{"id":40160,"date":"2021-05-28T19:46:03","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T19:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/05\/28\/the-pentagon-wants-a-new-reg-for-prosecuting-extremism\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:59:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:59:08","slug":"the-pentagon-wants-a-new-reg-for-prosecuting-extremism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/05\/28\/the-pentagon-wants-a-new-reg-for-prosecuting-extremism\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pentagon wants a new \u2018reg\u2019 for prosecuting extremism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Defense Department has been rolling out initiatives<\/a> to address the threat of domestic extremism<\/a> serving in uniform since early this year, and now its next budget request hopes to throw some money behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposal released Friday includes $30.8 million to enhance technology and manpower for training, screening<\/a> and policy updates, including a big one: \u201cthe development of a punitive regulation on extremist activities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There aren\u2019t further details available on the effort yet, DoD spokeswoman Lisa Lawrence told Military Times, but the line in the budget leaves the possibilities open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Brandon Russell, at the time a private first class in the Florida Army National Guard, displays his Atomwaffen tattoo after his May, 2017 arrest for possessing bomb making materials. Russell was the co-founder of the Atomwaffen neo-Nazi group. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While commands can currently charge service members for espousing extremist views, or participating in extremist plots, through misconduct regulations in both the Uniform Code of Military Justice and a current DoD instruction covering extremist activities, this year\u2019s renewed discussion about extremism has included calls for new, concrete guidelines and tools for commanders to hold troops accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those millions in funding will also go to improving \u201cvetting protocols and screening of public available electronic information (aka social media) and develop and deploy an Enterprise Case Management tracking tool for tracking activities of concern.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t