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So I was mostly going to ignore this because it seemed rather obvious this was a partisan hit from Salon and some Democrats, but now more mainstream outlets are picking it up. (1/) https://www.businessinsider.com/tom-cotton-ranger-military-service-jason-crow-2021-1
Undisputed facts:
1) Tom Cotton had deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
2) Cotton was honorably discharged with multiple accommodations, including a Bronze Star.
3) Cotton finished Ranger school and earned a Ranger tab.
1) Tom Cotton had deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.
2) Cotton was honorably discharged with multiple accommodations, including a Bronze Star.
3) Cotton finished Ranger school and earned a Ranger tab.
Salon, and some Democrats, have accused him of misleading regarding his military service by having literature that has said he "volunteered to be an Army Ranger" even though he never served in the 75th Ranger Regiment.
I will leave the specific debate over whether the term Ranger should be used for those who complete Ranger school to members of the military, but the reality is that the term has commonly been used that way for years. Including by press outlets (& even some Salon authors!)
A lot of people have pointed out that many news outlets referred to the first female graduates of Ranger school as Rangers repeatedly.
https://time.com/4005578/female-army-rangers/
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2015-08-21/what-the-first-female-rangers-prove
Even the Army website did so:
https://www.army.mil/article-amp/154253/first_female_rangers_believe_experience_makes_them_better_leaders
https://time.com/4005578/female-army-rangers/
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2015-08-21/what-the-first-female-rangers-prove
Even the Army website did so:
https://www.army.mil/article-amp/154253/first_female_rangers_believe_experience_makes_them_better_leaders
Cotton never claimed to have served in the 75th Ranger Regiment. He's been very upfront about the specifics of his service. His service record is impressive regardless of title. In other words, this is pretty clearly a dumb attempt at a partisan smear.
Update: This was fairly obviously a planted hit piece. And now we know the source because the Salon reporter behind it BCC'd her in his email to Cotton's team asking for comment and she mistakenly replied to them. https://freebeacon.com/media/meet-the-woman-behind-salons-sloppy-tom-cotton-piece/
Wow. Now the U.S. Ranger association has released an extended comment on this story condemning the smear attempt aimed at Cotton for attempting to "drive a wedge between members of our community for what appear to be political purposes" https://ranger.org/Who-Is-A-Ranger
