Military Matters
Fast take: Debate continues about extremism in the military
Stars and Stripes
May 27, 2021
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The reaction to Episode 2 of Military Matters — extremism in the military — was intense. And the comments poured in.
In this Fast Take episode, co-hosts Rod Rodriguez and Jack Murphy try to answer some of the questions posed by listeners which involved Q Anon, white nationalism, neo-Nazis and even Antifa and the left.
As part of the discussion, Rodriguez talks with retired Green Beret Ruben Ayala, the CEO of veteran-branded clothing company Triple Nikel. Ayala shares the personal story of his own Special Forces soldier who wore a Confederate flag patch while in Afghanistan and what he did and didn't do about it.
"Part of me was so focused on the mission that I did not want to ... lose a guy at a critical moment just because of a piece of fabric. Although it made me feel really uncomfortable," said Ayala, who grappled with whether the soldier was racist and whether the decisions he made with respect to that soldier were the right ones.
Extremism in the military is an issue that isn't going away.
Follow Jack Murphy on Twitter @jackmurphyrgr and Rod Rodriguez @rodpodrod.
The full transcript of the podcast can be found here.
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