February 9th local time, the Capitol Hill reported that the Pentagon is currently seeking help and cooperation from the army to combat the recruitment of veterans by extremist groups.
According to the report, about one in five people involved in the U.S. Capitol conflict seem to have military background. Therefore, the U.S. Department of Defense has turned its attention to the military to eliminate potential dangers and violence.
John Kirby, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said that extremist organizations are recruiting soldiers “very actively” and encouraging them to join their organizations after leaving the army.
The report pointed out that veterans only accounted for 7% of all adults in the United States, but they were the main targets of recruitment for extremist organizations.
Of the approximately 190 people accused of participating in the Capitol conflict, at least 30 are veterans and 3 are current National Guard soldiers or reserve personnel.
On the 5th local time, a memorandum signed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin showed that the Pentagon asked military commanders at all levels to choose one day to stop military training within the next 60 days to discuss how to solve the extremism problem in the U.S. armed forces.
