Fears of extremism in US military rise as soldier linked to Neo-Nazism
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Critics have previously stated that failing to address far-right extremism in the military is both historically naive and dangerous.
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Army soldiers chat while waiting for the arrival of Pete Hegseth to the US-Mexico border in Sunland Park, New Mexico, on February 3, 2025 (AP)
An active-duty military member in the United States Army is openly following a banned neo-Nazi terrorist group on social media, which has pledged to recruit soldiers in preparation for a so-called race war.
Experts believe incidents like this demonstrate how, under Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon has allowed extremism to flourish.
On the surface, following a TikTok account appears to be a minor offense for a young soldier in the 1st Infantry Division. However, not only has that private followed the Base, a violent neo-Nazi terrorist organization that was previously the subject of an FBI investigation, there are directives issued under Joe Biden that discourages that kind of social media activity.
In February, the Department of Defense published a statement that halted a major counter-extremism project aimed at weeding out white nationalists and far-right influences among military members, alleging a conflict with Donald Trump's executive orders. Since then, the efficiency of pulling out the extreme right among the ranks is questionable.
Following the January 6 Capitol Hill riot and early indications that at least 151 of the assailants had military backgrounds, the Pentagon issued a record stand-down order and established an extremist working group.
By December 2021, it would have implemented new laws governing what defines extremist actions, specifically controlling how troops behave on social media, including any associations with extremist organizations.
The Base recruits using an odd and covert TikTok account with only 30 followers, including a soldier and mortarman from the 1st Infantry Division. The account's posts support the Base's murder and sabotage mission in Ukraine, as well as neo-Nazi symbols and ambitions to form "platoon-sized units of highly dedicated, trained men."
"The army will not tolerate harmful behaviors and activities, including active participation in extremist activities," an Army spokesperson said in an email to The Guardian, confirming that the army tracks extremist activity and reports them to the Pentagon's inspector general.
"The TikTok account affiliated with the group includes a clear statement supporting accelerationism and advises joining the group to be linked up with other individuals to exploit 'collapse'," according to Joshua Fisher-Birch, a longtime far-right analyst and specialist on the Base who identified the soldier following the account.
“The Base has been designated as a terrorist group by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.”
Fisher-Birch stated that the Base and other neighboring groups, such as the now-defunct Atomwaffen Division, are engaged in political violence and continue to emphasize soldier recruitment because "combat experience and military training are prized."
However, under the current Pentagon's leadership, extremism and the extreme right are afterthoughts, while monitoring and erasing "woke" views remain a top priority. Hegseth has personal ties to Christian nationalism and was reported by a service member for suspected extremist tattoos that prevented him from attending President Biden's inauguration.
Critics have previously stated that failing to address far-right extremism in the military is both historically naive and dangerous. Timothy McVeigh, the brains behind the 1995 Oklahoma City explosion that murdered 168 people, was a Desert Storm veteran who had tested out for the United States Army's special operations.
Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, argues that if any troops are related to the Base, the military should immediately commence dismissal proceedings or, at the absolute least, issue a punishment, adding that it is "terrifying" that an American soldier is even "linked to such a violent neo-Nazi group".
The Base also has a well-documented and honored tradition of luring active-duty soldiers and veterans to its ranks. The Base, led by a former special forces contractor, had numerous global war on terror veterans as well as one Canadian reservist who illegally entered the United States and was later involved in a number of terrorist schemes for which he is now doing time.
Beirich cited numerous additional recent examples of guys with military experience who joined hardline neo-Nazi groups with similar plans to attack the United States.
