Right-wing extremism (RWE) in the military is on the rise, according to a study published on Perspectives on Terrorism. It’s a worrying trend that poses a serious threat to western countries. Highlighted by a series of high-profile arrests involving individuals with military backgrounds across Canada, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
The study, titled ‘Run Silent, Run Deep: Examining Right-Wing Extremism in the Military,’ looks at how military experience can influence and be influenced by involvement in far-right extremism.
Right-wing extremist groups with current or former members of the military is not a new concept. As noted in the report, there are many examples throughout history connecting military service and extremist ideologies, such as the formation of the Ku Klux Klan by ex-Confederate soldiers following the Civil War.
The report notes another more recent example of domestic terrorism that highlights the potential for violent extremism after leaving the military, is Timothy McVeigh, who carried out the Oklahoma City bombing in April 1995, injuring hundreds and killing 168 people, including 19 children.
The report suggests that there’s a RWE resurgence happening, that not only threatens public safety, but also threatens to damage the reputation of the military itself, and in response, military institutions need to apply more effective strategies to detect and address right-wing extremism within their ranks.
This should include enhanced wellness checks, post-discharge support services, targeted interventions and further research to protect both military personnel and broader society from the dangers of radicalization, according to the findings in the report.
For their research, the study’s authors, Amarnath Amarasingam, Michèle St-Amant, and David Jones, interviewed former members of extremist movements who also had military experience, gathering responses to questions. Some of which are quoted in the report, including an individual who was involved in RWE prior to enlisting in the military, who said, “I saw it as part of the course. It was a preparation for the coming revolution,” when asked why he joined the military.
“For the half year before, I also realised that the military do not want to train people to do violent revolutions. They weren’t really up for training neo-Nazis. So, I tried to keep a very low profile and to distance myself a bit from the activities of the group and didn’t participate in different types of events,” the unnamed individual continues.
Elsewhere, another participant recalls joining an RWE group following his discharge from service due to injury, who said that his experience in the military pushed him towards right wing extremism.
“It boils down to trauma sustained through the military,” he says. “I don’t remember hating Muslims until I encountered combat with Muslims. I remember thinking of ‘em in a negative bias through the training that I had in the military.”
“We’re injecting our soldiers with this serum, hypothetically, that creates radicalisation, extremist ideologies, traumas, and grievances, that without resolving lead to trauma,” he continues. “And trauma leads to action.”
“And that’s what we’re seeing,” says the veteran. “We’re seeing prior service members that have come out of the military without the help of the military to de-radicalize storming the U.S. capitol.”
