New Sec. of Defense Orders Military-Wide Pause to Address Extremism

The newly confirmed Secretary of Defense has ordered a pause on all branches of the military to address extremism. This order comes following the deadly January 6th riot at the Capitol. Since then, the Department of Justice has brought over 180 federal criminal cases against those who participated. As their nationwide manhunt continues, they’ve discovered that a disproportionate number of current and former military members took part in the siege. The news has shined a harsh light on the Pentagon, who’s now being questioned over how they vet recruits and track extremism within their ranks. Following a meeting of the leaders yesterday, it was unanimously agreed there was a problem. Lloyd Austin, who is the first Black Secretary of Defense, then called for a military-wide “stand-down”. At some point over the next 60 days, the entire force will take a break from their duties in order to focus on the issue at hand. Military leaders will host a discussion with troops to hear how they view the issues, as well as make it clear that white supremacy and other extremist ideologies have no place in the armed forces.