In one of the latest controversies surrounding the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, Tim Walz, Republicans have seized on remarks made by Minnesota Governor Walz in 2018 about his military service. Critics from the Republican camp allege that Walz has exaggerated his military record and evaded combat.

The controversy began when officials from Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign attempted to address remarks made by Governor Walz in 2018, giving the impression that he had served in combat. The campaign had originally shared a clip on social media showcasing Walz's stance on responsible gun ownership, as he discussed his 24-year tenure in the Army National Guard and his background as a hunter. During the clip, Walz expressed support for common-sense gun legislation, including background checks and restrictions on high-powered firearms, stating that such weapons should only be used in war.

However, Walz's comments have been clarified by Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for the Harris-Walz campaign, who emphasized that they were a misstatement and that Walz had not intended to mislead anyone regarding his military service. Walz served in the Army National Guard after the September 11 attacks as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, but not in a combat zone.

Despite the clarification, Republicans, particularly Ohio Senator JD Vance, former running mate of ex-President Donald J. Trump, have intensified their scrutiny of Walz's military record. Accusing him of "stolen valor," Vance and others have accused Walz of embellishing his record and of quitting the Army National Guard years ago to avoid serving in Iraq. These claims were initially made by two retired command sergeant majors during Walz's first campaign for governor in 2018.

The attacks on Walz's military record by Republicans bear resemblance to the infamous "Swift Boat" attacks during the 2004 presidential election, which cast doubt on the military record of Democratic nominee Senator John F. Kerry. Chris LaCivita, a senior strategist for the Trump campaign, was involved in those effective attacks.

However, The Wall Street Journal's conservative-leaning editorial board has disagreed with comparisons between Walz's situation and Kerry's military service, asserting that the two cases are "far different." While the board suggests that there are legitimate reasons to criticize Walz, they argue that his military record is not one of them. The attacks on Walz have been described as "thin gruel" by a New York Sun editorial.

Walz himself has repeatedly emphasized that he did not serve in combat. In a recent CNN interview, when anchor Jake Tapper mentioned Walz's deployment to Afghanistan, Walz corrected him, stating that he had served in Europe in support of the war. In a 2018 interview with Minnesota Public Radio, while running for governor, Walz acknowledged that there were many others who had done far more than he had in the military.

As the vice presidential race unfolds, the focus on Walz's military record intensifies. Critics continue to seize on various clips, including a 2007 C-SPAN clip featuring then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi thanking Walz for his service "on the battlefield." Walz was identified as an "Afghanistan war veteran" by C-SPAN at the time.

The controversy surrounding Tim Walz's military record serves as a backdrop to the broader political discourse in the vice presidential race, highlighting the scrutiny faced by candidates and the efforts to disentangle fact from perception in the realm of public service.