The Department of Defense is cracking down on 'questionable tattoos' and social media behavior with recruits following January 6. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said military members should enjoy 'an environment free of extremist activities'
The Department of Defense will crackdown on recruits with 'questionable tattoos' that are linked to extremist and racist groups in the wake of the January 6 riots.
On December 20, the Pentagon released a 21-page report detailing its plans to root out extremism from its ranks, including furthering its scope of extremist activity to include tattoos, social media activity, and more.
It did not list examples of specific tattoos which could see prospective recruits banned from joining the military, but instead said it would consult with FBI officials on the ever-expanding list of potentially offensive inkings, which also differ from state to state.
'The overwhelming majority of the men and women of the Department of Defense serve this country with honor and integrity,' Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said in the report. 'We owe the men and women of the Department of Defense an environment free of extremist activities, and we owe our country a military that reflects the founding values of our democracy.'
The military has regulated extremists activity in its forces since 1969 and regularly updates its policy 'to clarify prohibited activities.'
QAnon Shaman Jacob Chansley, who served in the US Navy for two years, has many Norse mythology tattoos, which have been linked to Nazis and Neo-Nazis
Former Army Reservist Timothy Hale-Cusanelli was let go from the reserves in June after shaving his mustache to resemble Adolf Hitler's after being charged in the Capitol riot
He was also seen doing the 'ok' symbol, which has been linked to 'white power.' The military is cracking down on symbols, tattoos, and social media behavior after it was reported that nearly one in five rioters charged in the riot were former military
In 2020, the Army was the first to account social media behavior as a way to 'support extremist activities.'
The military has already regulated tattoos, such as placement - members cannot have them on their hands or other visible locations - and they cannot be sexist, racist, extremist, and indecent.
The new policy change comes after it was reported that nearly one in five rioters charged for the January 6 riot had former military history, according to NPR.
The DoD did not specially state which organizations constituted as extreme or racist in the new policy, but in June, Army Reservist Timothy Hale-Cusanelli was let go from the military for shaving his mustache to resemble that of Adolf Hitler's after he was charged in the January 6 riots.
Hale-Cusanelli, of New Jersey, was demoted in May from sergeant to private before he was let go in June, and has been hit by multiple accusations that he was obsessed with Hitler, and harbored extreme anti-Semitic views.
During his investigation, several former colleagues said Hale-Cusanelli said anti-Semitic jokes and said that Jewish people, women and black people were 'on the bottom of the totem pole.' He also
