(Photo: Indiana Public Media)

Since the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, concerns about the rise of extremist groups on both ends of the political spectrum have grown in the United States. There have been worries that former service members might be more vulnerable to radical ideologies. However, according to new research conducted by RAND Corporation, support for extremism is not growing at a faster rate among veterans compared to the general public. In fact, veterans are shown to be less likely to back these groups.

While the issue still requires attention, the study conducted by the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute provides valuable insights into the prevalence of extremist ideologies within the veteran community.

Policymakers and researchers have raised concerns about the potential radicalization of the veteran community, given their military training and skills. Extremist groups actively target veterans for recruitment due to their operational and leadership capabilities. Moreover, the experience of transitioning from military to civilian life has been hypothesized to make veterans vulnerable to recruitment.

Study Reveals Lower Support for Extremism Among Veterans

To better understand the prevalence of support for extremist groups and ideologies among veterans, nearly 1,000 veterans were surveyed. The study examined support for groups like Antifa, the Proud Boys, Black nationalists, and White supremacists, as well as beliefs associated with these groups, such as support for political violence, the QAnon conspiracy, and the Great Replacement theory. The results showed that the overall support for these groups among veterans was lower than in previous surveys of the general population.

While veterans’ support for the Great Replacement theory and political violence aligns with that of the general public, their backing for QAnon is lower. Notably, veterans of the U.S. Marine Corps exhibited the highest support for both extremist groups and beliefs when compared to other branches of the military. However, attributing this to organizational or cultural dynamics within the Marine Corps requires further empirical study. Similarly, the reasons for the relatively high support for QAnon among Air Force veterans remain unclear.

It is worth noting that the majority of veterans who supported extremist groups did not endorse political violence.

Need for Further Research

While it is reassuring that overall support for extremism is lower among veterans, the study highlights the vulnerability of those who express support for political violence. Approximately 18% of veterans expressed support for political violence, indicating a potential recruitment pool for emerging extremist groups. The findings emphasize the need for continued research to identify the underlying factors that drive veterans to endorse extremist beliefs and join extremist causes.

The new research challenges the notion that support for extremism is growing among military veterans in the United States. While there is still work to be done to prevent the recruitment of veterans by extremist groups, the findings suggest that veterans, on the whole, are less likely to back these groups compared to the general population. Ongoing research and understanding the factors that drive veteran radicalization are crucial in developing targeted prevention strategies and addressing the potential security threats posed by extremist ideologies among veterans.

Author: Rikki Almanza

Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.