January 22 According to NPR, nearly one-fifth of the accused of the riots in the U.S. Capitol on January 6 had military backgrounds. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 7% of all U.S. adults are veterans.
NPR found that so far, of the more than 140 people accused, at least 27 have served or are currently serving in the United States, accounting for nearly 20% of the total.
U.S. media pointed out that this included Jacob Flack, a retired police officer and a corporal of the Virginia National Guard, who was one of the alleged perpetrators of the riot. His colleague, 47-year-old veteran Thomas Robertson, also faces charges.
Jacob Anthony Shansley, who served in the Navy for two years, was photographed wearing a horned fur headdress and painted on his face in the Capitol.
In addition, the woman shot by congressional police officers is an air force veteran. Timothy Kusanelli, 30, is a naval contractor who has worked at the Naval Weapons Station and obtained a secret security permit.
According to U.S. media, since the accusations of being related to the riots, some people with military backgrounds have questioned the extent of extremism in the armed forces.
The Pentagon’s internal oversight body announced last week that it will investigate whether the Department of Defense has sufficient procedures to prevent “white supremacist” and other extremists from joining and staying in the army.
Before leaving office, former Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Chris Miller ordered a separate review of the policy of extremist activities in the army.
And Lloyd Austin, the new defense secretary nominated by Biden, told Congress that if confirmed, he would work to curb extremism in the army and eliminate racists in it.
