Former Ranger and SOCOM commander calls out Democratic congressman over 'dumb' military service spat with Sen. Tom Cotton

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Former Ranger and SOCOM commander calls out Democratic congressman over 'dumb' military service spat with Sen. Tom Cotton
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas.Alex Brandon/AP
  • A former head of US Special Operations Command weighed in on the debate over Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton's service record.
  • After an article called into question Cotton's reported characterizations of himself as an Army Ranger, Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger, told him he shouldn't call himself a Ranger.
  • Retired Gen. Raymond Thomas, a former Ranger who commanded SOCOM, called the debate "dumb" and told Crow that he needs to focus on more important things.
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A former head of US Special Operations Command called out a Democratic lawmaker on social media for questioning a congressional colleague's military service.

Following the publication of an article from Salon this weekend that reported that Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton is not actually a Ranger despite campaigning on "his experience as a US Army Ranger," Colorado Rep. Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger, tweeted at his Republican colleague.

"Unless you wore one of these berets you shouldn't be calling yourself a Ranger," Crow wrote in a tweet accompanied by a photo of himself in the tan beret worn by Rangers. "Truth matters," he said.

Cotton attended the challenging US Army Ranger School and obtained the Ranger tab, but the senator served with the 101st Airborne. Crow, on the other hand, served with SOCOM's 75th Ranger Regiment.

Former Ranger and SOCOM commander calls out Democratic congressman over 'dumb' military service spat with Sen. Tom Cotton
US Army

Being a Ranger with the 75th Ranger Regiment and earning the gold and black Ranger tab are often confused and sometimes used interchangeably, even among service members. While the distinction between the two is not often discussed outside of military circles, it has been hotly debated among some veterans and encapsulates the nuances of military service.

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While both of these achievements are considered to be significant accomplishments in the Army, there are differences, a US Army spokesperson at Fort Benning told Insider.

Completing the two-month Ranger School program and earning the Ranger tab means a soldier is "Ranger qualified," the Army spokesperson said. A soldier must complete the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP) and serve with the 75th Ranger Regiment to earn their scroll and officially be a Ranger.

That said, there appears to be some flexibility in the term's usage. For instance, an Army general told Ranger School graduates in 2015 that they "carry the title of Ranger."

Cotton's communications director told Insider over the weekend that the senator did not mischaracterize his service. Cotton's biography on his website does not identify him as a former Army Ranger.

Retired Gen. Raymond Thomas, himself a former Army Ranger and SOCOM commander, tweeted at the Crow on Sunday, arguing that the debate over Cotton's service is "dumb" considering the many more pressing issues facing the country.

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The retired general told Crow to act like a congressman, writing that he needs "to focus on more important things for the good of the nation."

"I hope they fulfill their elected role to lead this country," he wrote in a follow-on tweet. "Hope they don't waste time on petty issues like this with so much at stake."

Crow's office did not respond to request for comment on why he tweeted about the senator's service.

The social media post Thomas directed at Crow on Sunday is not the first time the retired general has weighed in on the actions of former special operations members who are serving in Congress.

In December, he characterized a fake action video advertisement of Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw parachuting into a one man battle against supposed Antifa activists ahead of Georgia's Senate run-offs, as "embarrassing."

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Thomas said that he thought it was a "Saturday Night Live" or Comedy Central skit until he realized it was "just the base(r) level our political environment slips to with each succeeding day."

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