- Former Republican Senator Tom Cotton’s characterization of his military service comes under fire.
- A recent Salon report features a years-long debate over military titles.
- Democratic Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, a veteran of the U.S. military, took note of the debate, saying the “truth matters.”
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton’s characterization of his military service draws criticism from critics, including lawmakers who previously served in the U.S. military.
The Arkansas junior senator’s service record resurfaced on Saturday after Salon published a story about his previous announcements and statements from the congressional campaign. According to the report, Cotton and his campaign describe Cotton as ‘volunteering to be an Army ranger’, a term traditionally reserved for soldiers who served with the 75th Ranger Regiment from Fort Benning, Georgia.
The 75th Ranger Regiment requires its soldiers to complete its own eight-week selection process. Upon completion of the course, soldiers may wear a distinctive brown beret with their uniform on.
However, cotton does not serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment. He attended the U.S. Army’s Ranger School, an eight-week leadership course that teaches service members light infantry tactics. The school is open to volunteers from all branches of the U.S. military, including the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. Ranger School graduates may wear a ‘Ranger tab’ on their uniforms.
US Army
Being a ‘Ranger’ and earning a ‘Ranger’ tab is often confused due to the similarity with their names. Although the distinction is rarely raised outside of military circles, there has been much debate among veterans and the nuances of military titles are summarized.
To be clear, serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment or completing the Army’s Ranger School are both important accomplishments. The vast majority of service members have not yet served in a special operations unit nor attended Ranger School, which are both physically and mentally exhausting tasks. Neither of them needs to qualify for the other.
Cotton’s service time also differs from many service members. He deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq and served in combat units such as the 506th Infantry Regiment.
Democratic Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, a veteran of the U.S. military, takes note of the debate and notes Twitter, “Hey @SenTomCotton, unless you wore one of these berets, do not call yourself a ranger. The truth matters.”
Crow, who served in the 75th Ranger Regiment, also uploaded a photo of himself with the army’s brown beret.
—Rep. Jason Crow (@RepJasonCrow) 23 January 2021
Cotton’s spokesman said in an email to Insider on Saturday that the congressman had properly characterized his service.
“To be clear, as he has said many times, Senator Cotton studies at the Ranger School, earns the Ranger Tab and conducts a battle tour with the 101st Airborne, not the 75th Ranger Regiment,” said Caroline Tabler , communications director said.