Pentagon watchdog finds lapses in screening of applicants connected to extremist groups

A new Pentagon inspector general report found military recruiters have failed to comprehensively screen applicants for their connections to political extremist groups and criminal gangs.

The 82-page report determined that while military recruiters screen applicants, they did not complete all required steps in the statistical sample reviewed by the Inspector General’s office.

About 40 percent in the sample did not give the relevant screening questions or forms to applicants, while 9 percent failed to identify possible signs of affiliation through tattoos and body modification and another 9 percent failed to properly conduct fingerprint identification.

The report said military recruiters “may not have identified all applicants with extremist or criminal gang associations during the screening process.”

Defense Department Inspector General Robert Storch said the missteps were “increasing the potential for security risks and disruptions to good order and discipline within the joint force.“

“Recruiting high-quality servicemembers is essential to mission readiness,” he said in a statement.

The Biden administration has expressed concern about extremists across the military ranks, particularly after veterans and even active duty members were found to have participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, rioting at the U.S. Capitol.

Veterans have also joined extremist groups such as the Oath Keepers, whose leader Stewart Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the Jan. 6 riots and sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Some Republicans, such as Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) have cautioned against suggesting the military is more extreme than the broader population. A Rand Corporation study released this year found veterans are no more extreme than the average American.

The Inspector General review follows in the footsteps of the Pentagon, which issued an April 2021 memorandum that created a working group to address concerns about extremist groups in the military.

The Defense Department has also updated guidelines and screening questions on applications to include participation with racially biased groups or extremist activity. The military generally bans anyone from enlisting who has a significant criminal record or history with violent gangs or extremist groups.

The Inspector General review was conducted from July 2021 to January 2022, analyzing 224 applicants from a subset of 193,702 applications.

While recruiters generally follow the guidelines, the Pentagon’s watchdog recommended the Defense Department issue a policy memorandum directing recruiters to complete all screening steps. It also recommended the secretaries of each military branch conduct periodic reviews of the screening process.