Senator Tom Cotton is the author of Sacred Duty: A Soldier’s Tour at Arlington National Cemetery (2019). I wrote about it here on its publication date. It is a moving account of Senator Cotton’s service in the Old Guard along with a history of the Army’s oldest infantry unit.
Service in the Old Guard is generally by application and requires rigorous training. Few can meet its incredibly imposing standards. Acceptance into service in the Old Guard is an honor conferred by the Army, on the one hand, and an honor fulfilled by its members, on the other.
Upon his return from his tour of duty in Iraq, someone in the chain of command thought to “ask” Tom to serve as a platoon leader in the Old Guard. Senator Cotton says that questions about his service in the Old Guard are what his constituents most frequently want him to answer when they ask about his military service.
When it comes to proper conduct at Arlington, suffice it to say, he speaks as an expert. Senator Cotton’s statement below on President Trump’s attendance at the anniversary memorial for the Abbey Gate Gold Star families seems to me authoritative. I want to add it to the video of Senator Cotton’s appearance yesterday on Meet the Press.