A group of House Republicans is calling on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to investigate “left-wing extremism” within the U.S. military.
Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), himself a military veteran, led five other Republicans in raising concerns related to the recent self-immolation of an active-duty Air Force member in front of the Israeli embassy. expressed.
“Today, we write to you as members of Congress. Many of us have served our country with honor in our commitment to the safety and integrity of our armed forces. Extremism within our nation’s ranks Your dedication to eradicating subversive action is well-documented and you remain committed to preserving the honor and unity of our military,” the Republicans wrote.
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Congressman Derrick Van Orden has written a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asking him to address “left-wing extremism” within the military. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images | Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)
“With this shared resolve in mind, we urge you to pay attention to the equally pressing issue of left-wing extremism among active-duty military and veterans.”
Their letter pointed out that Airman Aaron Bushnell, who self-immolated in February to protest Israel’s invasion of Gaza, is a self-described “anarchist.” They argued that his worldview was “incompatible with that of our constitutional republic and wholly unsuitable for a member of the United States military sworn to protect our republic at all costs.”
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Aaron Bushnell, 25, an active-duty U.S. Air Force member, died on February 27, 2024, after self-immolating in protest of the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza. (Fatih Aktas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“This act was motivated by his stated desire to protest Israel, which he described as complicity in injustice, and that ideologically-based actions, regardless of ideological political orientation, were “It shows the potential to undermine community values, discipline, and safety,” Van Orden’s letter said.
Lawmakers repeatedly noted that Austin has made combating extremism within the military a priority for his leadership.
In 2021, Austin established a working group on extremism in the military. He announced in April 2021 that it would be led by Garrison Bishop, senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense on human capital and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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“Given our previous work to counter extremism within our ranks, we believe we recognize the importance of a comprehensive approach to this challenge,” they wrote.
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“It is essential that efforts to identify and reduce the impact of extremism include all forms of ideology that threaten military cohesion and effectiveness.”
When asked for comment on the letter, a Pentagon spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “As with all Congressional communications, the Pentagon responds directly to members of Congress.”
