Chuck Darwin<p>J D Vance's "service" in the Marines wasn’t exactly the boots-on-the-ground experience that he’s now framing it as. <br>Instead, <a href="https://c.im/tags/Vance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Vance</span></a> served a single four-year enlistment in the 🔸public affairs section 🔸in the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing,<br> and wrote in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, that he was “lucky to escape any real fighting.”</p><p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://c.im/tags/Walz" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Walz</span></a> served as an enlisted soldier in the Army National Guard for two decades, <br>ultimately attaining the rank of command sergeant major. <br>He enlisted in the Nebraska National Guard at the age of 17 and transferred to the Minnesota National Guard 15 years later in 1996. <br>As part of the job, he responded to natural disasters, <br>served with the European Security Force to support the war in Afghanistan, <br>and was stationed around Europe to train with NATO militaries. <br>He received several Army <a href="https://c.im/tags/medals" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>medals</span></a> and retired as a master sergeant shortly before running for Congress in 2006. <br>Walz has repeatedly said he left the military in order to run for office, not out of cowardice, as Vance implies.<br>Bringing the military disparity to the foreground of the election is, ultimately, an interesting choice for Vance and <a href="https://c.im/tags/Trump" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Trump</span></a>, <br>considering that a conveniently timed <a href="https://c.im/tags/bone" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>bone</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/spur" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>spur</span></a> diagnosis helped the Republican presidential candidate skirt the Vietnam War draft in 1968.<br><a href="https://newrepublic.com/post/184662/jd-vance-attack-tim-walz-stolen-valor-background" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">newrepublic.com/post/184662/jd</span><span class="invisible">-vance-attack-tim-walz-stolen-valor-background</span></a></p>