The Department of Defense's Office of Inspector General (OIG) is slated to screen military applicants for extremism.
"The objective of this audit is to determine whether Military Service recruiting organizations screened applicants for supremacist, extremist, and criminal gang behavior, according to DOD and Military Service policies and procedures," a letter signed by Richard Vasquez, assistant inspector general for audit, read.
The audit, which is scheduled for this month, will be conducted in the Army, Air Force, Navy, and the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, according to The Hill.
News of an audit comes in light of the Pentagon's investigation into extremism following the Jan. 6 riot.
According to CBS, over 80 defendants charged in connection with the riot had ties to the military, most of whom were veterans. Following the riot, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a force-wide "stand down" to further address the issue.
Since then, a new set of rules have come out to screen for extremism. Last month, The Hill reported, the DOD issued rules that "overthrow [of] the government, raising money for extremist groups, and 'liking' or reposting extremist content online is not allowed."
However, membership in extremist groups is not explicitly prohibited. Still, military service members cannot participate in extremist activities and will be punished for advocating for extremist content online.
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