Organization called the dangerous White Supremacist Group. Neonazis, the base is an acceleration list agonistic, and Arctic Antarctic group whose name speaks to the admiration for al qaeda and isis. They hate jews and africanamericans but they dont like President Trump or the United States either. Their goal is to use terrorism to start a race war and collapse the United States. Societal collapse, a sick fantasy but the reality is that domestic terror has claimed more lives than International Terror since 911. Lastly, fbi director, told the Judiciary Committee that he was elevated racially motivated and violent extremism, to a National Threats priority. That the same man with homegrown violent extremism and isis. Our enemies especially russia, exploit these racial tensions to divide and weaken American Society ahead of the debates lives in russia. They likely support the White Supremacist Groups in United States and europe and Russia Targets are servicemembers with disinformation. When our enemies take advantage of our vulnerabilities, our National Security is threatened and dependent on a sufficient response. The threat also has specific implications for personal subsidy. First, white supremacist terror group and communities value of military skills that would enable them to commit terrorism while fighting a race war. They recruit and retrain their members. And many members claim to have military experience. This doesnt make white supremacist terrorist groups unique. Al qaeda also recruited egyptian and saudi military. And second, there are several warning signs that individuals with White Nationalist and supremacist tendencies are in fact serving in our military. Recent type rifle profile examples include a marine attending 2017 charlottesville probably. An officer arrested with a cache of weapons and west point ground, and eight on social media. Last week, the military time survey showed that the number of troops have witnessed evidence of white supremacist and racial racialist ideology in the military increased from 22 to 3. By previous decades, as the supremacist activities archway events such as charlottesville have increased in recent years is likely increased in the military as well. And supremacist in the military, put servicemembers safety, recruitment, and retention, at risk. Third, i am concerned that it doesnt take the military, doesnt take this threat seriously enough. It has the tools it needs for decades sufficient resources to the threat. Our venting enterprise lumped white supremacist activity and with gang affiliations. Rather than treat it as a National Security issue on par with foreign terror. It lacks emergency and focused trickle down to commanders and enlisted leaders who dont appear to be sufficiently apprised of the stretch or taught had to do with it. Even if they arguing with it the military lacks the statistics to prevent and in part, because of the absence of a standalone use mj extremism particles. This raises hard questions about whether military Law Enforcement needs Additional Authority to combat this terror threat. Today we will be joined by two panels, the first will be experts of organizations that study and track and educate on extremism. On second will have officials responsible for the policy for the military counterintelligence and Law Enforcement security. In the military criminal investigations agencies. I would like to focus on three main concerns. What is the scope and magnitude of the threat. And what are its impacts and second, what is being done to prevent these individuals from entering the military and then find investigate and rescue them. Military leaders take this issue seriously enough. Many are suggested that they are administratively discharged. Nothing further is done about them. That is inconsistent with our need to make sure that the country is secure as well. What might we need to give the military to combat this threat. Before introduce the first huddle, and Ranking Member kelly and opening remarks. Thank you. I wish to welcome both of our panels to todays hearing. I have dealt with White Supremacy on the frontlines of the District Attorney. For murderers to reps to assault to intimidations. Two officer shootings and i have dealt with all of those things in my district in mississippi during my time is a prosecutor and District Attorney there. But it also served in the military for 34 years. No group is more diverse are culturally innovative in our United States military. None anywhere. We must keep it that way. It should be a cultural site where people can go to know what wright works or looks like. This is an important hearing to make sure that we keep us at the basis that we are pretty think extremist activities of any kind are unacceptable and cannot be tolerated in the military. Except to the very core of what the military was founded on pretty good order and discipline. George washington once wrote, discipline is the soul of an army. They make small numbers formidable and secure success to the week and esteem to all. The thought of extremist activities like White Supremacy providing military is in direct contrast to the foundation of what the military henceforth. As a former Brigade Commander and Battalion Commander in combat, i can tell you from experience that the soldiers must and do trust each other with their lights. Regardless of the backgrounds or the colors of the skin. Servicemembers are judged based on their ability to perform their job in the content of the character and any other distant joints and no play or in society. I am interested in understanding the true magnitude of these issues on todays witnesses. As i was preparing for this hearing i realized we dont have a lot of reliable data on this. Aside from recent newspaper hole on racist behavior in the military we have few solid statistics on extremist behavior in the military. The definitive data we do have comes from the department of defense where there have been 21 criminal cases involving White Supremacy over the last five years amongst all fork services and products. The deity is not tracking investigation into White Supremacy as well as other extremist activities and ensuring misinformation with the fbi. This is a step in the right direction on the Law Enforcement side. I think that is a huge key to unpacking the issue. I need to define the problem and get reliable data on how prevalent it is in the military. I fell in i would like to understand the magnitude of extremist and White Supremacy activity all across society and what that is being tracked outside of the military. Im also interested in your recommendation specifically as they pertain to training and Data Collection for the military. On penalty i like to hear about the departments screening processes and the ongoing monitoring of extremist activity in my understanding is a review gap in the porting of the noncriminal cases that have been handled by commanders that resulted in administrative discharge and the to understand deities information on this and whether we also need standardized training on across the services. I want to thank our witnesses in her chair woman and for being here today and i think you and i yelled back. Thank you. You will have five minutes to present your testimonies. I would also ask unanimous consent the non Committee Members be allowed to participate and ask questions after all of the Committee Members have had the opportunities to ask questions without objection. So ordered. Our first panel start with the doctor commanderinchief Strategy Officer of the Global Project against hate and extremism. Senior Research Fellow of the center on extremism at the antidefamation league. Ms. Alicia, she is transmission officer of the southern poverty law panel. Center. We will take a short recess and switch out to our second panel at the end of the first panel. Would you like to begin. I like to think the esteemed members for inviting me to testify today. It is a great honor. My name is heidi. Im a phd in Political Science from Purdue University enema cofounder of the newly established Global Project against hate and extremism. The last two decades, ive researched activity in the military and forwarding that information to military investigators. I also argued that as i went today the more practices or policies to root out extremist from rights. Nothing i send my remarks today should be taken to impugn the honorable men and women who serve in the armed forces. Whose efforts i applaud. Barring white supremacist from military is in the utmost importance. The problem is a serious and growing one. Many of us know former soldiers of the month to acts of terrorism. But this is an in an old problem. After the troops have been found to be involved in white supremacist interest possible for murderers and mystic terrorism and in some cases International Terrorism. In White Supremacy and the terrace associated with it is on the rise in fact marking the trim defining terror globally. We haveng White Supremacist Movement both in the United States and abroad, some of these folks are turning White Supremacists and other countries and military case. This is a significant threat to our troops. The American Public and folks in other countries. The Armed Services on soldiers know why supremacy is a problem and have already been decided the military has been a full three years 0 inches between 14 and one and three soldiers are aware of having encountered White Nationalism a recent isms. In the arm forces. Here are my top level recommendations to deal with White Supremacy in the armed forces. It is very clear that these measures need strengthening. The military doesnt have a tattooed database for example that shows extreme tattoos. It doesnt have clear procedures to investigate social media accounts which is where you find most extremism nowadays. It might be wise to consider how the Online Activity of activeduty troops are monitored. The recent arrest of a coast guard lt. When all this kind of portable stuff online. It tells us what this could lead to if we are not paying attention. Military recruits to fill out questionnaires and asked whether theyve been a member of an organization dedicated to terrorism. This process provides are relies on Self Reporting. And how much of it is root verified. There is need for more enforcement procedures and data has already been mentioned by the Ranking Member. The regulations against racism and White Supremacy is generally strong but theyre not enforced, current regulations have penalties that are largely left up to commanders. There appears to be no process to track people. There is little data in the Public Domain and have know how serious this problem is. All of these are serious issues as well as it is unclear how information on extremism and one french that we shared with other branches, for the guard where the fdr. There needs to be mandatory reports every year about the levels of White Supremacy and military. It was house and met the intended ask questions about nationalism to military climate surveys that was dropped out of the act. I would suggest that this should be looked at again. The pentagon and investigatory taskforces in each branch should be looked at. How they look at it extremist networks and at what level Investigator Resources exist there. And the date it should be generated so that we know how serious the problem is rated there also loopholes in the regulations other kinds of extremist and one example our folks involved in the intake government militia movement. These are people who believe and work is the federal government are increasingly anti immigrant and muslim. Some of thesE Organizations and thousands of members and specifically try to recruit from the armed forces. So that is something i would suggest to be looked at. The military needs to report hate Crime Statistics to bpi. All need to be looked at. Its another piece of data that would be helpful for understanding these problems. There also is evidence that the existence of the extremist and the race is now contributing to worldwide terrorism. Emerson the most violent, have recruited veterans from the wars in iraq and afghanistan as well as active Duty Service Members in the military expertise is now being shared with white supremacist and other countries. I also want to say its very important that everybody in leadership speaks out against White Supremacy and the rights. This is a bipartisan issue. It has been for a long time. It should really be a nobrainer that this has to be done by everybody from a commanderinchief on down. So in closing, i want to just say that i agree with former joint chiefs chairman, there is no place for bigotry and racism in the u. S. Military or the United States as a whole. I hope the policy suggestions ive provided here and writing will bring us closer to eradicating these ideas from the ranks that are uncomfortable armed forces. It is been an honor to speak here. Thank you brenda. Thank you doctor. Next is another doctor. Good afternoon. Im a senior Research Fellow. It is an honor to appear before you today to impress the issue of White Supremacy in the u. S. Military. For decades and fight against hate and antisemitism and extremism in all forms by exposing extreme sports and individuals to spread hate and violence. Today adl is a foremost Governmental Authority and domestic terrorism, extremism, hate groups and hate crimes. The issue of extremism in the military is one extremism has had for years. We are the services about military members tied to exumas and provide assistance upon request to recruiters and investigators. And offer on extremism and related subjects. For example, adl provides annual training. In 2009, adl vote then secretary of defense, urging him to take measures to deal with whites from c c armed forces. The problem has only grown in urgency since then. And with this money would like to share in importance of context about the nature of extremism in the armed forces. Our active and reserve components are large enough, over 2 million men and women to reflect broader American Society and keyways. Including the presence. And each time point Supremacist Movement has surged in the u. S. And it is been mirrored by a increase within the armed forces. It happened during surgeries in the 1980s, the 1990s, and 2,822,011. Instead, it is happening again is the u. S. Is experiencing a surge in which the pharmacy propelled by the rise of the outright, we just brought many young newly radicalized white males into the whites of rumsey movement. This is aggravated by the spread of heat online. They charge the military anchors not only an increase in extremism, but also increases in crime and violence. Extreme is in the military have planned terrorist acts. Theyve engaged murders and crimes as stolen weapons and military equipment. They provided information to other extremist. The kind of search of the White Supremacy is no exception. Less than two weeks ago, coast guard and senate christopher was sentenced in federal court 13 years in prison in connection with the pods to commit domestic terrorism. Prosecutors described as inspired by racist murderers who intended to exact refereed duchenne on minorities and those to be considered traitors. Had Law Enforcement on him, we would now be counting the bodies of the defendants victims. Internet searches happen and they included where did congressman and senators when they were in dc. How to read the u. S. Of juice. And most liberal federal judges among others. And he wrote, i cant strike just a moment. I must find a way to deliver a blow that cannot be shaken up. Other extremism in the military in recent years have distributed information related to explosive of wmds, assault people during white supremacist that rallies and acquired bombs and expensive materials and use a firearm threatened members of obama. Even more have been exposed on white supremacist events joining you to miss groups distribut