Pentagon: Military Members Engaged in Extremist Activity, Domestic Terrorism!

By Staff, Agencies 

Releasing new guidelines for service members, the Pentagon revealed that “About 100 members of the US military took part in some form of prohibited extremist activity over the past year.”

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin ordered a review in February 2021 of the War Department's policies on countering extremism within the ranks.

The review came after the revelation that dozens of former members of the US military took part in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol by supporters of former president Donald Trump.

“The overwhelming majority of the men and women of the Department of ‘Defense’ serve this country with honor and integrity,” Austin said in a statement accompanying the release of the working group report on countering extremist activity.

Austin further stated: “They respect the oath they took to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. We believe [that] only very few violate this oath by participating in extremist activities.”

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the review found that “about 100” active duty or reserve members of the US military participated in prohibited extremist activities over the past year.

He declined to specify what type of activity they were engaged in, but cited advocating the overthrow of the government or “domestic terrorism” as examples of prohibited activities.

Among its recommendations were increased training and education for service members on what constitutes prohibited extremist activity.

“That includes very specifically, the guidelines for social media, what's permissible and what's not, with respect to extremist prohibited activities,” Kirby said.