Metropolitan Police Department via A
Metropolitan Police Department video shows Thomas Webster, in red jacket, at a barricade on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, January 6, 2021. Webster, a Marine Corps veteran and retired New York City Police Department officer, was charged with assaulting an MPD officer with a flagpole.
In early October, FBI agents arrested Jeremy Brown, a former congressional candidate, for his alleged participation in the January 6 riot at the Capitol. A member of the far-right group the Oath Keepers, he was photographed in military fatigues and a tactical vest, toting surgical shears and zip ties.
Brown is also an Army Special Forces veteran.
Of the 600 or so people who have been charged with crimes in conjunction with the insurrection, dozens have ties to the military. The 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the 2020 presidential election campaign both produced surges in extremist activity. Certainly, the spikes in violent extremism that have ensnared the military are a reflection of the growth of extreme and conspiratorial beliefs in society at large. So why does a soldier or veteran end up joining an organization that aims to overthrow the U.S. government, or become attached to an ideology that sanctions injuring or killing Americans with different political views or ethnic or racial backgrounds?
Extremist groups are adept at exploiting the quest for identity and meaning.
There is little data available on extreme beliefs or membership in extremist organizations in the armed services. In February, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered military officers to begin discussions on extremism within the ranks and later launched a Countering Extremism Working Group to draft ideas on how to screen out extremists and decrease radicalization. Austin noted that the vast majority of service members have unblemished records but stressed that even a minor amount of “extremist behavior in the force can have an outsized impact” that can damage the competency and reputation of the armed forces.
A 2020 survey conducted by Military Times found that “one-third of all active-duty troops and more than half of minority service members say they have personally witnessed examples of white nationalism or ideological-driven racism within the ranks.” Other hints at the prevalence of extremism come from online activity. Archived data from Iron March, a neo-Nazi forum, shows anonymous military members discussing how to identify fellow ideologues. Last week, hackers accessed an Oath Keepers membership list and found a number of official military email addresses.
The presence of veterans among the January 6 rioters suggests that a significant problem exists. A September RAND Corporation report on countering extremism among active-duty military members recommended utilizing community-based approaches to identifying at-risk individuals. Existing military programs that provide assistance and support for soldiers, like the Family Readiness Groups that facilitate communication between soldiers and their spouses and the Military Crisis Line that provides counseling to soldiers requesting assistance, could engage at-risk individuals before they become vulnerable to appeals from extremist groups. These programs could also help moderate extremist thoughts before they are acted on. The RAND researchers also emphasized the importance of communal bonds and the role of the family in pulling soldiers back from the brink of extremism. Sociologist Marek Posard, one of the study’s co-authors, describes the family as a “first line of defense,” along with counselors, chaplains, and mental-health professionals.
But these preventative measures only go so far if soldiers are radicalized after being discharged from the armed forces. Most crimes linked to extremist behaviors and activities are perpetrated by veterans, not active-duty soldiers. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby acknowledged in March that extremist groups are eager to recruit veterans.
Dan Barkhuff, a Navy veteran and the president of Veterans for Responsible Leadership, says that veterans can fall under the sway of extremist groups because they are typically looking for a new identity to replace the strong group identity of the armed forces. Many veterans pursue vocational training or enroll in community college or university programs, but the individuals who do not take advantage of these opportunities can sometimes struggle in civilian life. Extremist groups are adept at exploiting the quest for identity and meaning. “Everyone wants to feel important and feel like they’re working on serious problems, and these groups are providing that need,” Barkhuff says.
One solution, Barkhuff suggests, is to find constructive ways to channel that energy. Many veterans groups do that. Team Rubicon is a California-based service organization run by veterans that leverages the skills of its volunteers to help Americans and people around the globe deal with the aftermath of major natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes. Veterans are currently rebuilding homes in Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Alaska.
Extremists threaten national security, inhibit military preparedness, and erode the military’s reputation among civilians. Asked about the motivations behind the Pentagon’s newfound focus on homegrown adversaries, Kirby said simply, “Nobody wants another January 6th.”
