A group of House Republicans is demanding that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin investigate “left-wing extremism” in the US military.
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., himself a veteran, led five other GOP lawmakers in airing concerns related to the recent self-immolation of an active-duty Air Force member outside the U.S. embassy. Israel.
“We are writing to you today as members of Congress, many of whom have served our country with honor, in our commitment to the security and integrity of our nation’s armed forces. commitment to maintaining the honor and unity of our armed forces,” wrote of the Republicans.
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Led by Rep. Derrick Van Orden wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urging him to crack down on “left-wing extremism” in the military. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images | Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)
“It is with this shared commitment in mind that we urge your attention to the equally pressing issue of left-wing extremism among active duty service members and veterans.”
Their letter pointed out that the airman who set himself on fire in February to protest the Israeli invasion of Gaza, Aaron Bushnell, was a self-declared “anarchist.” They argued that his worldview was “incompatible with our constitutional republic and completely inappropriate for a member of the United States Military sworn to defend it at all costs.”
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Aaron Bushnell, 25, an active member of the US Air Force, died after setting himself on fire in protest of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza on Feb. 27, 2024. (Fatih Aktas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“This action, motivated by his stated desire to protest Israel for what he described as complicity in injustice, demonstrates the potential for ideologically driven behavior to undermine values, discipline, and safety of our military community, regardless of the political orientation of those ideologies. ,” Van Orden’s letter said.
Lawmakers have pointed out multiple times that Austin has made fighting extremism in the military a priority of his leadership.
In 2021, Austin established a working group on military extremism. He announced in April 2021 that it will be led by Bishop Garrison, the senior adviser to the secretary of defense on human capital and diversity, equity and inclusion.
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“Given your prior work in countering extremism within the ranks, we are confident that you recognize the importance of a comprehensive approach to this challenge,” they wrote.
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“It is imperative that our efforts to identify and mitigate extremist influences encompass all forms of ideology that threaten the unity and effectiveness of our armed forces.”
A Pentagon spokesperson told Fox News Digital when asked for comment on the letter, “As with all congressional correspondence, the Department will respond directly to Members.”
