More than 80 of the defendants charged in relation to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol have ties to the U.S. military — most of those with a military background were veterans. A CBS News analysis of service records, attorney statements, and court documents has found that at least 81 current or former service members face charges and are accused of participating in the mob that led Congress to temporarily halt its counting of the 2020 presidential election’s Electoral College votes. The Justice Department has so far charged more than 700 individuals in connection with the Capitol breach. While an overwhelming majority of those with military ties were veterans when they were charged, at least five were currently in the military when they participated in the attack. One was an active-duty Marine, and four were part-time troops, either in the Army Reserve or National Guard. Court documents assert another alleged rioter was “attending basic training for the United States Air Force” at the time of an August 2021 interview with the FBI following his alleged participation in the January 6 attack. (…) The Defense Department didn’t respond to a request for comment on this report. However, alarmed by the involvement of veterans and military service members in the assault on the Capitol, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a one-day stand down in the spring to discuss extremism and subsequently formed the Counter Extremism Working Group. It has been tasked with updating the Pentagon’s definition of extremist activity and adding training on extremist groups that might try to recruit former service members, as well as transition checklists for those leaving military service. The group is also standardizing entrance questionnaires to root out applicants with previous extremist behavior.
via cbsnews: Over 80 of those charged in the January 6 investigation have ties to the military