Mark Wahlberg went OFF this week on actors comparing themselves to soldiers in an expletive-filled rant that did not name Tom Cruise by name, but ...

Given the controversy over comments in Cruise's lawsuit deposition in which he compares acting to fighting in Afghanistan, the implication is clear.

Speaking at the AFI Festival, Wahlberg lashed out, "For actors to sit there and talk about 'oh I went to SEAL training? I don't give a f--k what you did."

"For somebody to sit there and say 'my job was as difficult as being in the military.' How f--king dare you, while you sit in a makeup chair for 2 hours."

"I don't give a s--t if you get your ass busted. You get to go home at the end of the day. You get to go to your hotel room. You get to order your f--king chicken."

How does this relate to Tom Cruise? In the deposition he gave for his lawsuit against a celebrity gossip tabloid, he makes the Afghanistan reference.

More specifically, his lawyer did, but the actor was asked about it.

"Your counsel has [equated your absence from Suri for extended periods] as being analogous to someone fighting in Afghanistan," the opposing lawyer asked.

The actor then responded, "I didn't hear the Afghanistan [part], but that's what it feels like and certainly on this last movie it was brutal, it was brutal."

However, when the lawyer asked "Do you believe the situations are the same?" Cruise scoffed at any such comparison with a dismissive, "Oh come on."

Later, Wahlberg's rep said Mark loves Tom and was not referencing him with this. Mark told a similar story, saying he was unaware of the Cruise situation.

It's possible, even likely, that Wahlberg heard about such comparisons being made in general, and had no idea about Cruise's lawsuit or the specific remark.

Still, he made it clear that any such comparisons are B.S. Period.