Let's be honest... here is the definition...

"Stolen Valor is a term used to describe the phenomenon of people falsely claiming military awards or badges they did not earn, service they did not perform, Prisoner of War experiences that never happened, and other tales of military derring-do that exist only in their minds1234. The definition of stolen valor includes falsely claiming military service, falsely claiming a certain rank which was not earned, and fraudulently claiming that they were presented an award for valor23."

Example 1

“We can make sure that those weapons of war that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at.” Update, Aug. 12: The Harris campaign says that Walz “misspoke.” Notice the correction only occurred this year, because Walz was called on it.

Example 2

The Harris campaign website salutes Walz for “rising to the rank of Command Sergeant Major.” Walz did rise to that rank, but he retired as a master sergeant because he had not completed the requirements of a command sergeant major. Walz frequently claimed he retired as a master sergeant again correcting the record only when he was called on it.

Example 3

Governor Tim Walz has mentioned his service in Operation Enduring Freedom during his campaigns (for Congress and Governor). However, it’s important to clarify that while he did serve in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, he was stationed in Italy, not Afghanistan12. This distinction has led to some criticism and scrutiny over how his military service has been portrayed.

Someone who served for 24 years, knows the difference. Walz refused to correct his mistake even after people from his own unit including his commanding officer pointed it out.

You call it what you want. But Walz's fellow servicemen in his unit are the ones who first raised these points... Vance did run with them.

https://nypost.com/2024/08/06/us-news/tim-walz-embellished-military-career-for-years-dropped-from-national-guard-unit-ahead-of-iraq-deployment/

Again, honor Walz's service but also condemn his stolen valor.