Van Orden Urges Secretary of Defense to Address Left-Wing Extremism in the Military
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin requesting the Department of Defense (DoD) to investigate, address, and combat left-wing extremism among active duty servicemembers and veterans. The letter comes after the DoD began efforts to root out extremist behavior within the Armed Forces and after a self-identified anarchist servicemember in the U.S. Air Force engaged in self-immolation outside of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Joining Rep. Van Orden on the letter are Representatives: Brandon Williams (NY-22), Brian Mast (FL-21), Eli Crane (AZ-02), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), and Morgan Luttrell (TX-08).
“We write you today as members of Congress, many of us having served our country honorably, committed to the security and integrity of our nation's armed forces,” the lawmakers wrote. “ Your dedication to rooting out extremist behavior within our ranks has been well documented and demonstrates a commitment to maintaining the honor and cohesion of our armed forces. It is with this shared commitment in mind that we urge your attention toward the equally pressing issue of left-wing extremism among active duty service members and veterans.”
The lawmakers continued, “Our military must continue to exemplify the highest standards of professionalism and unity, standing ready to defend our nation against any threat, and we demand you do the same. By identifying left-wing extremism with the same determination applied to your previous efforts, we further ensure the strength, integrity, and readiness of our armed forces.”
“When someone joins the Armed Forces, it is incumbent upon them to uphold and protect the freedoms and values of the United States,” said Congressman Van Orden. “When serving your country, you do not care about who your brothers and sisters in uniform vote for, but you do care about them defending our nation honorably. The increase of left-wing extremism we have seen, most recently demonstrated by the self-immolation outside of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., goes directly against what our nation stands for and threatens our military readiness. I look forward to Secretary Austin continuing to exercise his commitment to eradicating extremist ideologies from our Armed Forces.”
To read the full letter, click here or scroll below.
April 1, 2024
Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000
Dear Secretary Austin,
We write you today as members of Congress, many of us having served our country honorably, committed to the security and integrity of our nation's armed forces. Your dedication to rooting out extremist behavior within our ranks has been well documented and demonstrates a commitment to maintaining the honor and cohesion of our armed forces. It is with this shared commitment in mind that we urge your attention toward the equally pressing issue of left-wing extremism among active duty service members and veterans.
On February 25th, Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, broadcasted himself engaging in an act of self-immolation outside the Israeli Embassy here in Washington, D.C. Prior to committing this act, Aaron Bushnell repeatedly identified himself as an “anarchist.” An ideology wholly incompatible with that of our constitutional republic and entirely inappropriate for a member of the United States Military who had taken an oath to defend it at all costs.
This act, motivated by his stated desire to protest against Israel in what he described as complicity in injustice, demonstrates the potential for ideologically driven behaviors to undermine the values, discipline, and safety of our military community, irrespective of the political orientation of those ideologies.
Given your prior work in confronting extremism within the ranks, we are confident that you recognize the importance of a comprehensive approach to this challenge. It is imperative that our efforts to identify and mitigate extremist influences encompass all forms of ideology that threaten the cohesion and effectiveness of our armed forces.
Our military must continue to exemplify the highest standards of professionalism and unity, standing ready to defend our nation against any threat, and we demand you do the same. By identifying left-wing extremism with the same determination applied to your previous efforts, we further ensure the strength, integrity, and readiness of our armed forces.
We look forward to your response and to hearing about the steps the Department of Defense is taking to address this concern.
Sincerely,