PROUD BOYS marching in front of the US Supreme Court along First Street between Maryland Avenue and East Capitol Street, NE, Washington DC on Wednesday morning, 6 January 2021  (by Elvert Barnes Photography/Wikipedia Commons) 

By  Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

PENTAGON  –  WASHINGTON   –  The Department of Defense  this week  issued an updated policy on prohibited extremist activities by military personnel.  The January 6 storming of the U.S. capital ripped open raw the frightening reality that extreme right-wing, racist groups are  embedded in the nation’s military. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III then signed a memo directing commanding officers and supervisors at all levels  to conduct a one-day “stand-down” to discuss extremism in the ranks with their personnel.  Investigations revealed that some of the extremists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6 were active duty service members and others were military veterans. At least 25 people either formerly or currently associated with the military were charged in connection with the riot.  Nearly 1 in 5 people charged in the insurrection were either active-duty service members or veterans, according to media reports.  The Department issued its updated DoD Instruction 1325.06 “Handling Protest, Extremist, and Criminal Gang Activities Among Members of the Armed Forces,” providing increased clarity for Service members and commanders on what qualifies as extremist activities, and the authorities available to commanders to prevent and respond to such prohibited activity. This policy is now in effect. 

“This is instruction 1325.06, which is an existing instruction that we — that we updated and we updated it as a result of, as I think you know, when Secretary Austin back in the spring established the counter extremism working group. That — that was one of the immediate actions that he wanted them to take so. So that has a — that has been updated and published and it goes into effect today. The revised instruction regroups issues into three sections: prohibited extremist activities; command authority, and responsibilities and — and criminal gangs. It also prohibits active participation in extremist activities and clearly defines what we mean by the term extremist activities. As Secretary Austin has emphasized the Department is focused on prohibited activity, not on a particular ideology thought or political orientation.”

-Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Dec. 20, 2021

Pentagon: Extremist Groups Recruit from Military

The DOD  said some extremist groups have been successful at recruiting service members separating from the military because some service members espouse the same ideologies as the groups.

(Photo by Gary Raynaldo  /  ©Diplomatic  Times)  Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby at press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. 

The department is focused on prohibited activity; not on a particular ideology, thought or political orientation,  Kirby said.

The DOD has always maintained a distinction between thoughts and actions, Kirby added.  He stressed that as Defense Secretary Austin has emphasized, the department is focused on prohibited activity and not on a particular ideology. 

“The vast majority of men and women in our armed forces, as of course you know, serve honorably; while extremist activity in the force is rare, any instance can have an outsized affect,”  –Pentagon Press Secretary Kirby.