folks that did far more than I did. I know that,” Walz said. “I willingly say that I got far more out of the military than they got out of me, from the GI Bill to leadership opportunities to everything else.”

Walz won his 2006 election to Congress, his first foray into politics. He served time on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, becoming the latter committee’s top Democrat in 2017.

Before winning his 2018 race for governor, he told MPR that his time in the military was important, but he had many other defining experiences in his life.

“I’m certainly proud of my military service, but it’s one piece of me,” he said. “It doesn’t define me.”

related stories

• Kamala Harris picks Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as running mate in bid to unite Democrats against Trump

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As recruiting rebounds, the Army will expand basic training to rebuild the force for modern warfare

FILE - Students gather during physical training exercises in the new Army prep course at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C. Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. The Army will expand its basic combat training for newly enlisted soldiers in what its leaders hope reflects a turning point as it prepares to meet the challenges of future wars. The added training will begin in October 2024 and comes as the Army works to reverse several years of dismal recruiting when it failed to meet its enlistment goals. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford, File)

FILE - Students enlisted in the new Army prep course work together in barracks at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., Aug. 26, 2022. The Army will expand its basic combat training for newly enlisted soldiers in what its leaders hope reflects a turning point as it prepares to meet the challenges of future wars. The added training will begin in October 2024 and comes as the Army works to reverse several years of dismal recruiting when it failed to meet its enlistment goals. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford, File)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Buoyed by an increase in recruiting, the Army will expand its basic combat training in what its leaders hope reflects a turning point as it prepares to meet the challenges of future wars.

The added training will begin in October and comes as the Army tries to reverse years of dismal recruiting when it failed to meet its enlistment goals. New units in Oklahoma and Missouri will train as many as 4,000 recruits every year.

Army leaders are optimistic they will hit their target of 55,000 recruits this year and say the influx of new soldiers forced them to increase the number of training sites.

“I am happy to say last year’s recruiting transformation efforts have us on track to make this year’s recruiting mission, with thousands awaiting basic training” in the next year, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said. Adding the two new locations, she said, is a way to get the soldiers trained and into units quickly, “with further expansion likely next spring if our recruiting numbers keep improving.”

The expanded training is part of a broader effort to restructure the Army so it is better able to fight against a sophisticated adversary such as Russia or China. The U.S. military spent much of the past two decades battling insurgent groups in Iraq and Afghanistan rather than fighting a broader war with another high-tech, more capable nation.

Brig. Gen. Jenn Walkawicz, head of operations for the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command, said there will be two new training companies at Fort Sill in Oklahoma and two at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

Driving the growth is the successful Future Soldier Prep Course , which was created at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in August 2022 as a new way to bolster enlistments. That program gives lower-performing recruits up to 90 days of academic or fitness instruction to help them meet military standards and move on to basic training.

Created two years ago, the program has been cited as a key reason Army leaders expect that this fall they will reverse several years of recruiting shortfalls. In the budget year that ended Sept. 30, the Army brought in a bit more than 50,000 recruits , falling far short of the publicly stated “stretch goal” of 65,000.

The Army has 151 training companies overall that work with recruits at Fort Jackson and Fort Moore, Georgia, in addition to the 15 training companies assigned to the prep course. Army leaders have expanded the prep course, which is expected to bring in nearly 20,000 recruits this budget year and that total is expected to spike in 2025.

Due to the Army’s recruiting struggles, the number of recruits going through basic training dropped in recent years. As a result, the 15 training units, which total 27 soldiers each, including 16 drill sergeants, were available for the prep course. But as the prep course grows, those units are not available to do basic training.

“We don’t want to mess with that because right now that formula’s working and it’s provided a lot of value for the Army,” Walkawicz said. So, the Army is creating the four new companies and has developed plans for more if needed.

She added that Fort Sill and Fort Leonard Wood have the infrastructure, the barracks and the room to accommodate the new units and could take more if needed. The costs of the program are limited because the Army already had the equipment and rooms required, but there will be maintenance, food, staffing and other costs. Army officials did not provide a total price.

The move to add units is the latest change in what has been a tumultuous time for the Army. Coming out of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, when the service grew dramatically to fill the nation’s combat needs, the U.S. military began to see recruiting dip.

Unemployment has been low, corporate jobs pay well and offer good benefits, and, according to estimates, just 23% of people age 17 to 24 are physically, mentally and morally qualified to serve without receiving some type of waiver. Moral behavior issues include drug use, gang ties or a criminal record.

Those problems were only amplified as the coronavirus pandemic took hold, preventing recruiters from meting with students in person at schools, fairs and other public events.

In 2022, the Army fell 15,000 short of its enlistment goal of 60,000, and the other services had to dig deep into their pools of delayed entry candidates in order to meet their recruiting numbers. Then in 2023, the Army, Navy and Air Force all missed their recruitment targets. The Marine Corps and the tiny Space Force have consistently hit their goals.

Partly in response to the recruiting shortfalls, Army leaders slashed the size of the force by about 24,000, or almost 5%. They said many of the cuts were in already vacant jobs.

Watch CBS News

Tim Walz's military record under scrutiny as he joins Kamala Harris on Democratic ticket

By James LaPorta

Updated on: August 9, 2024 / 12:40 AM EDT / CBS News

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz 's military record has come under renewed scrutiny following Vice President Kamala Harris' announcement of Walz as her running mate on the Democratic ticket. 

On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, who is an Iraq War veteran, seized the opportunity to target his opponent's military record, resurfacing claims about his deployments and his retirement from the guard.

Walz served honorably in both the Nebraska and Minnesota Army National Guards, earning medals and deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. But his final days of service have been called into question, centering on his rank and if he retired to avoid a 2005 deployment to Iraq. 

A CBS News review of Walz's military record and statements from the Minnesota Army National Guard show Walz achieved the rank of command sergeant major but was reduced in rank to master sergeant after retirement since he had not completed coursework for the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy. 

On Iraq, records show Walz had retired before his battalion was mobilized and deployed to Iraq. A 2005 statement from his website indicates Walz was initially prepared to deploy to Iraq amid his bid for Congress. CBS News has asked Walz for comment on when he decided to retire. 

A snapshot of Walz in the military

Walz retired from the Minnesota Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery in 2005 after more than 24 years in service, the Minnesota Army National Guard told CBS News. 

Walz first enlisted in the Nebraska Army National Guard in April 1981, serving as an infantry senior sergeant and administrative specialist. In 1996, Walz transferred to the Minnesota Army National Guard, where he first worked as a cannon crewmember and field artillery senior sergeant. 

Minnesota National Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. Kristen Augé told CBS News that Walz "held multiple positions within field artillery such as firing battery chief, operations sergeant, first sergeant, and culminated his career serving as the command sergeant major for the battalion." 

Walz earned several Army commendation and achievement medals during his more than 24 years of service. 

Walz deployed in August 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The Minnesota National Guard told CBS News the battalion supported security missions at various locations in Europe and Turkey. Walz was stationed at Vicenza, Italy, at the time and returned to Minnesota in April 2004. 

Controversy over a 2005 Iraq deployment

On Wednesday, Vance resurfaced claims that Walz retired from the National Guard to avoid deploying to Iraq. 

"When the United States Marine Corps, when the United States of America, asked me to go to Iraq to serve my country I did it. I did what they asked me to do, and I did it honorably and I'm very proud of that service," said Vance. 

He added: "When Tim Walz was asked by his country to go to Iraq, you know what he did? He dropped out of the Army and allowed his unit to go without him — a fact that he's been criticized for aggressively by a lot of the people he served with." 

The Harris-Walz campaign responded with a statement saying: "After 24 years of military service, Governor Walz retired in 2005 and ran for Congress, where he [served as the ranking member] of Veterans Affairs and was a tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform — and as Vice President of the United States he will continue to be a relentless champion for our veterans and military families." The statement incorrectly stated Walz chaired the Veterans Affairs committee. 

The campaign also said, "In his 24 years of service, the Governor carried, fired and trained others to use weapons of war innumerable times. Governor Walz would never insult or undermine any American's service to this country -- in fact, he thanks Senator Vance for putting his life on the line for our country. It's the American way."  

The claims raised by Vance first gained prominence when Walz ran for governor of Minnesota in 2018. At the time, retired Army veterans Thomas Behrends and Paul Herr, who both served as command sergeant majors, posted on Facebook a lengthy letter accusing Walz of "embellishing" his military career and abandoning his Army National Guard battalion ahead of a 2005 deployment to Iraq.

In the letter, Behrends and Herr write that in early 2005, Walz's unit — 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery — was slated to deploy to Iraq. At the time, Walz was serving as the unit's command sergeant major. 

Behrends and Herr claimed that from the time the unit was told to prepare for an Iraq deployment and when Walz retired, he told other Army leaders he would be going to Iraq but later resigned his position before the deployment to avoid going to a combat zone. 

Walz has said he left the guard to run for Congress, according to the Star Tribune . In 2006, Walz won his election to Congress against a six-term Republican incumbent. 

Records show Walz officially filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Feb. 10, 2005. 

In March 2005, the National Guard announced a possible partial mobilization of roughly 2,000 troops from the Minnesota National Guard, according to an archived press release from Tim Walz for U.S. Congress.  

"I do not yet know if my artillery unit will be part of this mobilization and I am unable to comment further on the specifics of the deployment," said Walz in the March 2005 statement . 

The statement continued: "As Command Sergeant Major I have a responsibility not only to ready my battalion for Iraq, but also to serve if called on. I am dedicated to serving my country to the best of my ability, whether that is in Washington DC or Iraq," said Walz, who indicated at the time he had no plans to drop out of the race. "I am fortunate to have a strong group of enthusiastic support and a very dedicated and intelligent wife. Both will be a major part of my campaign, whether I am in Minnesota or Iraq." 

The Minnesota Army National Guard told CBS News that Walz retired on May 16, 2005. CBS News has asked Walz to clarify when he submitted his retirement papers. 

The Minnesota National Guard told CBS News that Walz's unit — 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery — received an alert order for mobilization to Iraq on July 14, 2005 – two months after Walz retired, according to Lt. Col. Ryan Rossman, who serves as the Minnesota National Guard's director of operations. The official mobilization order was received on August 14 of the same year, and the unit mobilized in October. 

CBS News reviewed the deployment history for the Minnesota Army National Guard which shows that in the fall of 2005, 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery was mobilized in preparation for a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The battalion trained at Camp Shelby in Mississippi and deployed to Iraq as a motorized security task force. 

In 2018, Tom Hagen, a military reservist who served in Iraq, wrote a letter to The Winona Daily News claiming Walz was not being candid about his service record and wanted people to know that the future Minnesota governor did not serve in Iraq or Afghanistan. 

Walz responded in the same newspaper and criticized Hagan as dishonoring a fellow veteran, according to MPR News. Walz wrote: "There's a code of honor among those who've served, and normally this type of partisan political attack only comes from one who's never worn a uniform."

Joseph Eustice, a 32-year veteran of the guard who also led Walz's battalion, told CBS Minnesota that while he doesn't agree with Walz's politics, he does believe Walz's record in the military is sound.

"Tim Walz as a soldier, he was a good soldier. I don't think anyone can honestly say that he wasn't," Eustice said. "...He was a good leader in those 24 years that he served."

Walz's rank as a command sergeant major

Official biographies on the Minnesota government website and Vice President Kamala Harris' website  have described Walz as a "retired Command Sergeant Major." However, documents reviewed by CBS News show this is not accurate; while Walz served at one point as a command sergeant major, he retired at a lower rank. 

Army veteran Anthony Anderson, who routinely obtains military records from the Defense Department using the Freedom of Information Act and has worked with CBS News on similar stories, provided Walz's records for review. CBS News has also requested the documents from the National Guard. 

One of the documents shows Walz reverted back to master sergeant from command sergeant major when he retired from the Minnesota National Guard in May 2005. 

Army soldiers promoted to the rank of sergeant major or command sergeant major are required to attend the Sergeants Major Course, or what was formerly known as the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.  

Lt. Col. Augé, the Minnesota National Guard spokesperson, told CBS News that Walz retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for "benefit purposes" because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy.

While Walz can say he served as a command sergeant major in the Minnesota Army National Guard, his official biographies are incorrect in referring to him as a "retired Command Sergeant Major."

On Aug. 8, the campaign website updated its description of his service. It omits his rank upon retirement and now reads, "The son of an Army veteran who served as a command sergeant major, Walz was the ranking member on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, where he passed legislation to help stem veterans' suicides."

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to address an error in the statement from the Harris-Walz campaign.

Caroline Cummings contributed to this report.

• Minnesota National Guard

James LaPorta is a verification producer with CBS News Confirmed. He is a former U.S. Marine infantryman and veteran of the Afghanistan war.

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12 things to know about Tim Walz, the Midwestern dad who coined the biggest insult of 2024

• Kamala Harris selected Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her 2024 running mate.
• A known progressive, Walz served six terms in Congress before becoming governor.
• Prior to entering politics, Walz served in the Army National Guard, taught high school, and coached football.

Kamala Harris' whirlwind effort to select a vice president has finally ended and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota secured the coveted No. 2 spot.

A 60-year-old veteran and former teacher with decades of governing experience, Walz beat out more moderate candidates from swing districts. In selecting Walz as her second-in-command, Harris handed progressives a big win .

Here are 12 things to know about Walz as he steps into the national spotlight and, potentially, the White House.

Tim Walz was born in rural West Point, Nebraska, in 1964.

Born to Darlene and James, a school administrator, Walz grew up in Valentine, Nebraska, a small town close to the South Dakota border best known for the annual influx of Valentine's Day cards from people wanting their love letters to bear the town's postmark.

"An awful lot of who I am was built on being a Nebraskan," Walz told the Omaha World-Herald in 2018.

When Walz was 19, his father died of lung cancer, leading the family to move closer to the even smaller town of Butte, Nebraska, to be near family. Walz often jokes that there were only 24 kids in his high-school graduating class, including 12 cousins.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Walz's mother still resided in Nebraska.

He enlisted in the Army National Guard when he was 17.

Walz served in the Army National Guard for 24 years. He didn't serve in combat but helped respond to disasters such as floods and tornados, Minnesota Public Radio reported. He was also deployed overseas in connection with Operation Enduring Freedom.

Walz retired in 2005 as a command sergeant major, which made him the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to ever serve in Congress when he was elected in 2017, according to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs .

He worked odd jobs before earning a bachelor's degree from Chadron State College in Nebraska.

Walz built grain silos, worked in manufacturing, and processed mortgage loans until landing a temporary teaching position at a South Dakota Native American reservation inspired him to pursue a career in education.

Walz graduated from Chadron State College, a small public college, with a degree in social-science education in 1989.

Walz speaks conversational Mandarin from his time teaching in China.

From 1989 to 1990, Walz taught at a high school in China through WorldTeach, a program affiliated with Harvard University. He was among the first groups of American educators approved by the US government to teach in Chinese high schools.

Before entering politics, he was a high-school geography and social-studies teacher.

After his work in China, Walz taught at a public high school in Alliance, Nebraska. There, he met his wife, Gwen Whipple, who was also a teacher. They got married in 1994 and moved to Minnesota, where they both began teaching at Mankato West High School.

Walz coached high-school football and served as a faculty advisor for the school's gay-straight alliance.

Walz led Mankato West's football team to their first state championship in 1999. He also served as the first faculty advisor for the school's gay-straight-alliance student group, a position he felt signaled acceptance and helped dispel stereotypes.

"It really needed to be the football coach, who was the soldier and was straight and was married," Walz told the Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2018 of his role in the GSA.

Walz and his wife, Gwen Walz, have two children.

In an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune , Walz said his children were conceived through in vitro fertilization . He shared the information after an Alabama Supreme Court ruled in February that frozen embryos were considered people , threatening access to fertility treatments in the state.

After seven years of fertility treatments at Minnesota's Mayo Clinic, the couple welcomed their first child in 2001, a daughter named Hope. Their son, Gus, was born in 2006. In addition to their two kids, the Walz family also owns a rescue dog, Scout .

Walz won a seat in the House of Representatives in 2006 and served six consecutive terms.

Walz was still teaching high school when he announced his first congressional bid in 2005. He previously told Minnesota Public Radio that he decided to run for Congress after his students were asked to leave a campaign rally for President George Bush in 2004 because some were wearing stickers supporting the Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.

Democrats had a banner year in 2006, harnessing anti-Iraq War sentiments to retake both chambers of Congress. Walz beat out the longtime incumbent representative, Gil Gutknecht, and took his seat representing the 1st Congressional District of Minnesota, a relatively rural area. In 2008, Walz was reelected with an impressive 62% of the vote before being elected again in 2012, 2014, and 2016.

Before he became a progressive darling, Walz was an NRA-endorsed congressman.

Throughout his 12 years in Congress, Walz developed a fairly centrist voting record, probably because of the conservative bent of his district. In each of his five reelection campaigns, Walz touted an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association but said his opinions had changed by the time he ran for governor.

The Hill reported that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi favored Walz over Harris' other reported finalists, even though he didn't always follow the speaker on the big votes of the era. In 2008, he opposed Bush's $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan, saying it did not do enough for average homeowners. Walz supported President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, which narrowly passed the House because of opposition from other conservative Democrats.

Walz was particularly interested in veterans' issues during his time in Washington. He was the primary sponsor of five bills that were eventually enacted, two of which related to veterans' care.

As governor, Walz championed progressive policies, including paid family leave, reproductive rights, and universal background checks on firearms.

Despite his reputation as a relatively centrist congressman, Walz reinvented himself as a loyal progressive during his time as governor. He won the 2018 gubernatorial election by more than 11 points and was reelected in 2022. Though he was never a fixture of the mainstream media, his progressive record garnered some attention among national Democrats in recent years, as The New York Times reported.

While serving as Minnesota's 41st governor, Walz legalized recreational marijuana, enshrined the right to abortion, and secured universal free school meals. In 2023, Walz signed a universal background-check bill into law, ignoring the opposition of a state gun owners' group that was staunchly opposed to tougher requirements for gun ownership. Recently, Walz took a relatively sympathetic view toward those protesting how President Joe Biden had handled the war in Gaza and said he supported a "working cease-fire."

Walz was the first one to use “weird” as an insult.

With his rural background and shock of white hair, some see Walz as a quintessential Midwestern dad. The vice-presidential nominee, however, recently proved that he's capable of hurling a biting, resonant insult. Since Harris flew to the top of the ticket, Republicans and Democrats alike have been hurling one new insult back and forth: "weird."

Sitting for an interview on "Morning Joe," Walz was the first one to use the term when he described Donald Trump and JD Vance in simple terms: "These guys are just weird." The word has evidently struck a cultural cord, as it has appeared in campaign videos, X posts, and cable news segments.

In a big win for progressives, Harris picked Walz over more moderate candidates from swing states.

Like much of Harris' campaign, the competition to be her second-in-command played out in a stunningly public, accelerated way. She was reported to be deciding between a variety of contenders, including moderates from swing states who had attracted the ire of the Democratic Party's more liberal wing.

Walz didn't face the same opposition or risk ruffling the same feathers as other contenders. He proved himself an adept public speaker, able to quip about Trump in relatable terms and eloquently defend Harris' record. Though Minnesota isn't considered an especially competitive swing state and Walz is relatively unknown on the national stage, he's able to appeal to rural voters and has extensive governing experience.

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