Neo-Nazis in the Military, Really? I don't believe this, but read it first and then I'll pick at it...

Neo-Nazis infiltrating the US military

Neo-Nazi and white supremacist hate groups are taking advantage of relaxed recruiting standards to infiltrate the US military to get combat training, a civil rights group reported.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks domestic extremists groups, called on US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward white supremacist groups in the military.

"Neo-Nazi groups and other extremists are joining the military in large numbers so they can get the best training in the world on weapons, combat tactics and explosives," said Mark Potok, director of the center's Intelligence Project.

"We should consider this a major security threat, because these people are motivated by an ideology that calls for race war and revolution. Any one of them could turn out to be the next Timothy McVeigh," he said.

McVeigh was the decorated Gulf War veteran and white supremacist who detonated a truck bomb outside a federal office building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in April 1995, killing 168 people.

After the Oklahoma City bombing and incidents involving active duty troops, the Pentagon took steps to keep racist extremists from the ranks.

But the center said standards have been relaxed because of wartime recruiting pressures, allowing large numbers of people with links to neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups to join the military.

It cited neo-Nazi and white supremacist publications that encourage their followers to join the military to get combat training.

The report quoted a Defense Department gang investigator, Scott Barfield, as saying neo-Nazis "stretch across all branches of service, they are linking up across the branches once they're inside, and they are hard-core."

"We've got Aryan Nations graffiti in Baghdad," he was quoted as saying. "That's a problem."

"Recruiters are knowingly allowing neo-Nazis and white supremacists to join the armed forces, and commanders don't remove them from the military even after we positively identify them as extremists or gang members," Barfield said.

A Pentagon spokesman acknowledged there have been incidents involving gang-related graffiti, but said dealing with it was the responsibility of military commanders.

"Good order and discipline is the responsibility of commanders and to the extent there are any activities that are inconsistent with good order and discipline it is incumbent upon the commanders to address those," said spokesman Bryan Whitman.

Point by point...

Neo-Nazi and white supremacist hate groups are taking advantage of relaxed recruiting standards to infiltrate the US military to get combat training, a civil rights group reported.

First, I don't believe the "civil rights groups" much any more. Too much crying wolf. See just about any news release from the Rainbow Coalition. Lying makes them money. It is ALL about the money. Old Jesse is all about blackmailing corporations into donating to his organization, in part to pay for his mistresses. Well one, at least... However, let's address the first part of the paragraph, relaxed recruiting standards. Folks, they haven't relaxed the part about no felons and such, they have lowered requirements for test scores on the ASVAB, increased the allowable age, and might not require a high school diploma. That stuff (other than the age thing, now 42 formerly 35) has changed every so often as long as I served, i.e. since June 1973. Perhaps they are meaning that neo-nazis (undeserving of capitalization) aren't as smart as the rest of us. With that I'd agree.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks domestic extremists groups, called on US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward white supremacist groups in the military.

"Neo-Nazi groups and other extremists are joining the military in large numbers so they can get the best training in the world on weapons, combat tactics and explosives," said Mark Potok, director of the center's Intelligence Project.

As I remember it, there already is a zero tolerance policy. You answer a question as to whether or not you are a member of any group advocating overthrowing the government. No go.

As to the part about training, well they found out that some Crips and Bloods were doing the same and they've moved against that as well.

The report quoted a Defense Department gang investigator, Scott Barfield, as saying neo-Nazis "stretch across all branches of service, they are linking up across the branches once they're inside, and they are hard-core."

"We've got Aryan Nations graffiti in Baghdad," he was quoted as saying. "That's a problem."

And a lot of those folks are radicalized AFTER enlistment. I saw it several times in my service. Leadership is the key to countering this cancer. AND it isn't all Caucasians, there are blacks, Hispanics and others including the aforementioned gangs.

"Recruiters are knowingly allowing neo-Nazis and white supremacists to join the armed forces, and commanders don't remove them from the military even after we positively identify them as extremists or gang members," Barfield said.

I'd like to know how this is happening. Half the recruiters I know and worked with were BLACK or HISPANIC. Are you telling me that they are sitting across the desk from these skinhead punks and processing them to meet mission (quota in the rest of the sales world) and save their careers. If so, what does that say about the institution? This really bothers me as all these recruiters with the exception of some supervisors are Sergeants, non-commissioned officers, who are the military's backbone. It galls me that anyone of these brothers in arms would be forced to do this.

"Good order and discipline is the responsibility of commanders and to the extent there are any activities that are inconsistent with good order and discipline it is incumbent upon the commanders to address those," said spokesman Bryan Whitman

Darn straight! Unfortunately, we've seen a decline in the quality of officers over the past 10-15 years. I think that many are intimidated by their soldiers as the education gap and age difference is not all that great any longer. MANY, many NCOs and junior enlisted have at least some college and many officers ability to spell and reason would lead one to think that they barely graduated.

If there IS a problem it needs to be rooted out right now. There is no place for such things in the service of the United States of America.  ¶ posted by The Editor 11:47 AM