Within the next 60 days, the U.S. military will undergo a “stand-down” period to discuss extremism among the ranks as commanders grapple with the issue following the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the two-month period Wednesday during a meeting at the Pentagon with the top military and civilian leadership.
“He thought it was important to take the time out to focus on this specific issue,” Pentagon chief spokesman John Kirby told reporters. “Each service, each command, each unit will take the time out to have these discussions with the men and women of the force.”
Mr. Austin believes that the vast majority of men and women serving in uniform are doing so with honor, integrity and character, but warned that the number of extremists in the ranks may not be as small as military leaders thought, Mr. Kirby said.
“It is not an insignificant problem that has to be addressed,” he said, adding that the rioting at the Capitol served as a wake-up call for top Pentagon leaders. A number of those arrested were military veterans.
The details about how military units will be expected to handle the stand-down are still being finalized. Pentagon officials acknowledged that they don’t have a perfect understanding of the scope of the problem.
“We owe these leaders some training material [and] some deeper and more specific guidance about what the expectations are for the stand-down,” Mr. Kirby said.