{"id":2141143,"date":"2024-01-05T09:25:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-05T14:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/quiet-release-of-dod-extremism-report-sparks-conservative-backlash\/"},"modified":"2024-01-05T09:30:43","modified_gmt":"2024-01-05T14:30:43","slug":"quiet-release-of-dod-extremism-report-sparks-conservative-backlash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/quiet-release-of-dod-extremism-report-sparks-conservative-backlash\/","title":{"rendered":"Conservative backlash ensues over low-key release of DOD extremism report"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fquiet-release-of-dod-extremism-report-sparks-conservative-backlash%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2141143&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>TOP STORY:<\/h2>\n<p>When Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin \u200cordered an independent investigation into the \u2062extent of \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-trevor-noah-jokes-marjorie-taylor-greenes-removal-may-backfire\/\" title=\"WATCH: Trevor Noah Jokes Marjorie Taylor Greene\u2019s Removal May \u2018Backfire\u2019\">extremist views<\/a> in the military in\u200c February of 2021, he said that based on\u2062 his\u200d personal experience,\u2062 he \u200cbelieved \u201c99.9%\u201d of the troops embraced the values\u2062 of their oaths\u2063 of\u2062 service but that while the number of extremists in \u200dthe ranks \u2064is small, they can \u201chave an outsized \u2062impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cWhen I \u200dwas \u2064a\u2064 lieutenant colonel,\u201d Austin said, referring to his time at the 82nd Airborne \u2062Division \u200cin the 1990s, \u201cwe couldn&#8217;t tell that \u2064story of what we were doing \u2063and how great we\u2063 were because nobody wanted to \u2064hear it. They\u200c wanted to hear about the \u2063skinheads. And so that had an outsized impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Last month, more \u200dthan \u2063a year and a \u2063half after it was\u2064 completed, with little fanfare the Pentagon made \u2064public \u200bthe results of the investigation into extremism in the\u2062 ranks over the Christmas holiday, but only after requests\u200d by USA Today.<\/p>\n<p>The June\u2063 2022 report by\u2063 the Institute for\u200b Defense Analyses pretty \u200bmuch tracked with Austin\u2019s gut feelings, finding \u201cno evidence that the number of \u2064violent \u2063extremists in\u2062 the military is\u2062 disproportionate to the\u2062 number of \u200cviolent extremists in the United States \u2062as\u200b a whole\u201d while noting that \u201cthere\u2064 is some indication that the rate of participation by\u2062 former service members \u2064is slightly higher and\u2062 may be growing.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe participation in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/portland-antifa-journo-charged-with-felony-robbery-and-assault\/\" title=\"Portland Antifa Journo Charged With Felony Robbery and Assault  \u200b\u200b\">violent extremist activities<\/a> of even \u200ba \u200csmall number of individuals with military connections and\u200d military \u2062training, however, could present a risk \u200bto the military and to the country\u2064 as\u200d a whole,\u201d the \u200creport concluded.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>THE GREATER RISK:<\/h2>\n<p>But the report also \u200bunderscored \u2064a key concern of Republicans in the wake of \u200dthe political divide \u2063that followed the 2020 election, namely\u2063 that conservative members of the military,\u200d in particular supporters\u200c of former President Donald Trump, would\u200c feel\u2062 targeted\u2063 for \u200dtheir private\u200c political views.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cIDA \u200cfound \u200dreason \u2063to believe that the risk to the military from widespread polarization \u200band division in \u200dthe ranks may be a greater risk\u200c than the radicalization of \u200ba \u2063few service members,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Rather than punishing troops\u2064 who are seen \u200bas embracing extremist views, the military should seek to educate them, the report recommended. \u201cIn light\u200c of the inherent gray areas \u200din any definition of extremism, the IDA team concluded that a punitive approach \u2063to\u2064 all \u2064forms of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-supporters-unequivocally-support-extremism-according-to-pentagon-official-overseeing-efforts-to-root-out-extremism\/\" title=\"Trump Supporters Unequivocally Support Extremism, According To Pentagon Official Overseeing Efforts To Root Out Extremism\">prohibited extremist activities<\/a> would \u200drisk alienating a significant part of \u2063the force.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIDA recommends that the Department focus its efforts\u200d to\u2063 prevent \u200dprohibited extremist conduct in ongoing education and\u2064 training \u200cin core values such as loyalty, respect, duty, honor,\u200b and \u2064mission, emphasizing from recruitment all the way to separation that these values\u200d are inconsistent with prohibited\u2064 extremist\u2064 activities,\u201d the report \u2062concluded.\u200c \u201cThe Department should also work to \u200bcounter \u200cfalse information campaigns and\u200c build critical thinking \u200cin \u2062the force by providing training\u200d and instruction on \u2063how to be\u2064 a critical consumer of information.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>GALLAGHER:\u2064 \u2018A SERIOUS INDICTMENT\u200c OF AUSTIN&#8217;S \u2063ENTIRE EFFORT\u2019:<\/h2>\n<p>The release of the report \u2064that was buried for\u2062 more than a\u2063 year\u2064 sparked a sharp condemnation from Rep. Mike\u2062 Gallagher (R-WI),\u2064 who called the report&#8217;s findings \u201ca serious indictment of\u2064 Austin&#8217;s entire effort.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery data \u2064source tells the\u2062 same story,\u201d Gallagher said in a statement. \u201cYet the damage \u2063has been done. As the report itself acknowledges, anecdotal accounts of military participation of\u200d events like January \u200c6 \u2018magnify the actions of a few and\u200b provide little\u200c information on the\u200c overall scope \u200dof the\u2063 problem.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gallagher said \u2062the report\u2064 cost taxpayers $900,000 and\u2064 \u201ccreated \u2064the\u200d false impression with the\u200d public that the \u200bmilitary has an extremism problem, thereby politicizing the Pentagon, undermining trust \u200din the military and exacerbating the recruitment crisis with an \u200balready skeptical cohort of young\u2062 Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn order to stop the politicization of DOD, solve \u200bthe recruiting\u200b crisis, and save the All-Volunteer Force, DoD leaders must recommit \u200bto excellence in warfighting,\u201d \u200bGallagher said, citing\u2062 a\u200d Marine Corps doctrine that states that \u201cany \u200dmilitary activities that\u200d do not\u2063 contribute to the conduct of a present war are justifiable only if they contribute to\u2064 preparedness for a possible \u200cfuture one.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does the report recommend \u200daddressing extremism within the military?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2062Es \u200bmay not be the most efficient or effective approach,\u201d the report stated.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, the report suggested that the military should focus on education\u2062 and training to combat extremism \u2063within \u2064its ranks. This includes promoting\u2064 critical thinking and media literacy, as\u2063 well as \u200bfostering a culture\u200c of inclusion and respect. By \u2064addressing the root\u200d causes of extremism, the \u200bmilitary can better prevent its\u200d spread and mitigate its impact.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the \u200creport emphasized the\u200d importance of leadership in\u200d addressing extremism. Leaders at all levels must actively promote\u200c the\u200c values \u200b\u200bof the military and \u2064create an environment where extremism is not tolerated. \u200dThis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/msm-trump-obsession-brain-wave-monitoring-device-globalist-digital-hellscape\/\" title=\"Media's fixation on Trump, mind-reading gadget, worldwide digital chaos\">requires clear communication<\/a>, accountability, and strong disciplinary measures for those who violate the principles of the military. By leading by example, senior leaders can\u200c set the tone for the entire military and help prevent the infiltration of extremist ideologies.<\/p>\n<h2>CONCLUSION:<\/h2>\n<p>The \u200crelease of \u2064the \u200bPentagon&#8217;s report on extremism in\u2062 the military serves as a reminder of the challenges posed \u200dby\u2064 extremist \u200bviews within the ranks. While the number of extremists may be small, their impact can be significant. It is crucial that the military takes proactive \u2064measures \u2063to address this issue and prevent further radicalization.<\/p>\n<p>By focusing on education, training, and leadership, the military can create an environment that is \u200cresistant \u2062to \u2063extremism. It is essential that troops are equipped with\u200b the tools to \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rapid-reaction-two-stories-proving-catch-and-release-endangers-all-americans\/\" title=\"Two stories highlight the dangers of 'catch and release' for all Americans.\">critically evaluate information<\/a>, resist manipulation, and understand the consequences of their actions. This will not only protect the integrity of the military\u200b but also \u200bsafeguard\u200c the values \u200b\u200band security of the entire country.<\/p>\n<p>The fight against extremism in the military requires a comprehensive and holistic \u200bapproach. It is \u2063not enough to simply\u2063 identify and remove individuals with extremist views. The\u200c military must address \u2062the underlying factors that \u2064contribute to radicalization and create a culture of inclusivity and respect. Only through these efforts can the military truly fulfill its \u2064mission to defend and protect the nation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Military may be small, even one is too many. Austin&#8217;s call for an investigation in February 2021 aimed to assess the prevalence of extremist beliefs. Despite his belief that the majority of troops uphold their oaths, he acknowledged the need to address any presence of extremists, no matter how few<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2141144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2141143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2141143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2141143"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2141143\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2141144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2141143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2141143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2141143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}