For many Americans, it came as a shock to learn of the participation of dozens of former servicemen in the assault on Capitol Hill on January 6, in which thousands of Donald Trump supporters rushed to Congress to prevent the attacks. elected to certify the victory of Joe Biden in the presidential election.
After these revelations, US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin ordered a review of Pentagon policies on countering extremism in its ranks last February.
Increased training
The report of a task force on the subject, published Monday, December 20, reveals that around 100 members of the US military on active duty or in reserve have had prohibited extremist activities during the past year. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby did not elaborate on the type of activity they had engaged in but cited advocating the overthrow of the government or the “Domestic terrorism” as examples of prohibited practices.
“The overwhelming majority of men and women in the Ministry of Defense serve this country with honor and integrity”said Lloyd Austin, quoted in a statement accompanying this report. “They respect the oath they have taken to support and defend the Constitution of the United States”, he added. “We believe that only a very small number of people violate this oath by taking part in extremist activity. “
In its new guidelines, the task force does not mention specific extremist groups, but among its recommendations is increased training of the military on what constitutes prohibited extremist activity. “This includes in particular instructions on social networks, what is authorized or not”, explained John Kirby.
