The Pentagon has unveiled a detailed set of new rules that are aimed at removing extremism within the U.S. armed forces — a concern that’s gotten renewed focus after the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack and other incidents that have exposed radical service members.
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The Department of Defense announced the new rules on Monday, which entirely bars any service members from actively engaging in extremist activity.
The changes do not usher in much in the way of new policy, but they aim to make clear to service members precisely what they can and cannot do as a member of the U.S. military.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the rules clearly define lines for military personnel about their involvement in activities involving extremism, but not ideology.
He noted that the Pentagon has no interest in policing ideology, thoughts or political affiliation.
“The overwhelming majority of the men and women of the Department of Defense serve this country with honor and integrity,” Austin said in a statement.
“We owe the men and women of the Department of Defense an environment free of extremist activities, and we owe our country a military that reflects the founding values of our democracy.”
Security fencing and razor wire protect the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on March 3 amid concerns about possible violence by far-right militia groups loyal to former President Donald Trump. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI
The Pentagon said fewer than 100 service members are known to have participated in major extremist activity over the past year. But officials acknowledged that the figure could grow, particularly with a spike in domestic terrorism — which is largely associated with support for former President Donald Trump — among veterans.
The department said it’s taking Immediate action, including developing a comprehensive training and education plan on extremist activity, reviewing and updating policies and modernizing insider threat programs.
“These new updates provide increased clarity for service members and commanders on what qualifies as prohibited extremist activities,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
“The secretary heard from personnel across the force about the need to update and clarify this policy during the stand-downs that he directed earlier this year.”
Some of the activity that’s clarified to be banned under the Pentagon policy includes advocating terrorism or supporting the overthrow of the U.S. government and raising money for an extremist group.
The policy also, for the first time, specifically clarifies what behaviors are acceptable for service members on social media. It says that “liking” or reposting extremist views online is prohibited.
To hold service members accountable, the policy says commanders must determine that extremist activity occurred and that a service member was an “active” participant.
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It will be interesting what they will define as EXTREMIST activity. We have seen how liberal prosecutors, judges, Democrats and liberal leftist approach the subject. Supporting ANTIFA and BLM is perfectly all right, protecting lives and property during such riots is not. Supporting abortion and PP is okay but supporting life is not. Advocating 1619 Project, CRT and student masking is fine and dandy but questioning school boards on the subject is terrorism. Supporting Joe Biden socialism is good while supporting Donald Trump’s MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN is the ultimate in extremism! These are a few murky situations, what others will the DOD add to the list?
Do you remember when F. Joe Biden ordered the investigation of the parents that didn’t want public schools to teach their children the “critical race theory” and were classified as domestic terrorist by the “Let’s Go Brandon” administration??
Do you remember when the F. Joe Biden condemned the southern border fence that protected our country from illegal immigrants but ordered razor wire fence and 25,000 armed soldiers to protect the puppet president F. Joe Biden’s inauguration from our own citizens??
“Are you going to believe me or your lying eyes?”
or are you going to trust and believe this treasonous Democrat Party rule??
THE only ones needing to be removed, are milly, austin and EVERY OTHER COMMIE IN THE MILITARY’s top brass.
So, they will be getting rid of the top brass. Well, they would if that were a true statement.
President Trump cannot get back to his duly elected position soon enough. Not only will Trump have to rebuild our military and replace the anti American appointees but he will have to get rid of the top brass aka : top trash.
That’s assuming the deep state LETS him clean house…