After USA TODAY investigation, military finally releases internal extremism report

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2023/12/26/pentagon-extremist-study-released/ [login to see] 7/
More than a year and a half after completion, the Department of Defense has finally published a report into extremism in the ranks.

The report was commissioned by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in April 2021 as one of four “immediate actions” announced in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Dozens of current and former members of the military have since been charged with Jan. 6-related crimes.

Earlier this year, a USA TODAY investigation found the military had little progress to show on its efforts to combat extremism, and that many important initiatives appeared to be stalled or incomplete.

One such effort was that “Study on Extremist Activity within the Total Force.” The study had been completed by the Institute for Defense Analyses back in June 2022, USA TODAY first reported, but had never been released.

On Tuesday, in response to renewed requests to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, that report was provided to USA TODAY for the first time.