WASHINGTON — Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has made stamping out extremism in the ranks a top priority ever since the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol — in which, 131 defendants, or 13% of people charged, were found to have some form of military background.
Now, a new report ordered by Austin and conducted by the Institute for Defense Analysis, finds that the U.S. military needs to have a comprehensive change in its culture to both better identify current extremists and to prevent troops and Department of Defense (DOD) civilian employees from becoming radicalized.
The good news is there is "no evidence" that violent extremism is "disproportionate" in the military compared to the wider American population, according to the report.
But the report notes that even a small number of violent extremists in the ranks "could present a risk to the military and to the country as a whole."
The report states there is no clear, DOD-wide definition for what constitutes extremist ideology or activity.
The report concludes, "Until these policies are appropriately updated, they are likely to contribute to continued confusion over the scope of prohibited activities."