“What happens is that they are screened before they leave their state and what it is is a credentialing process, so they are screened and repeatedly screened until they are actually put on the street,” Major General William Walker told ABC’s “Good” said. Morning America. ‘
Walker did not say that the selection contains specific questions about the members’ beliefs about the legitimacy of the election, but that they do a better background screening.
“No, it’s all about the background. So, a regular background check is improved with more display, more details and it’s layered so that the FBI is part of it, the secret service is part of it and once they are sure there is no insider is not a threat that soldier, guard or kite gets a credential, ‘he said.
Walker stressed that members of the National Guard are being screened after their entry into the service, and that is another low.
CNN previously reported that the U.S. military is working with the Secret Service to determine if there are any soldiers who will be part of the National Guard who will provide security at the inauguration, which will require additional background checks.
The DC National Guard also provides additional training to service personnel when they arrive in the capital of the country, so that if they see or hear something that is not appropriate, they should report it to their commando chain, “an army spokesman said in a statement. a written statement was made to CNN last week.
“There is no room for extremism in the military and we will examine each report separately and take appropriate action,” the statement said.
“The military is committed to working closely with the FBI because it identifies people who participated in the violent attack on the Capitol to determine if the individuals had any connection to the military,” the statement said. that any activity involving “violence, civil disobedience or a breach of the peace” may be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice or under state and federal law.
According to the Department of Defense’s current policy, all service members must be trained annually according to a program that requires department staff to provide information on known or suspected extremist behavior that could pose a threat to the Department or the United States. must report ‘, reads the statement.
New details emerge linking a riot to the army
The investigation comes in the wake of new details linking a riotous person involved in the January 6 uprising of the U.S. Capitol and the U.S. military.
Among the accused charged so far in connection with the riot is an army reservist who, according to federal investigators, has security clearance at security level and that he has posted his extremist views online.
According to federal investigators, the Army Reservist – Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, of Colts Neck, New Jersey – was described by an informant as a “recognized white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer”, according to court documents.
The court documents also say that Hale-Cusanelli could be heard in a telephone conversation with the informant recorded by law enforcement on Thursday that he encouraged members of the mob to “advance” through the Capitol and gave directions via both voices . and hand signals. ‘It is not clear if he was arrested.
Efforts to detect and eliminate extremism within the ranks of the military, especially among those who espouse white supremacist beliefs, began long before the uprising this month at the Capitol, but became increasingly urgent in the days that followed.
Extremist groups, including white supremacists, are placing a premium on recruiting current and former members of the military, a senior defense official said last week, while also trying to get their group’s extremist members into the military. The groups want the experience and expertise of the military.
“We know that some groups are trying to actively recruit our staff in their cause, or to encourage their members to join the military for the acquisition of skills and experience,” the senior defense official said. “We realize that the skills are highly valued by some of these groups, not only for the ability it offers, but it also brings legitimacy to their minds for their cause.”
CNN’s Barbara Starr and Jamie Crawford contributed to this report.