White extremism & the U.S. Military

Abstract

This thesis argues that the involvement of active duty military personnel in white extremist groups and activities, no matter how small in numbers, poses a serious threat to the "good order and discipline" and ultimate combat effectiveness of the U.S. military. The purpose of this thesis is twofold: 1) to produce a reference document for military commanders; and 2) to offer policy and other recommendations. Beginning with a discussion of the two subsets of white extremists and their respective ideologies, the thesis then provides an in depth analysis of nine contemporary groups and a profile of their membership. Following this is a discussion of sociological and psychological explanations for contemporary white extremism. Finally, this thesis outlines the Departtnent of Defense (DoD) policy on extremism, analyzes reports released by the United States Army (USA) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on this subject and discusses the extent of this problem DoD wide. Recommendations that I advocate beyond those recommended by the USA and the NAACP are: 1) the prohibition of passive participation in extremist groups; 2) that leaders receive periodic training in the indicators of extremist activity and information on local extremist groups; 3) that minorities are spread evenly throughout units so as to be present at the smallest sub units possible; 4) that servicemembers should be assigned to barracks rooms based on these ethinically diverse small units; 5) that the DoD should prohibit the policy of "open installations;" and 6) that the DoD (e.g. the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI)) should consult with those in academia who are subject matter experts on extremism.