In a recent Pentagon-commissioned study, it was revealed that the Department of Defense's (DOD) attempts to curb extremist ideologies within the military may have inadvertently fostered a sense of alienation and hostility among its ranks.
The study was initiated by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in 2021, following the January 6 Capitol riots, which saw the participation of several active-duty military members and veterans. The objective was to gain a deeper understanding of the extent of the "problem," as stated in a memo.
However, the study, which was based on interviews with over 100 defense officials and experts, government studies, articles, and pre-existing data, concluded in mid-2022 that the DOD, despite two years of effort, has failed to comprehend domestic extremism. It also suggested that the issue may have been exaggerated, potentially undermining cohesion within the military.
The authors of the study warned, "In the absence of a clear and consistent message, there is a risk that misinterpretations could lead to a significant division in the force along political and ideological lines, with some members of the military believing that they are being targeted for their views." They further noted that the risk of widespread polarization and division within the military might pose a greater threat than the radicalization of a few service members.
The study was conducted by the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), a nonprofit that operates several federally-funded research organizations. The research was completed in June 2022, but the full report was not made public until December 2023.
Former Pentagon press secretary John Kirby expressed his concern to CNN in 2021, stating, "Whats vexing about this is we dont have a great sense of the scope of the problem." He referred to the January 6 riots as a "wake-up call" for the military.
The U.S. intelligence community's 2023 threat assessment identified active-duty military members as recruitment targets for racially-motivated violent extremist groups that adhere to "white supremacy, neo-Nazism, and other exclusionary cultural-nationalist beliefs." These groups exploit political polarization to reinforce their ideologies and believe that recruiting military members will help them organize cells for attacks against minorities or institutions that oppose their ideology, as per the report.
However, the IDA found no evidence to suggest that the military is a safe haven for violent extremists, contradicting previous concerns expressed by military officials and researchers. The authors of the study wrote, "IDAs review found no evidence that the number of violent extremists in the military is disproportionate to the number of violent extremists in the United States as a whole, although there is some indication that the rate of participation by former service members is slightly higher and may be growing."
The IDA team found that service members at all levels were either unaware or confused about existing definitions and standards. The researchers recommended focusing on minimizing the causes of extremism rather than concentrating on punitive measures for servicemembers.
In April 2021, Austin established the Counter-Extremism Working Group to update extremism-related definitions, review recruitment standards, and achieve other objectives. He also pledged to assess the results of a 24-hour pause in military operations during which units were supposed to receive anti-extremism instruction. However, two years later, the Pentagon has little to show for its efforts, according to USA Today.
Policymakers have suggested that the stand-down order following the January 6 Capitol riots and the rhetoric surrounding the Pentagon's counter-extremism efforts, which seemed to single out right-wing ideologies as dangerous while ignoring left-wing extremism, could discriminate against conservatives.
A DOD official told the Daily Caller News Foundation, "Extremist activity by even one single member of the military is too much and can have an outsized impact on both readiness and the nations trust of the Department as an institution. For that reason, we take this issue very seriously."
The report noted that the military has more flexibility to define extremism and prohibit certain nonviolent behaviors that regular civilians could engage in without legal consequence. The defense official added that the Pentagon "will continue its efforts to ensure that all Service members can focus on mission accomplishment without the negative and divisive influence of extremist activities within the Total Force."
The official also noted that internal research shows that most members of the military do not exhibit extremist behavior. While the Pentagon "welcomes" input from the IDA, it will continue to focus on implementing recommendations from the Counter-Extremism Working Group through fiscal year 2026, the official said.
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