American Terror: The Military’s Problem With Extremism in the Ranks 

As an asian that served in the US army, I did face some racism/bullying from certain peers and superiors. It was rather uncommon, but you always had the usual d-bags once in a while. Glad to say that there were a lot more good guys that had my back.

I was born and raised in mobile Alabama. I never knew anyone in the kkk. It was never a topic in conversations. It was practically non-existent. After coming home from my time in the service. The first day home, I went to check my mailbox and had a large minella envelope with a package from my local kkk. They wanted to welcome me home and invited me to a meeting. How did they know that I returned home? My blood ran cold!

I served 28 years in the Army, there were members from every gang that you could ever imagine. All races! Right and Left!

As a vet i like dogs.

"Then after all this, we have the Vietnam War" I always feel bad for Korean War vets. It's like no one remember that war happened

Just a reminder that "racists sometimes use patriotism to get attract recruits" does not equal "patriotism is racist". If you want to prevent veterans from becoming racist, you can start by thanking them for their service and letting them know that you have their back, just like they had yours when they were in the line of fire overseas. If individuals and nations don't look out for their own, people will leave them and join groups that do (or at least, groups who make promises to do so), and unfortunately, some of those groups can be pretty f'd in the head. Just because something is terrible does not mean it isn't also predictable and entirely preventable.

My country used to have mandatory military service. As soon as that stopped, issues with extremism in the ranks skyrocketed. One of the reasons is, that now most people who join are a) extremely patriotic and b) think they're ready to use deadly force. From there the way to violent extremism is just... Shorter. Another reason is, that the more culturally diverse group of people in the military worked as an early allert system. Extremist activities were reported much quicker, when there where people of more varied political, social and ethnic backgrounds.

Also I think another reason why extremism seems to be more prevalent in veterans coming out of the military is simply because they're looking for that same type of structure and brotherhood that you get in the military. It's REALLY hard to find that in civilian life just in general. So, they tend to latch onto it wherever they can find it.

The military is a completely different culture than the civilian world. You dont feel like you fit in, and have to another hard reset on who you were, just like in basic combat training, but this time in reverse all by yourself. The military is black and white, while the civilian world is endless shades of grey. Some don't adjust well once they get out. They retreat back to the familiar, and latch onto it with both hands because it's the only way to make sense of an endlessly grey world. I'm not saying putting on the horns and trying to kidnap the governor is a good idea, far from it. But this is where a lot of those guys are coming from. They are having trouble assimilating into the mainstream. So they turn to fringe groups. This doesn't excuse bad behavior. Evil is still evil. But if we can help someone before they become lost, then we can mitigate things.

As the great Yoda once said "Fear is the path to the dark side … fear leads to anger … anger leads to hate … hate leads to suffering"

I remember when the stand down took place. We got called back to our unit to A make sure we weren’t in DC and B make sure the stand down pushed knowledge on policies and SOPs ( stationed in NC from 2018-2021 )

I spent 24 years in the USAF and I never saw this type of stuff ( I retired in 2016) I think the more radical stuff forms AFTER their time in the service. Frustration with civilian life, a lack of preparation to getting out, combined with a skill set that doesn't lend itself to much after the military.

I spent 30 years in the US Army from draftee to Colonel. When I came out, I had a real hard time adjusting to civilian life. I am now 73 live in the country on a farm and keep to myself. That is how I adjusted, I limit my contact with others.

the way we treat our veterans probably plays a huge factor into this. The significant underfunding of resources, specifically mental health resources is horrific. As someone with PTSD, it is such an isolating disease, and they need a support system that lets them heal and gives them the love they need and deserve. I can’t even imagine having combat trauma. we can’t treat the people who fought for us this way any longer. Clarifying this because people are now saying this is me excusing domestic terrorism and racism; GIVING PEOPLE MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES COULD PREVENT THEM FROM TURNING TO VIOLENCE AND EXTREMISM. I absolutely despise these peoples actions, but at the same time I think they deserve access to the mental health resources they desperately need. I also think about the countless homeless veterans or veterans struggling with addiction who have no access to a support system.

As a prior service Coastie, and son of a retired Coastie, I have to chuckle at the Coastie at the beginning of this video, acting like he’s some sort of trained warrior.

Former military are being targeted because of their mindset - former military usually will not question those in authority especially junior troops. These former military are generally discharged from the military with a less than honorable discharge and are being targeted & used because they have nowhere to go. It is sickening to know that my fellow former military members are further ruining their lives. 😢💔😢

I think the lack of support soldiers get AFTER their service is one significant factor why they turn to extremism. With a military budget this big, the government needs to provide a lot more for the veterans

I served as an infantryman in the US Army. That guy who served 2 months is totally full of it. After a month, you are basically still doing BRM, Basic Rifle Marksmanship. Maybe you have done some obstacle courses, communication training, and some basic movement training. He would not be proficient in almost anything yet. Chaptering or kicking him out probably took a couple of weeks, so that's it. After about 15 weeks, you graduate OSUT, one station unit training, you really only know the basic information you need to function as a soldier. From there, your first unit will actually spend time training you in what you need to know. If you have good NCO's, training never stops throughout your career. Eventually, you are the NCO responsible for training the next generation. In my time, I definitely had some dirtbags to deal with. You chapter them out of the military and move on to the next Joe.

“Military style communications” “Hold your ground” Lmao

Approx 500 and what arrests in what period out of a country with what population, and how many convictions

Ok let me put this out there, as a 30-year military retiree, who represent the attitudes and opinions 99% of our population, the military Vets portrayed in this video are 'our' extremists too! Please do not walk away from this video thinking our great countries Vets are a bunch of neo-Nazi or worse potential neo-Nazi's. I have met a few military folks who reflect the Vets in this video, many had these attitudes and opinions before they joined the service, they are a minority of the military population. Every NCO and Petty Officer I had the privilege of serving with, would not tolerate this behavior in their formations.

vice needs to do an entire episode on fort hood. the killings, disappearances, the cartel involvement, all of it.

22:02 did he really just say that a 223 round will travel several miles 😂😂😂😂😂

What about attaching strings to their next budget proposal so basically threaten their sacred budget unless they actually deal with this issue!

Living in a conservative area of the country where a few of these militas call home I can tell you that most of the "vets" that are in these groups, or hang around these groups either washed out of basic, or were dishonorably discharged not long into their service. Almost all of them will brag constantly about having been a special forces super secret assassin, or have a little modesty and just say they were in seal team six.

Dude with beard and shaved head went through a lot of bad stuff, but stopped digging deeper holes and educated himself through legitimate educational institutions ..He identified the problem and is doing some common sense things to find solutions .. I don't know if what he's doing now is that much safer than his work as a forward observer, but I thank him for his service and what he's doing now ..Please stay safe ..

33:08 four words sums it up

It’s funny that the literal founder of vice started one of these groups

My grandfather served in WW2 and Korea. I am glad he died 10 years ago because he would have been very disappointed in these young vets. To see soldiers with Nazi flags when his friends and family were dying in WW2 is just a slap in the face to those that gave their lives.

Leaving the military, I felt extremely angry and abandoned. The VA helped me get over it and fall back into a normal life. Denying veterans care over extremism is the absolute worst thing to do. Instead, counseling and therapy will help ease a lot of these frustrations, while compensation and financial support will thwart the abandonment these veterans feel. But even with these tools, I've watched several of my white brothers in arms fall into right wing extremism. As a stressed out minority, I cut my ties with these folks, further contributing to the divide. I would look at phenomena like Alex Jones, Q, and Fox News rhetoric for leading this divide. We as a nation need to be more aggressive against propaganda and disinformation, treating it as war against the mind, before it turns into actual war. I don't think that anyone on either side of the aisle actually truly understands how dangerous this situation is. This documentary paints the danger as vividly almost as it truly is.

So?

“Without patriotic political education, a soldier is only a potential criminal.” - Thomas Sankara

When I was in the military, my basic training buddy was a Klan member. I am puertorrican so we had a very uneasy, weird relationship. There was a point where we got along, talk about families, laughed, joked and you would think we were friends but we both it was far from it. On our lasts days he told me, you should come to Alabama to visit me, meet my family to which I replied. No. And that was that. I wonder if he still the same.

Found this very confronting and hard hitting ,,,great doc ,,,,and yes there is a problem.

We need the Punisher.

Send a bunch of kids to fight a frivolous, illegal war and wonder why they come home fcked up. Shameful.

My brother who is in the army was telling me all about this 10years ago. From what he told me this is already generational.

It’s dangerous for anybody to become desensitized to such violence.

This is crazy! The vetting process seems like such bs

Does anyone think it's fitting and ironic that "The Base" was also the English translation of Al Qaeda?

It's a strange reality to live with. One of my best friends I made at my Advanced Individual Training (AIT) had a father who was on the leanings of White Supremacists. However, we were close enough to talk about anything at anytime, and she acknowledged her upbringing, but was never prejudice, even to myself, a person of color. At our graduation, we were lined up infront for handshaking and congratulations from all the parents and friends who showed up. Some refused to shake our hands, acknowledge our existence, or our commitment to our nation. It's a hard pill to swallow, but I can live happily knowing that my classmates did not have the same ideology as their parents. I serve my country proudly, regardless having to protect people with different ideologies.

That girl cameo at the end during that guy interview was fire

Love how Vice is trying to make this a left vs right issue. We are becoming more and more unhinged as a society and seeing more and more extremists because people are being shepherded into being told to think that there are only two surfaces to a multifaceted spectrum. There are just as many extremists on the left as there are on the right, because when you push people into only one of two directions, eventually they are going to reach the edge.

If you ask a bad person “are you a bad person”; you think they will say yes? You can’t just ask them , you gotta look up their background information

I was in the military for 12 years until I was force to leave after severe injury. I miss the military it was the worst and best thing that ever happened to me and I’d go back if I was able. In my veteran community I’ve never seen any of them being radicalized most just have nostalgia and miss their time in service and complain about how terrible the VA is. But from this it seems they could be all around me but I’ve never been approached by them that I know of. I know lots of TBI/PTSD/Disabled guys who could be manipulated using their trauma or exploiting their vulnerabilities and the desire to be a part of something bigger and a brother/sisterhood we lost when we had to leave.

Lmao a vet dude, never seen combat dude, but what am I spilling my blood for dude? Dude, come on 😂

4:49 what about the terror in England , France , Sweden , Austria , Norway and Switzerland ? Could you guys make a video on that topic?

A 25-35 yr old enlisted Marine who misses the Corp this much yet isn't serving anymore probably wasn't given the chance to reenlist. Furthermore, letting others call you "The General" when you couldn't possibly hold that rank goes against military decorum. I work in a VA hospital (and a Navy vet). One of the most common tactics I see with vets who puff up their service, and cling to their time in service to this degree, is that they're actually OTH (other than honorable) or ELS (entry-level separation aka didn't /couldn’t finish boot camp) discharges. Just my opinion tho.

This subject is scary. I just knew that a lot of Vets were going to come back wondering why we were in the Iraq war and resent it. It's hard on them watching a fellow soldier die to include women and children. I've heard them talk about it. My first boyfriend came back from Vietnam a broken man.

They are not the only Veterans who served America....

Way too much adds...

I'm a young vet and I can tell you why some feel angry.I am now broken and disabled at only the young age of 26.It makes me angry that my friends who I went to high school with,don't have to worry about the same disabilities I do.The VA is trash and the government could careless about their citizens.

Wait, was that dude bragging about being in the Coast Guard like he’s a bad ass now? 😂😂😂

I get too dizzy from the 'slant' to keep watching.

A big problem is how the military and military personnel are idolised

While the issue is certainly multifactorial, It appears to be a deadly combination of generational prejudice and hatred seeping out and the lack of support upon being discharged/ retiring from the military. Many crave the structure, discipline, and comradery they experienced while in the military and which is severely lacking in the civilian realm and something they find in these 'brotherhood' type extremist groups. My dad served 30 years in the Army and eventually retired two years ago. I know it was a very sad day for him as it had been a part of his life for 30 years and had been the reason for his success in life ( he was a JAG and eventually retired as an '06). The army gave our family many adventures including living overseas for many years and it was a time that while stressful (especially when my dad deployed) it was certainly something created a close bond between us. My dad ended up taking a high position in the social security administration and is currently still successful but i know many others who struggle. My dad continues to help fellow soldiers from his previous command who are retiring - giving them resume advice, education recommendations, and tips for transitioning to the civilian life. He has helped many get jobs in the government sector and other corporations and I am glad that my dad is trying to help these soldiers transition so that they have support and don't feel lost and desperate.

My brother retired Air Force and he doesn't believe the same as the young man with the hat. We could be doing way more for our military to help them assimilate back to civilian life if they need it. Thank you for all those who have served our country and us. Breaks my heart to hear that people are coming out of our military and going straight to extremism.

Dont u guys have an rsl or dept. Of veteran affairs over there ???

It's easier than you think to clean up.

The Viet Nam war was the first war we were able to witness through the television. It was brought right into your living room. I remember as a kid, they would list the dead and wounded every night on the news. It was pretty scarry.

I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.” ― Smedley D. Butler, War is a Racket" a short book from 1935.

Can't we rephrase the issue as ex-military are targeted for radicalisation by extremists and terrorist? because of their training and because of the situation they're left in after they leave the army?

“Used military style of communications” Cuts to clip of them saying hold your ground

I wish they had covered more about why so many people seem to be heading in that direction anyway.

Failure to adapt is a separation category for someone who has not yet finished basic training or school. What this means is that he couldn't hack it. I have a feeling that a lot of these folks would fall under this same category.

7 years of service and I’ve never seen anyone tolerate racism in the army

11:30 Dunno who Miller is but that def looks like David Duke.

"We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst." -C.S. Lewis

For anybody worried about people like Watkins, the initial phase of basic training that everybody goes through doesn’t teach you much

Just heard about your group for our freedom. In Santa Rosa New Mexico need your advice and help.went up corruption here was black listed here

These people walk among us everyday. Wild.

I was an Asian in the Army in the early 2000s. There were definitely some racist mofos in bootcamp. The funny thing was most of these Southern dudes could not even explain why they were being racist, just that they were raised this way (ended up becoming a good friend with one of them) lol

honestly if you’ve developed unhealthy intentions as a child, the US Military is an easy place to exercise those intentions.

how can you in the same video say there were a time with several million clan members and then say the last 20 years was the most politically divided moment in living memory?

32:48 this is a question every American should ask himself/herself before join the military...

Extremism of this scale has always existed - just much more spread out and many small groups. The reason why it started rising in the 2010s is because social media was made available - where people of like mind in fringe society can find one another and group up. Now it's just in plain sight, because of how the internet is. This applies to every single fringe group out there - they've always existed in mass, now they just have a place to converse and converge together. 14:35 - 15:35 this person speaks it perfectly.

It's kind of like the saying "you can take the kid out of the hood but you can't take the hood out of the kid." I think the same thing applies here with some of these veterans, they can't let go of their military life and they keep trying to implement it in everyday civilian life

"hold your ground" is not a military communication or is rarely used by the military

20 years in the USAF…never met one.

I’m so conflicted. I recognize myself in these guys and the frustration and I also know that what failed them wasn’t minorities. It was corps buying out our gov and passive politicians that have left American citizens behind.

I love the guy going on about the trauma of seeing your best friend bleed and die ... and it turns out he is the one who's never been in combat ........

Truly eye opening and horrifying...

Unhappy to show us that horrifying cricket frame once, Vice shows us twice

Career vet 4 Army tours from 04-18, 2 years contracting before coming back. OCONUS stations were the best years of my military career. Due to the isolation and influence of foreign or cultural differences, Soldiers were truly a family. We broke bread together, laughed, cried, and bleed together. CONUS, specifically Texas, I experienced every bit of the individuals highlighted in this segment from high ranking officers down to the lowest enlisted. I could not believe the difference, as my first station was OCONUS for almost 6 years. I have good buddies of all races, lifelong companions that if need be, I'd ride through hell again with, but lord knows there is an extremist/racist problem within the ranks, without question.

Twenty bucks says that most of these dudes were not even in a combat job like 11 Bravo or Charlie (using the Army as an example).

this is some great midnight watch stuff

In the early days of my military career, we saw these types all the time, and everyone knew who they were. It was a lot of them then (not most, thankfully), and still is now, but they are far more discreet today. You get the occasional guy who post a little too much or says the quiet part out loud, but I doubt it will ever go away; it's too ingrained in America in general, so it's inevitable that these guys will proliferate in the service. It's scary for many of us, because too often some of them make it to really influential ranks and positions, where they can determine promotions and policy.

I totally get the whole 'is this what I've been risking my life for?' feeling when you get out of the military. You should be pissed. You're getting screwed. But how does that translate to hating black people? They're in there with you, they're getting screwed too!

great video

It is true that these extremist groups actively seek out and attempt to recruit people with military backgrounds and experience. They target veterans and active service members because of the combat and leadership training they receive. This is not a case of the military being full of extremists it is a case of the military being full of people with the right training extremists groups want to acquire.

Soldier who just graduated AIT in August here. Extremism is more prevalent in the members who have left the military. Veterans, especially those who have seen combat, enter the civilian world at the end of their contract with a lack of support and still want to feel a sense of belonging. This makes them join gangs, hate groups, etc. I think the DOD needs to evaluate how they treat their veterans entering the civilian world with more attention to help address the extremism issue. The DOD has implemented SHARP for the military, a program intended to prevent hateful rhetoric, sexual assaults, and other problems from spreading in our ranks. This has already brought a positive effect in the military's ranks to reduce the level of hate IN the military. The question now is, how will we address servicemen and servicewomen leaving the military, and ensure they will stay away from following hate in the civilian world? That's my piece at least from experience so far.

That was David Duke, not Miller.

I like how she said the gulf war helped Vietnam vets work off the tension from Vietnam… 20 years later when most of those vets were retired? Your trying to frame veterans as extremists and anyone with access to google can defraud you. While I’m sure there are some extremists they are few and far between. Also btw is super hard to weapons from the military in todays age.

The town I live in, have billboards to recruit active duty Soldiers for their supremacy groups. Most prey around military installations just like the one I reside in. It is ugly. We have plenty programs in the military and yet not effective as the way it should be. We have a plethora of supremacy groups masked in the military. When I led certain programs, we had to learn lingo and pay attention to body markings which would help identify affiliation. The next part you should look at are these cult churches who prey on active duty and retired service members to leech on their benefits.

Being in the Army for roughly 2 months means that he never finished Basic Military Training. He was likely kicked out for not passing the psych evaluation while in basic.

“.223 rifle casings that can travel several miles” hmm…doubt

As a military brat from the '60s, all I can say to these paramilitary vets is enjoy it while you can. After my dad retired (Vet with 33 years of service) he had alot of time to reflect. Survivor remorse isn't pretty, especially if you have loved ones involved.

Imagine been a soldier in WW2 fighting Nazis and Swastikas only to return back home seeing your grandsons branding the swastika. There is an error somewhere. Did grandpa fight and kill Nazis so grandson can be a Nazi?!?!

Unforseen circumstances? They can't even talk about it?

Now the BSC needs to do a stand down! RECONVENE NOW!!!