The Chandler City Council Member highlights his status as a veteran at many opportunities. However, explosive reporting by AZ Central suggests that his military record appears to be unusually short and undistinguished.
One could be forgiven for thinking Chandler City Council Member OD Harris was as a key member of operation Desert Storm. Harris, after all, portrays himself as a a proud Army veteran at every opportunity. However, this may be exaggerated. Below are the highlights of reporting on Harris' actual record by AZ Central:
OD Harris served for only 16 months in the Michigan National Guard in 1998 and 1999
The normal minimum term for Guard service is 2 years
He was not promoted, but left at the lowest rank of Private
Normally Privates are promoted to Private Second Class after 6 months of service
He received none of the customary specialized training
Forms obtained by AZ Central list Harris' status as "discharged", rather than the most common "honorably discharged".
Harris did not provide his DD-214 to the press, unlike other veteran candidates e.g. Michael Simon
Harris cited privacy concerns, which have been called "baloney" by a veteran interviewed by AZ Central
Another veteran called Harris' use of the veteran label disrespectful to other veterans because his service was so unusually short
Stringham, who is a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, summed up Harris' service by saying “the story of this guy's military career is a guy who was in the Guard for a year and probably did basic training.
The brevity of Harris' military career is a red flag for Lucier, an Army combat veteran who served from 1967 to 1969. "If you don't make it to the two-year mark, there's something amiss," he said.
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