US Pentagon issues new rules aimed at countering rise of extremism in military

On Monday, December 20, Pentagon officials issued comprehensive new rules forbidding military personnel from actively engaging in extremist activities, warning that extremism in the ranks is on the rise. The new regulations come nearly a year after several current and former service members took part in a riot at the United States Capitol, which prompted a wide inquiry by the department. At least 100 service members have been involved in substantiated cases of extremist activity in the last one year, according to the Pentagon. It further cautioned that the number could grow further given recent surges in domestic violent extremism, especially among veterans, Associated Press reported (AP). 

Officials claim that the new policy does not substantially change what is forbidden. It's more of an attempt to make sure troops understand what they can and can't do while still maintaining their right to free speech under the First Amendment. It is also significantly more detailed about social media for the first time. The new policy outlines the activities that are prohibited, which include encouraging terrorism or supporting the overthrow of the government, as well as fundraising or rallying on behalf of an extremist group, and "liking" or reposting extremist ideas on social media.

The rules further provide that in order for someone to be held accountable, commanders must decide two things: that the act was an extremist activity as defined by the rules, and that the service member "played an active role" in that forbidden activity. Previous policies prohibited extremist acts but did not go into as much depth, nor did they describe the two-step process for determining who should be held responsible. After it became evident that military veterans and some current service members were present at the Jan. 6 insurrection, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other leaders initiated a larger push to weed out extremism in the force. 

New rules are applicable to all of the military services: Pentagon

Austin said in a message to the forces that the department believes just a few military members break their oath and engage in extremist activity. "Even the actions of a few can have an outsized influence on unit cohesion, morale and preparedness. The safety of our people can be undermined by the physical harm some of these activities can engender," he added as reported by AP. It should be mentioned here that the new rules are applicable to all of the military services including the Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime. 

(With inputs from AP)

Image: AP