Republican Senator Falsely Claimed He Served As Army Ranger, Twitter Reacts 01/24/21 AT 12:03 PM The military service of Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., came under scrutiny Saturday after a Salon report revealed he did not serve as a U.S. Army Ranger. Cotton’s 2012 campaign for Congress focused heavily on how he "Volunteered to be an Army Ranger," which identifies soldiers who served with the 75th Regiment based out of Fort Benning, Georgia. In order to be considered part of the 75th Ranger Regiment as an Army Ranger, one must pass 1, 2 or both of the “Ranger Assessment Selection Program.” Cotton didn’t pass any of the programs, rather he attended the U.S. Army Ranger School, which is a roughly eight-week leadership course.