'Extremism' sticking issue in US military: Expert
White nationalism and extremism has been a lasting "issue" in the US military, according to an expert.
The Pentagon acknowledged that a significant percentage of the extremist Trump loyalists who launched a violent march on the US Capitol on January 6 were active duty service members and others were military veterans.
The Department of Defense (Dod) launched an investigation into the extent of extremist ideologies among active-duty personnel following the attack on the capital blamed on former US President Donald Trump who was then-commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, claiming the presidency was stolen from him.
Following the news that far-right and white supremacist extremist groups had been actively recruiting Americans with military background, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered a DoD-wide stand down to discuss the problem of extremism in the ranks, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said on Wednesday.
As part of his efforts to clamp down on Trump loyalists who were appointed to posts in the DoD at the end of former president Donald Trump’s administration, Austin fired hundreds of members of the Pentagon’s advisory boards.
.@RepRubenGallego says the DOD needs to accelerate efforts to identify and dismiss troops with extremist ties and beliefs. "We know that there are still extremists in the military. We've just caught the ones that are dumb enough to get caught."
— Leo Shane III (@LeoShane) February 5, 2021
Washington, DC -based journalist Leo Shane III, who is bureau chief for Military Times, told US media that extremism is a lasting issue in the US military.
In a Thursday interview with CNBC, Shane said it will be important for senior US military commanders to resolve the sticking "issue" of white nationalism and extremism not only among themselves, but also, among the rank and file serving under them.
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