Members of the U.S. Navy will retake their oaths to the U.S. Constitution as part of the Pentagon’s efforts to address extremism within its ranks.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin signed a memo earlier this month requiring commanding officers and supervisors “at all levels” to hold a stand-down day within the next 60 days to discuss “extremism in the ranks with their personnel.”
“Leaders have the discretion to tailor discussions with their personnel as appropriate, but such discussions should include the importance of our oath of office; a description of impermissible behaviors; and procedures for reporting suspected, or actual, extremist behaviors in accordance with the DoD,” the memo says.
The stand-downs are the first part of an initiative to “better educate ourselves and our people about the scope of this problem and to develop sustainable ways to eliminate the corrosive effects that extremist ideology and conduct have on the workforce,” the memo says.
The Navy is the first military branch to publicly announce its plans to comply with the requirement, according to American Military News.
Commanding officers are required to hold the “stand-down” by April 2, during which they are to conduct a “group re-administration and reaffirmation of the oath of office/oath of enlistment,” a Sunday message from Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. John Nowell Jr. says.
All uniformed and civilian personnel will be required to take the oath, American Military News reports.
“As public servants, we took an oath to the Constitution and we will not tolerate those who participate in actions that go against the fundamental principles of the oath we share, particularly actions associated with extremist or dissident ideologies,” the message says.
There will also be a review of the meaning of the oath and actions that “betray the oath,” the letter says. Commanding officers are also provided with resources and a discussion guide but “have the discretion to tailor discussions with their personnel as appropriate.”
Typically, stand-downs are held to address safety protocols after accidents but have also been used to address other issues, such as sexual assault, Military.com reports.
The stand-downs come as The New York Times reports investigators are looking into how many current and former military members may have been involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, during which a mob in support of then-President Donald Trump stormed the building as Congress was certifying the election results.
A CNN analysis found that a “disproportionate” number of people arrested so far in connection with the attack have ties to the military.
An NPR analysis found nearly 1 in 5 people charged seemed to have a “military history.”
Pentagon officials have said they are still investigating extremist behaviors among members, NPR reports.
John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, told Military.com that it’s more about “to what degree” extremists are in their ranks and that the arrests following the attack were a “wake-up call” for defense leaders.
“We will not tolerate actions that go against the fundamental principles of the oath we share, including actions associated with extremist or dissident ideologies,” the memo signed by Austin says. “Service members, DoD civilian employees, and all those who support our mission, deserve an environment free of discrimination, hate, and harassment.”