Pentagon Report Finds No Disproportionate Extremism in Military

Study warns that punitive approach to extremism could risk alienating a significant part of the force

The Pentagon released a report on extremism in the military, which found no evidence that the number of violent extremists in the military is disproportionate to the number in the U.S. as a whole.
The report was commissioned in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which involved several individuals connected to the military.
The study warned that a punitive approach to all forms of prohibited extremist activities could risk alienating a significant part of the force.
The report suggested that the risk to the military from widespread polarization and division in the ranks may be a greater risk than the radicalization of a few service members.
The report was released with little fanfare over the Christmas holiday, more than a year and a half after it was completed.