Author Topic: If the Defense “Standdown” on Extremism Is To Have an Effect . . .  (Read 155 times)

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rangerrebew

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If the Defense “Standdown” on Extremism Is To Have an Effect . . .
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By Gregory D. Foster
April 16, 2021
 ed recently by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for commanding officers and supervisors at all levels of the Defense Department to conduct mandatory one-day standdowns in their organizations to address extremism in the ranks of the military.

Extremism in the ranks, where it exists, is unreservedly a problem – a serious problem, to be sure, for it resides at the intersection of civil-military relations and ethics. Addressing it seriously can’t be fobbed off as a routine, one-off mandatory training requirement. By its very nature, it is a distinctly educational undertaking that calls for deep philosophical exploration and thoughtful discussion over time – especially for members of a profession that prizes action over reflection. It can’t be dealt with in the manner of operational rules of engagement that can be codified in bulletized dos and don’ts on a laminated card. It isn’t a subject of inquiry that can be restricted to the upper ranks, though that is where responsibility for focusing attention on it and dealing with it seriously and responsibly must be centered. The military is, after all, hierarchical and reverentially deferential to commanders and command. On this subject – extremism within – everyone up and down the chain of command, from trigger pullers to fleet commanders, desk jockeys to jet jockeys, has to be engaged and involved on a sustained basis.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/04/16/if_the_defense_standdown_on_extremism_is_to_have_an_effect_773074.html