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The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing -

Many Americans recall the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Timothy McVeigh, a former military serviceman, parked a rented truck in front of a federal building in Oklahoma City—a truck filled with deadly explosives.

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Domestic terrorism -

Much of the building was destroyed, and the incident led to the death of 168 people and left more than 500 injured. McVeigh was influenced by a number of militant right-wing incidents that inspired him to take action. Many consider the bombings one of the first cases of domestic terrorism.

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Military background -

The deadly event was shocking to the American public and provoked the government’s more serious examination of homegrown right-wing movements. But it wasn’t McVeigh's association with the militant right-wing group Patriot Movement that concerned the public. Rather, it was his military background.

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Ties to extremist beliefs -

At the age of 20, McVeigh joined the US Army, where he met his co-conspirator, Terry Nichols, who helped McVeigh plan the attack. Behavioral reports noted McVeigh’s excessive interest in literature about firearms and explosives. He was also reprimanded for a racist incident.

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Public considers background -

For many members of the American public, McVeigh’s military background was what caused the most confusion. How could a decorated serviceman commit such an atrocity? How could McVeigh have applied the skills and tactics he learned for combat purposes to Americans at home?

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Departure from common public rhetoric -

While McVeigh’s case spearheaded many more violent incidents of varying degrees, it also inspired public discussion of the military’s contribution or influence toward extremist ideologies. This marked a stark departure from public rhetoric that otherwise condemns any critical discussion of veteran affairs.

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US military for combat training -

Indeed, a worrying trend has caught the attention of the American public and government. Far-right extremists are increasingly both turning to the US military for combat training and returning from their service with radical, violent ideologies which, experts warn, threaten national security.

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Two streams of extremists -

Investigative reports have identified two particular streams of extremists. The first consists of those who join military service so they can gain military training. The second consists of former service members who are targeted by radical groups and subsequently recruited.

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January 6 attack -

The 2021 January 6 attack on the US Capitol, an attempted coup conducted by thousands of armed supporters of former US President Donald Trump, highlighted the prevalence of the military- to-right-wing-militia pipeline.

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Some 20% with military background -

An investigation of the approximately 140 individuals charged with federal or state crimes in connection to the January 6 events found that some 20% of the perpetrators have a military background.

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Radicalization in military - This stark percentage of military participants should inspire reflection on why those who serve in the military are so easily radicalized, and in such high numbers. This is particularly relevant when we think of this percentage in a national context, where only 7% of the adult population consists of veterans.

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About one-third of troops have witnessed racism -

A 2019 survey conducted by the Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families reports that one-third of troops on active duty have witnessed ideologically-driven racism, largely affiliated with white supremacist groups, among their colleagues.

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Supremacist sympathizers -

Former Army reservist Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, who participated in the January 6 attack, explicitly identifies as a white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer. Despite his political leanings being known to his superiors, similar to others involved in the January 6 attacks, this information largely went ignored.

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Extremists continue to serve -

Two other known perpetrators of the January 6 attack continued to serve for more than one year, despite facing federal charges for their role in the attack. According to Military.com, service people with explicit ties to extremist groups have been allowed to continue to serve, despite the accusations made against them.

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Infiltration -

There are challenges to the identification of extremist ideologies and activities among service people. According to a 1996 investigation by the US Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the report highlighted how extremist groups seem to have infiltrated military personnel and units.

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Education and training required -

The nearly 30-year-old report had already pointed to how political ideology and leanings required educational interventions and specific training to limit military personnel’s involvement in these organizations and movements.

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What is 'active' participation? -

Yet, one of the main challenges the report poses is the difficulty in identifying what degree of participation is considered ‘active’ involvement in extremist movements. This distinction has reportedly remained a long-standing dilemma.

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Ongoing challenge -

This challenge remains an active concern today. While the military prohibits service people’s ‘active’ participation in extremist groups, they struggle in differentiating between beliefs and actions. The military refuses to police beliefs and, rather, is only committed toward disciplining actions.

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White supremacist ideologies -

Reports have been issued of military servicemen explicitly joining the military to practice white supremacist ideologies by enacting the opportunity to, according to an investigative report by the Council on Foreign Relations, “kill people of color abroad and at home.”

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Inadequate vetting -

While the Pentagon does take some measures to vet recruits, such as asking potential military members if they subscribe to extremist ideologies, this effort requires that members of extremist groups answer the inquiry honestly.

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National Defense Authorization Act -

The vetting process is additionally strained by the December 2019 decision to remove the mention of "white nationalists" from the National Defense Authorization Act’s screening process for potential military enlistees.

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Contradiction to reports -

The measure to edit the National Defense Authorization Act, a decision taken by the US Senate, is in direct contradiction to a report issued just a month earlier in November 2019 by the Department of Homeland Security, which identifies white supremacy as the primary driver of domestic terrorism.

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Connection to domestic terrorism -

Several military leaders have also attempted to reduce the issue to partisan stances, expressing worry about the credibility and reputation of veterans and active service members. Despite their resistance, authorities continue to acknowledge the connection and dangers of domestic terrorism.

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Some 25% of militia members with military background -

This revelation is particularly jarring when put into further context, particularly the information issued directly by extremist organizations, which suggests that at least 25% of militia member hold a military background.

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Ethan Melzer -

Ethan Melzer, a former US Army soldier associated with a white supremacist neo-Nazi group, is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence for planning an intercepted terrorist attack. According to Melzer, he specifically enlisted in the Army to acquire the necessary training he required to execute his plan.

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Veterans especially vulnerable -

The targeting and recruitment of veterans seems especially prevalent, this being a group where suicide rates are high as many veterans face post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or substance abuse issues, such as drug and alcohol dependency.

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Lasting impact of war -

The decades of violent wars abroad that have injured and killed innocent civilians overseas, as well as scarred returning US veterans have left a lasting impact. Limited resources dedicated to veteran psychological rehabilitation leave them particularly prey to extremist ideologies.

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Numbers quadrupled -

According to a comprehensive report issued by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, the number of people with a military background who have committed extremist crimes has quadrupled in the last decade alone.

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Possible complexities -

The report notes that the solution to such a problem is complex and should take careful consideration of possible secondary effects. Namely, that military discharge could lead to the transfer of personnel to law enforcement agencies, furthering issues of police violence and brutality.

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Support services needed -

Instead, proper identification techniques and early intervention should be seriously enacted. Additionally, those identified with ties to extremist organizations and/or ideologies should receive mandatory referrals to support services to mitigate potential risks.

Sources: (Council on Foreign Relations) (NAACP) (FBI) (NPR) (Federation of American Scientists) (The New York Times) (Military.com) (ICCT) (AP News) (RAND)

See also: Gun violence is the most common cause of death for children in the US

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