Military struggles to answer how many extremists are in ranks Missy Ryan, Paul Sonne and Razzan Nakhlawi, The Washington Post Feb. 9, 2021 FacebookTwitterEmail An upside down flag waves in front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Washington Post photo by Michael S. Williamson Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin faces an early test as he races to advance a major initiative targeting far-right extremism in the ranks, a challenge that officials acknowledge is complicated by the Pentagon's lack of clarity on the extent of the threat following the U.S. Capitol riot. Austin's highly unusual order for a military-wide "stand-down," slated to pause normal operations in coming weeks so troops can discuss internal support for extremist movements, underscores the urgency of the task ahead for the former four-star general, who last month became the nation's first African American Pentagon chief.