A service controversy

Tim Walz is great, but I do want to make it clear that the 4th statement is factually inaccurate. Command Sergeant Major is an enlisted rank, not an officer rank. It's about as high as you can go as an enlisted person in the reserves. I'm guessing that the statement was meant to say he is the highest ranking enlisted person to have served in Congress.
Pedantic? Maybe. But from a perspective of the responsibility held, there is a large gulf between a CSM and even a Colonel, let alone Generals. Almost as large as the gap between a CSM and a Corporal.
- As about half of the enlisted personnel I know would say, "Don't call me sir, I work for a living."
  Translation: "I am not an officer, and therefore am not to be called sir. You can tell I am not an officer because I get my hands dirty and actually do things instead of order other people to do them for me"
  It's mostly meant as a joke, but I could see how one might consider mistaking an enlistee for an officer to be an insult. coughnavycough
- Yeah, #4 is just missing the words "Non Commissioned". The only NCO rank higher than CSM is "Sergeant Major of the Army" and the equivalents in the other services.
  Militarily, a Second Lieutenant outranks a Command Sergeant Major, and all other enlisted personnel. But the 2LT who tries to "fuck around" with that fact will quickly "find out" how little his rank actually matters.
  Removing the military rank structure, and comparing education and professional accomplishments as civilians, a Sergeant Major (E9) is roughly the equivalent of a Colonel (O6), and a CSM is comparable to a Brigadier General (O7).
- He made CSM, but it was contingently awarded and he didn't meet the conditions to actually retire as a CSM. Years after his premature military separation, that violated the conditions of his promotion to CSM, that he took for a successful congressional run, his rank was reduced to his prior rank of Master Sergeant. He did not need to leave service prematurely(before his contract was up) because of his congressional run, because you can serve your contract and serve congress congruently as LTC Gabbord has done.
  So he is not a CSM, he technically was the rank of CSM when he unnecessarily exited his contract prematurely, his rank in retirement is as MSG. That does not take away from his years of service.
  
  I'll also dispute saying he left the service 'early'. He fully retired after 20 years and re-enlisted after 9/11 for 4 more. Saying that is leaving early is a stretch.
  
  This is a valid point, although I didn't bring it up as the meme stated highest rank held, not necessarily his retired rank.
  
  I was wondering who the hell "LTC Gabbord" is. Then I realized you used Tulsi Gabbard as an example to follow. That alone makes this comment a bit weird, since she's kind of cookoo.
  No, you can't competently serve in the military and also be in Congress. That's ridiculous. They barely allowed absentee voting during COVID. How are you going to vote on bills (let alone research them, lobby other representatives, propose them, etc.) when you are deployed to a warzone? If you can't be deployed you aren't really in the military, are you?
  What is this weird fascination with the rank VP Candidate Walz retired with? This isn't any type of criticism at all. It's common to retire at a lower rank, and doesn't mean you didn't achieve the highest one. The only thing it affects is the pension check he gets and other benefits.
  The man was in the service for 24 years. He gave up a slightly better pension to run for office. I think that shows he's willing to put the needs of others ahead of his own. In 1989, he earned the title of Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year. Literally shut the fuck up.
- It’s an NCO, no?
  
  It is an NCO rank, more accurately, an SNCO. SNCOs are not commonly referred to as officers, though. And even if you want to use that to justify calling him an officer, he is not the highest ranking to have served in Congress.
- Yeah, Joe Biden served in congress and he's commander in chief of the armed forces. That's a way higher rank.
  
  Yes, but importantly he never served as a senator after having been commander in chief
- "Highest rank" in this picture is referring to "highest rank obtained by that person" and not the highest possible.
  It uses the same wording for Vance, who was a corporal.
  Edit: unless someone was an officer and served in Congress, which has probably happened and I don't care enough to look it up
  
  Read statement four again. It clearly states he is the highest officer to have served in Congress. This is inaccurate. I have personally met a 2-star General who is a Congressman from Mississippi.

- They missed a few words.
  For the first time in the group’s nearly 20-year history, VoteVets is making an endorsement in the presidential general election, backing the Harris-Walz ticket in 2024.
  Source: votevets.org: VoteVets Makes Historic First-Ever Endorsement for President

I think the military career of a candidate is irrelevant. this community sometimes reflects the distracting clown show that is US media.
- It has little relevance but it is relevant if a candidate is claiming another has stolen valor.
- The pre politics career of a candidate absolutely matters. Whether it's military or otherwise.
  It's just weird for the right to chose this fight as they are hopelessly outclassed.
- There are many military members and their families in the US voting. Their career is as relevant as anyone else's. People on a position of power within the government though means you may make very direct life and death decisions for military members though. So its a comfort to many of them if they see you served time yourself and aren't a tragic hypocrite.
  Tldr: It's relevant to the people it's relevant to, which is many.

Remember that the government is always looking for more army recruits and they have propaganda just for it. These kind of post convey military career as a good thing.

I read it was highest ranked enlisted man to serve in congress, not officer.
- Command Sargent Major is a Noncommissioned Officer.
  
  I Iearned something. Thanks.
  
  Still not an officer.
- You're not wrong. NCOs don't have commissions, so they're lower ranked than commissioned officers. Him being the "highest ranked officer" is incorrect, and anyone who has been in the military would immediately latch on to that.
  Cmd Sgt Maj is an honorable rank that takes a career to earn - no need to overinflate it with garbage to make the point. It's impressive on its own.
  Edit: for clarification, John McCain was a Navy Captain (O3) which is higher ranked than Cmd Sgt Maj (E9). Therefore Tim Walz isn't the highest ranked officer to serve. I love Tim, but it's incorrect to state than an E9 outranks an O3.

Stolen Valor.... LOL. What a fucking idiot.

Couchfucker Vance is stolen valor garbage. He should be courtmartialed for having been born.
- His DI did not give him permission or orders to be born, therefore he is violating the chain of command taking action outside of issued orders and must face appropriate disciplinary action.

That last point… what? https://votevets.org/candidates
- I’ve never heard of the PAC, but there are plenty of sham PACs that exist to “support” a single candidate. If you ever revise this you should toss “VP” before candidate to make that clearer, otherwise it sounds like he got endorsed by his own PAC. And yes the American political system earned this level of cynicism.

Stop glorifying the military already

If Mark Kelly had been picked....
Vance is an has always been in space, defending our freedumbs and advancing MAGA. Very bigly spacey.
Mark on the other hand 👌. Very small. I like astronauts who's brothers don't die doing science things. Like a stupido spinning around in an aluminum can... just round and round and round. You know that song? Famous one the song. A song about a bus that couldn't stop. Maybe Keanu was in it when the wheels when up and down? I don't know. Anyway, Mark is a really bad hombre.

Based