{"id":30689,"date":"2022-12-07T23:51:08","date_gmt":"2022-12-07T23:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/12\/07\/domestic-extremism-is-rare-in-the-military-but-it-is-an-issue\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:19:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:19:46","slug":"domestic-extremism-is-rare-in-the-military-but-it-is-an-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/congress\/2022\/12\/07\/domestic-extremism-is-rare-in-the-military-but-it-is-an-issue\/","title":{"rendered":"Domestic extremism is rare in the military, \u2018but it is an issue\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Pentagon is still working on getting an idea of just how common extremist activity and affiliations are among service members. Total complaints have numbered in the hundreds over the past few years, but experts warn that even low prevalence still poses a risk, given the military\u2019s unique position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also caution against dismissing efforts to address extremism because of the small number of cases investigated each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think we need to remember the difference between, \u2018This is a wholesale problem,\u2019 versus, \u2018This is an issue,\u2019 right?\u201d Seamus Hughes, deputy director of George Washington University\u2019s Program on Extremism, said. \u201cThose two things can be true at the same time, right? This is not a wholesale problem, but there is an issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republican lawmakers in recent months have argued that the low incidence of extremism reports in the military<\/a> suggests that it\u2019s not worth confronting, calling on the Pentagon to drop its anti-extremism screening and education efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the numbers, the services reviewed 211 reports in fiscal year 2022<\/a>. Half of those were referred to civilian law enforcement, and another quarter were handled by military judicial or administrative action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, while the actual numbers are low among a force of more than a million active duty troops, experts have argued that service members and veterans involved in extremist groups pose a disproportionate security risk for multiple reasons. First, their training and knowledge makes them more capable of carrying out attacks. Secondly, their experience is coveted by extremist groups<\/a> looking for credibility. And finally, their participation is detrimental to the public\u2019s view of the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the 2022 Reagan National Defense Survey, roughly half of respondents said \u201cextremist or right-wing affiliations\u201d of service members contributed to their low trust and confidence in the military as an institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\t