JD Vance's military achievements misrepresented in viral post | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·3 min read
36

The claim: Walz receive nine different military awards and Vance only had two

An Aug. 10 Threads post (direct link, archive link) shows a list of military accomplishments for Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, both of whom are now vice presidential candidates. Walz's rank, length of service and catalog of awards exceed those Vance has listed in the post.

"Tim Walz," reads the post's caption. "Valor earned."

The post garnered more than 300 likes in six days. Other versions of the claim were shared on Threads and Instagram.

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Our rating: Partly false

The list for Walz is correct, but the post understates the number of awards and medals Vance earned during his military career.

Post misrepresents Vance's accomplishments

Yvonne Carlock, a spokesperson for the U.S. Marine Corps Manpower & Reserve Affairs, said Vance's military award history includes more than is listed in the post.

She said the Ohio senator served nearly four years, from Sept. 22, 2003, to Sept. 21, 2007, and reached the pay grade of E-4 as corporal, as the Threads post said. Vance's military occupational specialty, or MOS, was as a combat correspondent, according to Carlock.

Pay grade is tied to rank in the military, but is not necessarily the same thing, according to Veteran.com. The Threads post appears to conflate the two.

Though the post only lists two medals awarded to Vance, Carlock told USA TODAY he received six:

  • Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal

  • Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

  • Iraq Campaign Medal

  • Sea Service Deployment Ribbon

  • Global War on Terrorism

  • National Defense Service Medal

Vance also received a Letter of Appreciation (5th Awd), Meritorious Mast. Certificate of Appreciation, Rifle Expert Badge (2nd Awd) and Pistol Expert Badge.

Fact check: Tim Walz coached for high school football team that won state championship

The post's description of Walz's service term and awards were corroborated by Minnesota National Guard spokesperson Army Lt. Col. Kristen Augé. She said Walz's military occupational specialties in Minnesota were cannon crewmember and field artillery senior sergeant, while in Nebraska he served as an infantry senior sergeant and an administrative specialist.

Walz's medals included:

  • Army Commendation Medal

  • Army Achievement Medals

  • Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal

  • Global War on Terrorism Medal

  • Armed Forces Reserve Medal

  • Noncommissioned Officer Professional Ribbon

  • Army Service Ribbon

  • Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon

  • National Defense Service Medal

The post's claim about Walz's highest rank is a bit oversimplified, however.

Augé said that Walz "culminated his career serving as the command sergeant major," reaching the highest pay grade for an enlisted member of E-9. But he ultimately retired one rank lower as a master sergeant "for benefits purposes because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy."

USA TODAY was unable to reach out to the user who shared the post for comment.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Post misrepresents Vance's military accomplishments | Fact check

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