Today's D Brief: Anti-extremist stand-down ordered; Troops to staff vax centers; Nuke-deal standoff; Trespasser at Andrews; And a bit more.
By Ben Watson and Bradley Peniston
February 8, 2021 10:33 AM ET
The D Brief
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday signed the “stand-down†for extremism memo previewed last week — an unusual safety consideration taken in the wake of the very unusual insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., 33 days ago.
What this means: Military “commanding officers and supervisors at all levels†must pick one day in the next 60 “to discuss extremism in the ranks with their personnel,†according to the Pentagon. It's known officially as Department of Defense Instruction 1325.06 and entitled “Handling Dissident and Protest Activities Among Members of the Armed Forces.â€
Reminder why this is happening: “January 6, I think, really not just shocked the nation, but it certainly had an electric effect here at the Department of Defense in terms of the notion that anybody active duty, let alone in the veteran community and active duty could be involved in that,†Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday. (For more on that concerning angle, NPR reported on Jan. 21 “Nearly 1 In 5 Defendants In Capitol Riot Cases Served In The Military.â€)
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/02/the-d-brief-february-08-2021/171913/
