BACKGROUND
James Steven Arroyo comes to us from Chino Valley, AZ. He is 58 y/o as of December 2018.
Jim Arroyo, as the leader of the Chino Valley / Yavapai Valley Chapter of Oathkeepers, claims to have been an Army Ranger. Arroyo even holds the office of vice-president for the Arizona state chapter.
For those not familiar with the Oathkeepers, Jim provides some insight into their tactics.
In the following article in the Chino Valley Review News, there is also a claim of Jim participating in the Iran hostage rescue effort which was called “Operation Eagle Claw.”
It is important to point out that although the above article was posted in the Chino Valley Review News, it also was reposted to the Oathkeepers sight which meant it passed some kind of editorial review and was approved.
https://oathkeepers.org/2015/06/arizonas-chino-valley-review-on-oath-keepers-cpt/
Jim makes the Army Ranger claim on his LinkedIn page…
Jim applied for a membership with the Special Forces Association. It is important to point out that the DD-214 was supplied to the SF Association by James Arroyo so we cannot speak for its accuracy.
Oddly, he admitted that he was injured during Ranger training so would not have completed it. How would he have earned the Ranger designation if he did not complete the required training?
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James Arroyo’s military records were requested through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
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FOIA RESULTS
NATIONAL PERSONNEL RECORDS CENTER (NPRC)
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ACCOUNTING
People associated with Jim expressed concern about the money collected based on the claim of U.S. Army Ranger. As well, there were some concerns about lack of transparency or accountability of funds through the chapter.
Although we cannot speak to that if there is no way to look at the accounting records, some past behavior by Arroyo may give some legitimacy for people’s concerns. See court reporting below in regard to tax information.
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DISCUSSION and SUMMARY
ARMY RANGER
The question here is if someone attended Ranger school and did not graduate, can they still call themselves an Army Ranger?
If Arroyo is claiming he is a Ranger, then he should have no problems explaining why he wrote to the Special Forces folks in Arizona stating he went to Ranger School but suffered an injury… and said his military career was over.
It also seems like Arroyo would not have any problems showing folks his medical records to prove he was injured at Ranger School. Which means he never finished IF HE WENT TO RANGER SCHOOL. He should have his orders sending him TDY to Benning for RANGER School.
Also, he would not have any problems explaining this chapter Army Regulation 600-8-22 on earning the TAB (qualifications has not changed).
Normally things like medical records and military orders are private matters but Arroyo is using his service claims to gain positions of influence and power.
OPERATION EAGLE CLAW
Based on the letter Arroyo submitted to the Special Forces Chapter for membership stating he was involved in OPERATION EAGLE CLAW (Iran Hostage Rescue Mission)…
How could he have been involved since the failed mission took place 24-25 April 1980 and his FOIA showed he was attending Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA during that timeframe? Keep in mind, Arroyo was not assigned to Charlie Company, 1st BN, 75th until 13 June 1980.
This may be a case of stolen valor since James Arroyo is getting something of value from leveraging these claims, especially in regard to his position within his organization and fundraising.
Maybe there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for everything? However, based on enough red flags there should be transparency. James Arroyo should be forthright in answering questions about his service record as well as his grip on the organization and finances that he oversees.
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PHOTOS and SOCIAL MEDIA
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-aroyo-07987924/
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