Ayesha Roscoe

So Austin came up with a plan. It started with something called a stand down. And a stand down in military speak is, OK, we're going to stop what we're doing. And we're just going to have a training day to remind service members about what they can't do while on active duty. Dissident activities, overtly political activities, extremist activities.

The reactions coming out of these training sessions and from senior officials, they were kind of mixed.

The reactions coming out of these training sessions and from senior officials, they were kind of mixed.

The reactions coming out of these training sessions and from senior officials, they were kind of mixed.

Many service members didn't understand what extremism even means.

Many service members didn't understand what extremism even means.

Many service members didn't understand what extremism even means.

So this isn't about your political views. It's all about your actions. It's inciting violence. It's taking part in violence. Unlawful stuff, discriminatory stuff. Raising money for groups that are anti-immigrant, racist, misogynist.

So this isn't about your political views. It's all about your actions. It's inciting violence. It's taking part in violence. Unlawful stuff, discriminatory stuff. Raising money for groups that are anti-immigrant, racist, misogynist.

So this isn't about your political views. It's all about your actions. It's inciting violence. It's taking part in violence. Unlawful stuff, discriminatory stuff. Raising money for groups that are anti-immigrant, racist, misogynist.

And that title was typed out in a memo, a memo which the Pentagon released in the spring of 2021. It's standard stuff, three pages long, announcing that Garrison was forming this team to counter extremism in the ranks. Then... May 6th, I'll never forget the day. His phone started lighting up. He's becoming a target of attacks by the right wing.

And that title was typed out in a memo, a memo which the Pentagon released in the spring of 2021. It's standard stuff, three pages long, announcing that Garrison was forming this team to counter extremism in the ranks. Then... May 6th, I'll never forget the day. His phone started lighting up. He's becoming a target of attacks by the right wing.

And that title was typed out in a memo, a memo which the Pentagon released in the spring of 2021. It's standard stuff, three pages long, announcing that Garrison was forming this team to counter extremism in the ranks. Then... May 6th, I'll never forget the day. His phone started lighting up. He's becoming a target of attacks by the right wing.

Garrison, you know, he started to feel pretty alone. That's because he says the military was shrugging off these attacks against him.

Garrison, you know, he started to feel pretty alone. That's because he says the military was shrugging off these attacks against him.

Garrison, you know, he started to feel pretty alone. That's because he says the military was shrugging off these attacks against him.

Well, Bishop Garrison's report had all kinds of recommendations like conducting an insider threat study, developing trainings. Garrison also emphasized in his report that the military really needed to track cases of political extremism. But, Ayesha, those recommendations sat on a shelf for a really long time. It took a really long time for anybody to talk with us about this, too.

Well, Bishop Garrison's report had all kinds of recommendations like conducting an insider threat study, developing trainings. Garrison also emphasized in his report that the military really needed to track cases of political extremism. But, Ayesha, those recommendations sat on a shelf for a really long time. It took a really long time for anybody to talk with us about this, too.

Well, Bishop Garrison's report had all kinds of recommendations like conducting an insider threat study, developing trainings. Garrison also emphasized in his report that the military really needed to track cases of political extremism. But, Ayesha, those recommendations sat on a shelf for a really long time. It took a really long time for anybody to talk with us about this, too.

And believe me, we tried. Eventually, I got to sit down with the top Marine officer, General Eric Smith. He told me he doesn't think the Corps has a problem with extremism either. This is something I've heard over and over across the military, that they don't believe there's an extremism problem in the ranks. But to this day, they've never collected data to back that up.