![]() ![]() The military’s new policies also spell out rules for what service members can do online. In December, the Department of Defense (DoD) updated its policy on radicalism to ban "active" participation in gangs or groups that advocate supremacist, extremist ideologies that discriminate based on race, religion or ethnicity.Īctive participation includes fundraising, attending rallies, recruitment and training. “I’m talking, of course, about extremism and extremist ideology, views and conduct that run counter to everything that we believe in and which can actually tear at the fabric of who we are as an institution.” “We need your help,” said Austin, who is the nation’s first Black defense secretary. In response to all of this, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asked members of the military’s rank and file during a speech last spring to do their part to stem extremism. In 2020, the FBI notified the Pentagon that nearly half of its 143 criminal investigations of current and former service members involved domestic extremism, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C. ![]() This is due in large part to the violence stemming from 2017’s “Unite The Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Jan. In early February, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed commanders and supervisors at every level of the military to conduct a one-day “stand down” - a pause in normal business - by early April to discuss extremism in the ranks.While there is a long history of extremism and white supremacy in the armed forces, there is increased worry about the extent to which these ideologies have in recent times taken hold among active duty members as well as veterans.Īrrests of people with military links for crimes related to extremist views rose 300% over the past decade, with most of that increase coming in the last several years, according to a recent study. “They were geniuses about making sure that they target certain populations to go ahead and get that membership.”Ī recent Pentagon report noted that members of the military “are highly prized by these groups as they bring legitimacy to their causes and enhance their ability to carry out attacks.” “We’ve seen this movie play before,” he said. He said the Pentagon has to take the threat seriously, noting that the Islamic State and other terror groups in the Middle East used social media to recruit followers. But, he added, “there’s communication going back and forth, especially in light of 6 January, about who do we need to pay attention to and so on.” Speaking to a small number of reporters at the Pentagon, Colón-López said he is not aware of any specific coordination that has started between the Defense Department and law enforcement. Of those, as many as 33 individuals had military backgrounds, including 31 veterans and a member of the National Guard and a member of the Army Reserves, according to the Program on Extremism, which is based at George Washington University. More than 300 people have been charged so far in the riot that resulted in the deaths of five people, and at least 100 more are expected to be charged. But Pentagon leaders launched an all-out effort to root out extremism in the force after it became clear that a significant number of military veterans and some current military members were present at the January insurrection in Washington, D.C. The military has long been aware of small numbers of white supremacists and other extremists in its ranks. It’s not good for the department and it’s not good for the image of the military.” “And we need to make sure that they stand clear from them. “We do know that our force is being made aware of those organizations that are out there that are actively recruiting people,” said Colón-López. ![]()
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