Dept of the Army Pam 600-15 "Extremist Activities"

The Department of Defense has a long-standing policy of intolerance for organizations, practices, or activities that are discriminatory in nature. DOD Directive 1325.6, “Guidelines for Handling Dissent and Protest Activities Among Members of the Armed Forces,” was issued in 1969 as one of many measures taken to renew, clarify, and emphasize that policy. Despite the specific language of this directive, reports in 1986 of Army and Marine Corps members participating in Ku Klux Klan (KKK) activities forced Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger to reaffirm the Defense Department’s position via the priority message cited above. Yet new cases of service member involvement with extremist organizations continue to make the headlines. In February 1990, five Air Force security policemen were discharged for active participation in the Ku Klux Klan. One of the five was a chief recruiter who took part in cross-burnings and planned a KKK chapter in Denton, Texas. The following year, an Army sergeant pleaded guilty along with three others to weapon charges in an apparent conspiracy to stockpile military hardware for use by white supremacist groups. According to one civilian media account, the arsenal included “land mines, machine guns, TNT, and antiaircraft weaponry” and was “large enough to blow up the Gator Bowl.” In October 1993, four airmen in Alaska were discharged from the Air Force for burning a cross and using racial slurs. Finally, as recently as 1995, two Army soldiers committed two racially motivated murders at Fort Bragg, NC, resulting in the death of two African Americans and prompting a DOD review of the 1986 policy and a subsequent revision in 1996.

Although instances of service member involvement in supremacist activities are rare, events such as these cannot be overlooked in light of the recent surge in “civilian America” hate crimes. There is a strong correlation between the attitudes and beliefs of service members and those of the society from which they are recruited. Military directives recognize this relationship. Individuals do not set aside their prejudices, biases, and perceptions in favor of the Army’s values immediately upon joining the Army. The rise in hate crimes outside the military may be an indication of internal issues the Services will have to face.

The purpose of this publication is to help all Army personnel deal with extremist activities in the United States Army. Specifically, this pamphlet will explain some of the societal influences affecting members of the Army. Recognition of a problem is the first step in solving it, and countering extremism when it is present is every soldier’s responsibility.

6. EXTREMIST GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS The majority of extremist groups and organizations have one predominant theme of superiority of one race over another. This theme can also be applied to ethnicity and religious groups. Some of these groups and organizations proclaim violence as a means to achieve their goals. Most of these groups develop ideologies in an attempt to justify, legitimize, and rationalize one particular version of reality. While the following groups are not representative of all extremist groups, a large portion fall into one of the three [sic] following categories:

a. White Supremacy Ideology. This ideology emphasizes theories of white superiority and the duty of Caucasians to survive and defend the U.S. is tied to white supremacy and to “racial purity,” the safeguarding of the existence and reproduction of the Caucasian race.

b. Black Supremacy Ideology. This ideology emphasizes theories of black superiority and the need for separation of the black race.

I found this today, by accident. I don't remember pablum like this in the regs and pams prior to 1973 when I left the army as a company-grade officer. This DA Pam was issued during the Clinton era - its words might as well have been crafted by Janet Napolitano and Eric Holder. In fairness, it should have been updated during Bush's administration.

I'm ashamed to note that page 6 is given over to a flow chart, "Figure 1–2. EXTREMIST TATTOO DECISION SUPPORT MATRIX"

***I don’t remember pablum like this in the regs and pams prior to 1973***

Way back in 1966 when I joined the Air Force I was asked if I was a memeber, or had been a member of any anti-American organizations on a list.

I said I had not been and asked to see the list to make sure. There were a large number of organiations I had never heard of and one I had heard of. Today I only remember two that stood out.

The KKK,
and
the ABRAHAM LINCOLN BRIGADE.

I knew of the evil of the KKK but figured the A L B was just a bunch of busybody housewives. Boy was I wrong when years later I read up on them!

This reminds me of an old story I read years ago i Reader’s Digest.

A man joining the Army was asked if any of his anestors ever fought against the US government.
They were thrown into a tizzy when he said ..”YES!”

Further investigation showed his grandfather was ....Sitting Bull.

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