- Republican Senator Tom Cotton’s earlier characterization of his military service is attracting critical scrutiny.
- A recent Salon report has revived an old debate over military titles.
- Democratic Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, a veteran of the US Army, took note of the debate, saying that “the truth matters”.
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Republican Senator Tom Cotton’s characterization of his military service is attracting scrutiny from critics, including lawmakers who previously served in the U.S. Army.
The Arkansas junior senator’s service record resurfaced on Saturday after Salon published a story about his ads and campaign statements to Congress. According to the report, Cotton and his campaign described Cotton as “volunteering to be an Army Ranger”, a term traditionally reserved for soldiers who served in the 75th Rangers Regiment based in Fort Benning, Georgia.
The 75th Ranger Regiment requires its soldiers to complete their own eight-week selection process. Upon completing the course, soldiers can wear a distinctive brown beret with their uniform.
Cotton, however, did not serve in the Rangers’ 75th Regiment. He attended the US Army Rangers School, an approximately eight-week leadership course that teaches military infantry tactics. The school is open to volunteers from all branches of the U.S. armed forces, including the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. Graduates of the Ranger School can affix a “Ranger Guide” – a symbol that denotes completion of the course – on their uniforms.
American army
Being a “Ranger” and getting a “guide” from Ranger is often confused due to the similarity of their names. Although the distinction is rarely mentioned outside military circles, it has been fiercely debated among veterans and encapsulates the nuances of military titles.
To be clear, serving in the 75th Rangers Regiment or completing the Army Rangers School are significant achievements. The vast majority of service members have never served in a special operations unit or attended the Ranger School, tasks that are physically and mentally strenuous. Neither needs to be eligible for the other.
Cotton’s length of service is also different from that of many service members. He was deployed in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and served in combat units such as the 506th Infantry Regiment.
Democratic Congressman Jason Crow of Colorado, a veteran of the US Army, took note of the debate and commented on Twitter, “Hey @SenTomCotton, unless you wore one of those berets, you shouldn’t be calling yourself a Ranger. The truth is important.”
Crow, who served in the 75th Rangers Regiment, also published a photo of himself wearing the Army’s brown beret.
– Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) January 23, 2021
Cotton’s spokesman told Insider in an email on Saturday that the congressman had appropriately characterized his service.
“To be clear, as he said several times, Senator Cotton graduated from the Ranger School, won the Ranger Tab and served on a combat tour with the 101st Airborne, not the 75th Ranger Regiment,” said communications director Caroline Tabler .