All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic? Far-Right Extremism in US Military Appellate Courts, a Call for Data, and Implications for American Law Enforcement

Abstract

The pernicious infiltration of far-right extremists into the US military has featured prominently in public and political discourse. However, literature on the topic in the criminal justice sciences is scarce. Leveraging military courts of appeals data, we use qualitative techniques to examine the intricacies of far-right extremism in the Armed Forces. Findings suggest that existing military legal policies and practices may promote a culture of permissiveness toward extremism within the service. We call for official data and increased transparency regarding extremism in the military to address concerns that otherwise exist among civilians, legal actors, policymakers, and military leadership. We also discuss the profound implications that extremism within the military and among veterans has on American law enforcement and police policy.