Table of Contents
Introduction
Extremism in the military has been a subject of interest and concern, particularly after the U.S. Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, which involved current and former service members participating in extremist groups. The Department of Defense has policies prohibiting service members from actively participating in extremist activities. However, dealing with passive forms of participation presents challenges.
Historical Context of Extremism in the Military
While extremism among service members came into sharper focus following the Capitol attack, the issue has a longer history. From the 1970s, the white power movement began leveraging the destabilizing effects of events such as the Vietnam War to recruit service members and veterans. Prominent figures in white supremacist and paramilitary groups have often had military backgrounds, but extremist ideologies among service members and veterans have not been limited to white supremacy, including extreme religious, far-left, and anti-government ideologies.
Current State of Extremism in the Military
Data suggests that those involved in violent extremism constitute a minute fraction of all service members. However, their specialized knowledge and abilities make them valuable to extremist networks. Despite the difficulty in tracking extremist activities, recent surveys conducted by the Military Times indicate that the percentage of active-duty service members who have witnessed examples of white nationalism and racist ideologies has increased. In 2020, 6.4% of all domestic terrorist attacks and plots were committed by one or more active-duty or reserve military personnel, an increase from 1.5% in 2019. In 2021, this percentage decreased slightly to 5.2%.
Department of Defense's Efforts to Counter Extremism
Following the Capitol attack, the Department of Defense (DOD) has intensified efforts to understand, define, and counter domestic extremism among service members. A memorandum issued by Defense Secretary Lloyd James Austin III outlined initial actions to counter extremism within the department. This included a day-long stand-down for all DOD personnel to discuss extremism and the harmful impact of such activities within the ranks.
Potential Strategies for Combating Extremism in the Military
Experts have proposed a four-part framework for the military to combat extremism:
Recognize and scope the problem of extremism.
Leverage existing programs to prevent involvement with extremist groups.
Detect extremist activities and design interventions to respond to them.
Measure extremist activities and use the results to inform the evaluation of programs designed to prevent, detect, and intervene when commanders become aware of signs of extremist activities.
Existing support programs can potentially be used to effectively confront social and political headwinds early and channel them in productive ways that preserve the effectiveness and readiness of the U.S. military.
