WASHINGTON — Every single service member takes an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States when entering the military. But, the Pentagon announced that some of the extremists who stormed the U.S. Capitol, the heart of our democracy, on Jan. 6., was active-duty military. DOD told WUSA9 they aren’t aware of any active-duty troops being indicted yet.
The newly appointed Secretary of Defense has issued a “stand-down” order directing commanding officers to hold discussions about extremism in the ranks.
“We will not tolerate actions that go against the fundamental principles of the oath we share, including actions associated with extremist or dissident ideologies,” Secretary Lloyd Austin said. “It is incumbent upon each of us to ensure that actions associated with these corrosive behaviors are prevented.”
We asked retired Major Mike Lyons, a military analyst and a United States Military Academy West Point graduate, how this could happen. “It doesn’t happen overnight; it happens likely over time,” Lyons said. “There is a story behind it. It’s likely an individual story for what these people did.”
