Confusion, uneven reporting hurting Pentagon effort to combat extremism
Extremist activity is growing among veterans, the study found, but internal DoD efforts to track the problem are hamstrung by a lack of unified policies
BY NICHOLAS SLAYTON | PUBLISHED DEC 30, 2023 4:17 PM EST
More than a year and a half after it was due, the Department of Defense finally released its report examining extremism within the ranks of the armed forces. And although there is “no evidence” that violent extremism is “disproportionate” in the military compared to the wider American populace, it remains an issue with active-duty troops and veterans. However even after extensive study, there is still confusion and unclear policies throughout the military when it comes to finding and dealing with extremism.
The report, commissioned by the Pentagon and conducted by the think tank the Institute for Defense Analysis, found that the military needs to have a comprehensive change in its culture to both better identify current extremists and to prevent troops and DoD civilian employees from becoming radicalized. The IDA’s review found no evidence “that the number of violent extremists in the military is disproportionate to the number of violent extremists in the United States as a whole, although there is some indication that the rate of participation by former service members is slightly higher and may be growing. IDA also found no evidence of violent extremist behavior by DOD civilians.”
Titled ”Prohibited Extremist Activities In the U.S. Department of Defense,” the report noted that despite there not being a disproportionate amount of extremism within the military, there is a potentially growing rate of veterans participating in extremism groups or activities. Those include participation in what it outlined as the four main types of extremist views: left- and right-wing extremism, single-issue extremism and politico-religious extremism.
https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/pentagon-ida-report-military-extremism-confusion-lack-of-clarity/
