The pentagon has begun investigating Extremism within the ranks of the United States military. The investigation ultimately failed to find concrete proof that the US military has become a breeding ground for extremists, and in fact has found less than 100 incidents of extremist activity in 2021. Many of the service members interviewed by Fox were reportedly not surprised by this, as they believe that the military stamps out any ignorance that may lead to extremist thought by forcing individuals to operate and work in a multicultural and multiracial environment. Many servicemen that were interviewed saw no evidence of extremism throughout their time in the military and believe that this is due to the “melting-pot” environment that many military recruits are immersed in throughout their service. Some even believe that the military does its best to actively stamp out forms of extremism, as they are a threat to unit cohesion and the brotherly connection that is encouraged in the branches.
The article mentions several other studies, including one from the University of Maryland that concluded that the majority of extremists who have committed criminal acts have had no military background. In fact, roughly 12% of all individuals who have committed crimes between 1990 and 2021 motivated by extremism had a military background. Of the extremists that do have a military background, the largest plurality has not been active in the US military and left roughly a decade before they committed any criminal activities. It is believed that the perceived connection between the military and extremism comes from the fact that many high-profile white supremacists, such as Timothy McVeigh and about a quarter of those who stormed the capitol on January 6th, 2021, had military backgrounds. It is also common for extremist groups to attempt to recruit former military personnel.
Service members generally believe that looking for extremism in the military is not very effective, as so little evidence that the military is an extremist breeding ground has been found. They believe it prevents the government from going after other extremists and is a misuse of resources that could be utilized in other ways to stop extremists. Among veterans and active-duty members of the military, it is clear that they do not believe the military promotes extremism and in fact believe the opposite. Many state that any ignorant or extremist views they may have had or known about disappeared or were less attractive after their time in the military, as the military provides a multicultural environment where they can learn about other people and need to work with and rely on other people of different backgrounds.
I think it is worrying that many high-profile extremists have had experience in the military, but from articles and studies like this it appears that many individuals with military backgrounds become radicalized or extremist after their experience in the military, as they are actively targeted by extremist groups for recruitment and indoctrination. We need to focus our resources on veterans and those that may be vulnerable to extremist rhetoric in order to prevent extremism from spreading, rather than to focus on areas that do not seem to be efficient. However, it is also important to note the network that has written this article. While fox news is not the most aggressively political news outlet, they do commonly have a specific agenda, so it is important to read this article while also being aware that Fox may not be telling the whole story. I encourage individuals to review the initial University of Maryland study that found that most extremists do not have a military background.
Article:
The Pentagon is investigating extremism in the military. Here’s how bad the problem is | Fox News
Study the article cites:
Radicalization in the Ranks (umd.edu)
AJ DeGeorge