“Rangers, Lead The Way …”
The unofficial motto of the 75th Ranger Regiment (a.k.a. Army Rangers) was coined on June 6, 1944 on the Dog White Sector of Omaha Beach in Normandy, France (adjacent to the Dog Green Sector famously depicted in Steven Spielberg’s 1998 war epic Saving Private Ryan).
A major general by the name of Norman Cota – who helped plan the greatest amphibious invasion in human history, Operation Neptune – was rallying U.S. troops in the hopes of exploiting a breach in the Germans’ famed Atlantic Wall.
Cota asked for the designation of a particular unit – the Fifth Ranger Battalion. Informed of its designation, he replied “well, God damn it then, Rangers, lead the way!”
They did …
An Army Ranger will be leading the way in the S.C. House of Representatives come January, too – at least as far as the chamber’s freshman caucus is concerned. Bobby Cox, 38, was elected by his freshman peers to serve in this role at an organizational session of lawmakers held in Columbia, S.C. earlier this month.
“It is an honor to be elected as chairman of the freshman caucus and I am looking forward to working with all the other freshman legislators to provide a new perspective, a fresh view on the same old problems,” the Greer, S.C. native said in a statement. “I can attest that there is boundless energy in this group to tackle South Carolina’s challenges. We want to find the common-sense solutions that will make our state simply the best place to live, work and raise a family.”
[su_dominion_video_scb]According to Cox, he hopes to use his position to “strengthen ethics reform, improve public education, address infrastructure, propose term limits and standing strong on conservative principles.”
We agree with all of the above, although instead of efforts to “improve public education” – which is typically code for blowing more money on a demonstrably failed system – Cox would be wiser to focus on “improved academic outcomes,” most notably via market-based accountability (a.k.a. school choice).
The best way to improve “public education” in South Carolina would be to subject the nation’s worst government-run system to real competition -opposed to choking off competition and awarding automatic funding increases to the same failure factories each year irrespective of outcomes.
That would be true leadership …
Anyway, Cox trounced former state representative Phyllis Henderson in the GOP primary for S.C. House District 21 (map) back in June – winning a whopping 62.9 percent of the vote. He was unopposed in the 2018 general election.
A four-tour veteran of the Iraq War, Cox was awarded the Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal (among others). He is currently serving as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves.
A graduate of The Citadel, Cox also has a Master of Business Administration degree from The University of North Carolina.
***
WANNA SOUND OFF?
Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our stories? Please feel free to submit your own guest column or letter to the editor via-email HERE. Got a tip for us? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE. Want to support what we’re doing? SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Banner: Vote Bobby Cox