On December 3, Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow Scott Cooper USMC (Ret.) joined a discussion at the Brookings Institute on “How to address extremism among veterans.” In the wake of the January 6 attack on the Capitol, national security experts have become concerned about the propensity of domestic extremist groups to target veterans for recruitment. Scott Cooper talked about the faith veterans place in government institutions both during and after their service and how the erosion of that trust has left them vulnerable to extremist recruitment.
The challenge we are facing right now is that we have lost a lot of faith in those institutions…when it becomes patriotic to be against your own government then there is a problem there.
The Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security works to develop sustainable, nonpartisan strategies to address the most important security challenges facing the United States and the world.
Forward Defense leads the Atlantic Council’s US and global defense programming, developing actionable recommendations for the United States and its allies and partners to compete, innovate, and navigate the rapidly evolving character of warfare. Through its work on US defense policy and force design, the military applications of advanced technology, space security, strategic deterrence, and defense industrial revitalization, it informs the strategies, policies, and capabilities that the United States will need to deter, and, if necessary, prevail in major-power conflict.
