Troops do not have an extremism problem, but veterans do, study finds
By Nikki Wentling
Friday, Jan 5
Anecdotal accounts of service members being involved in violent extremist events, such as the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, create a false impression that it’s an outsized problem, new research suggests. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images)
Service members don’t participate in violent extremism at higher rates than the rest of the U.S. population, but former troops do — and their involvement is growing, according to research published at the end of December.
According to the report, which was commissioned by the Defense Department, anecdotal accounts of service members being involved in violent extremism create a false impression that it’s an outsized problem. Those accounts often fail to differentiate between current service members and former troops, a demographic found to participate in violent extremism at higher rates, the research states.
“[The] 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,” the research says. “Extremism in the veterans’ community has peaks and valleys over recent decades, and currently appears to be on the increase.”
https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/extremism-disinformation/2024/01/05/troops-do-not-have-an-extremism-problem-but-veterans-do-study-finds/
