Pentagon updates rules aimed at combatting extremism within the Armed Forces

The Pentagon released a new set of guidelines on Monday aimed at curtailing extremism within the ranks of the U.S. Armed Forces – updating previous guidance on what is acceptable behavior and what isn’t.

The new rules — based on the findings of the Defense Department’s Countering Extremism Working Group — stipulate that members of the military are prohibited from actively engaging in extremist activities and could be punished for engaging extremist content online, including “liking” such content on social media platforms, The Hill reported.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin began investigating extremism among troops after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol – in which dozens of current and former service members participated – and subsequently ordered a force-wide “stand-down."

Since then, the Pentagon has identified “about 100” active duty or Reserve members that “participated in some prohibited extremist activities,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said on Monday. 

“The physical act of liking is, of course, advocating, right? And advocating for extremist groups, groups that advocate violating their oath to the Constitution, overthrow the government, terrorist activities, liking is an advocation and that’s laid out clearly in the instruction,” Kirby added.

Although the new guidance does not prohibit service members from belonging to an extremist organization, they do specify which activities are prohibited – including certain social media behaviors including the overthrow of the government, raising money for an extremist group and “liking” or reposting extremist content online.

“It basically clarifies ... that service members are responsible for the content that they publish on all personal and public internet domains, including social media sites, blogs, websites and applications,” a senior defense official told reporters earlier on Monday.

The updated guidance also applies to a new, two-part test to determine whether someone should be held accountable for any questionable behavior: first deciding whether their actions are considered an extremist activity, and second, whether that person “actively participated” in an extremist activity.