41 years old.

[newdayneeded]

I don't know this. maybe someone familiar with national guard policy can help. Would Walz, at age 41, be thrust to the fighting lines? or would they would've sent the younger members first anyway. As I understand it, his troop was told yhe would deploy 2 months after his retirement. Then, they didn't really deploy for another 6 months. that probably would make him 42.

[FirstLight]

1. maybe so...

maybe because he was more of a troop-leader type position, he'd be deployed but kept to the "war room/planning area"

IDK anything about the military either

[newdayneeded]

4. i also just read that the

paperwork for his retirement would have been started well before he left, before they were notified to be deploy. So.....the right is full of shit!

[surfered]

2. Not specific information. Anecdotally...

During the Vietnam War, they did not draft anyone over 26.

My father-in-law retired from the Army. He was in the infantry in Europe, participating in the Battle of the Bulge. He would earn a second Purple Heart in the Korean War.

Although he was still in the Army, they did not send him to Vietnam.

Of course, availability of man power drives these decisions, which is why the National Guard was called up for the Iraq War.

[Irish_Dem]

6. My father was 44 years old when sent to Viet Nam.

My father fought in WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam.

[surfered]

11. Above and beyond the call 👏

[Irish_Dem]

12. He was just doing his job.

He told me the Air Force signed his paycheck.
But he worked for the American people.

[Irish_Dem]

3. Of course 41 year old men fight in wars

There has to be leadership.

You don't just send young people into combat all by themselves.

[pwb]

5. The highest ranking Non Commissioned officers

are busy making sure their people have anything they need to complete the mission. Looking out for the welfare of their men. In my day Command Sargent Majors were few and far between. Usually at Battalion, Brigade or Division level. They may visit the fighting with the Generals but never stayed out. In my time.

[oasis]

7. Stolen valor crapola won't mean squat 2 weeks

from now. Weak sauce to begin with.

[newdayneeded]

9. These bastards will

keep beating the drums til this is the biggest story of the election.

[oasis]

10. Trumpbots won't be setting the tone, Dems will.

The Trump camp will be the ones constantly on the defensive because their presidential candidate is terribly flawed in so many ways.

Remember, the election is about who’s the top guy on the ticket.

[Red Mountain]

8. It was a counterinsurgency at that point (2005)

so everywhere was a front line. The invasion with what could be considered to be 'front lines' ended in 2003.

Fallujah was late 2004.

The Army is bigger than one person. Units are going to gain and lose members all the time. Were they all supposed to stay in until the war on terror ended?