According to the US military 'Star-Spangled Banner' reported on the 18th, a study by the University of Maryland found that the number of people with military background confirmed in the database of extremists in the United States has quadrupled in the past decade.
U.S. Army Soldier (People's Vision)
According to the study, "Extremism in the Ranks and After," at least 458 U.S. military-affiliated personnel committed crimes motivated by political, economic, social, or religious goals from 1990 to November 2021.
Until 2010, the average number of new active or retired military personnel added to the Personal Polarization Profile of the United States (PIRUS) database was less than 7 per year. But since 2010, an average of 28.5 new people have been added each year.
Those included in the database's list must meet these conditions: extremized in the United States; insisting on or advocating the use of illegal means to achieve their ends; and having engaged in criminal acts clearly driven by their ideological views.
Riots in the U.S. Congress (People's Vision)
While the January 6, 2021, 2021, riot on Capitol Hill largely reflects this, even excluding those involved in the Capitol Hill riots, an average of 17.7 Americans with military backgrounds have been included in the PILUS database each year since 2010, the study notes.
In addition, the study found that nearly half of these criminal activities were directed against U.S. government entities, the U.S. military, or law enforcement. More than 30 percent of these extremists believe in white supremacy, white nationalism, xenophobia, or both.
Infographic (People's Vision)
Rachel Van Landingham, a law professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles and a former Air Force prosecutor, wrote on the military law website CAAFLOG that some aspects of U.S. military culture may make some military personnel more vulnerable to information from extremist groups. She writes that many veterans try to regain the feeling they felt during their service may be seduced by extremist groups as a result.
(Editor: WDQ)