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Cotton, ‘limp wristed’?

Military service[edit]

On January 11, 2005, Cotton enlisted in the United States Army.[8] Cotton felt compelled to join the military after the September 11 attacks.[9]

Cotton declined offers to serve as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps, United States Army and instead volunteered for the infantry.[9] In March 2005, he entered Officer Candidate School, and in June 2005 was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry.[9] He was initially stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he entered a 14-week Basic Officer Leaders Course. After completing the course in November 2005, Cotton attended the United States Army Airborne School as well as Ranger School, and United States Army Air Assault School.[10]

Iraq[edit]

In May 2006, Cotton was deployed to Baghdad as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division. In Iraq, he led a 41-man air assault infantry platoon in the 506th Infantry Regiment, and planned and performed daily combat patrols.[9]

Accusations of New York Times journalists[edit]

In June 2006, while stationed in Iraq, Cotton gained international public attention after he wrote an open letter to the editor of The New York Times, accusing three journalists of violating “espionage laws” by publishing an article detailing a Bush administration secret program monitoring terrorists’ finances. The New York Times did not publish the letter, but it was published on Power Line, a conservative blog that had been copied on the email.[12][13] In the letter, Cotton called for the journalists responsible for the newspaper article to be imprisoned for espionage. He asserted that the newspaper had “gravely endangered the lives of my soldiers and all other soldiers and innocent Iraqis here.” The article was widely circulated online and reprinted in full in several newspapers.[14] The letter reached General Peter Schoomaker, Chief of Staff of the United States Army, who forwarded it via e-mail to all his generals, stating: “Attached for your information are words of wisdom from one of our great lieutenants in Iraq ...”[15] Cotton said in an interview that after meeting with his immediate commander, he was “nervous and worried all night long” about losing his position and even worse, possibly being court-martialed. When he finally met the battalion commander, he was simply told “Well, here’s a piece of advice: You’re new here. No one’s trying to infringe on your right to send a letter or whatnot. But next time, give your chain of command a heads-up.”[15]

The Old Guard[edit]

In December 2006, Cotton was promoted to First Lieutenant. He was assigned as a platoon leader for the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment at Arlington National Cemetery in Northern Virginia.[16]

Afghanistan[edit]

In October 2008, Cotton was deployed to eastern Afghanistan. He was assigned within the Train Advise Assist Command – East at its Gamberi forward operating base (FOB) in Laghman Province as the Operations Officer of a Provincial Reconstruction Team, where he planned daily counter-insurgency and reconstruction operations.[9] His 11-month deployment ended on July 20, 2009 and he returned from Afghanistan.[9] He then returned to the agricultural management of his family ranch.[17]

Reserve duty and military awards[edit]

In July 2010, Cotton transferred to the United States Army Reserve. His military record shows his final discharge from the Army Reserve was in May 2013; he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and earned a Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and Iraq Campaign Medal.[9][18][19]