Inside the Pentagon’s plan to keep extremists from joining up Military explosives arranged in the shape of a swastika. (Screenshot of Tweet from Twitter account @Jacobite_Edward) The Jan. 6 insurrection on Capitol Hill and the extent to which current or former service members participated it served as a wake-up call to the Defense Department, Pentagon officials have said. DoD has been, however, aware of the encroachment of domestic extremism in the ranks in recent years, and has made several reports to Congress examining both instances of extremism and how they can combat it. A June report to the armed services committees, posted online March 2, paints a detailed picture of the military’s recruit background check process, including profiles of different extremist groups. It also includes seven recommendations to tighten up DoD’s policies.