Extremism, Discrimination Hurt Our Entire Army Team

FORT DETRICK, MD, UNITED STATES

03.31.2021

Story by Jenni Benson 

U.S. Army Garrison - Fort Detrick

Secretary of Defense Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III signed a memorandum directing a stand-down to address extremism in the ranks, Feb. 5. The stand-down is the first initiative in a deliberate campaign to identify and eliminate the corrosive effects of extremist behavior in the workforce.
The Army holds all personnel to high standards of conduct, where mutual respect, trust, and teamwork form the foundation to a strong and resilient force. Extremism can take many forms, and behaviors such as discrimination and sexual harassment corrode and tear at the Army's very fabric.
Extremist organizations and activities are ones that advocate intolerance based on race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or other discriminatory factors. They often use violence, intimidation. Or other unlawful means to deprive individuals of their constitutional and legal rights.
Leaders and commanders are directed to lead the charge to hold stand-down events Army-wide for Soldiers and civilians, addressing extremism and its impacts on the Army. The overarching goal is to foster a workplace free of discrimination, hate, and harassment.
Locally at Fort Detrick, commanders have been tasked with holding stand-down activities within their units to dig deeper into extremism and find ways to eradicate it. The stand-down's purpose is also to open up communication lines to create a more cohesive team, educate personnel to recognize and report extremism indicators, and identify when to take further action.
"Each of us takes an oath when we enlist, commission, or accept a civilian position in the United States Army. The oath begins with every Soldier and civilian swearing to support and defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” said U.S. Army Garrison Fort Detrick Commander Col. Dexter Nunnally. “The identification and removal of racism and extremism from our ranks starts with every Soldier and civilian being brave enough to look inward, being bold enough to speak up when you see something isn’t right, and making it a priority to listen and respect our fellow Soldiers and civilians at all levels; to cultivate positive change.
“Racism and extremism are detrimental to unit readiness, morale, our Army, and our nation,” continued Nunnally. “Neither of these behaviors are congruent with our Army values, our oaths of office, or the documents the United States was founded on and each of us holds sacrosanct."
The Army team consists of Soldiers and civilians from every race, creed, cultural background and walk of life. As stated in the Secretary of Defense’s memo:
“Service in the DoD is a privilege that comes with added responsibilities and obligations. We will not tolerate actions that go against the fundamental principles of the oath we share, including actions associated with extremist or dissident ideologies. Service members, DoD civilian employees, and all those who support our mission deserve an environment free of discrimination, hate, and harassment.”
To view Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s message addressing extremism in the military, click the link below:
https://www.defense.gov/Watch/Video/videoid/784150/dvpcc/false/#DVIDSVideoPlayer581

• Date Taken: 03.31.2021
• Date Posted: 04.06.2021 02:58
• Story ID: 393134
• Location: FORT DETRICK, MD, US