Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered a “resignation” of the entire US military within the next 60 days so that commanders can address the “extremism” in his ranks.
News of the military hiatus came in an announcement from The Pentagon on Wednesday, with press secretary John Kirby describing the move to reporters as similar to resigning units must do to address the security concerns.
Austin issued the command after meeting on the matter with Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as civilian and service chiefs.
The group also discussed last month’s Capitol riot, Kirby said, noting the presence of veterans and active duty members on the shocking scene. They still left the meeting unsure of how to fully address the issue.
Kirby said the riot was “a wake-up call” for the entire department.
The press secretary went on to say that Austin called extremism in the ranks a leadership issue.
“It has to be a leadership issue down to the lowest levels, small unit leadership all the way to him. So if you think of it as a leadership issue, then maybe there will be some possible solutions to give us more visibility, ”Kirby said, referring to his boss’s comments at the meeting.
Each command is needed to complete the resignation in the next 60 days, giving commanders and service personnel some time to figure out how to work on the issue.
In his confirmation hearings, Austin promised that he would “redeem our ranks from racists and extremists,” although he declined to provide details of how he intended to do so.
“We also owe our people a work environment free of discrimination, hatred and harassment. If this is confirmed, I will fight hard to eradicate sexual violence, free our ranks from racists and extremists and create an environment where everyone fit and willing has the opportunity to serve this country with dignity, ” said the then-candidate. in his has prepared remarks for the Senate last month.
“The job of the Department of Defense is to protect America from our enemies. But we can’t do that if some of those enemies are in our own ranks, ”he continued.
At his meeting Wednesday, the Defense Secretary told military leaders that while the numbers are small, it is “not a minor problem.”
“Whatever it is, it’s … not a minor problem and needs to be addressed,” Kirby told reporters.
Still, he noted during his press interview, “The vast majority of men and women who serve in uniform and the military do so with honor, integrity and character, and do not subscribe to the kind of beliefs that lead to the kind of behavior that can be so harmful. are for the record and discipline and is in fact criminal. “