The Casualties of Careless War

Using the recent shooting in Wisconsin as an example of how individuals with military experience have seemingly went berserk and committed heinous crimes against innocent people, only parallels the need to remove the ability for anyone with criminal or gang related offenses or even affiliations to join the military. This ongoing crisis has been written about for awhile, as can be seen in an article from 2006 entitled "U.S. is recruiting misfits for army / felons, racists, gang members fill in ranks.

As in the case of the Wisconsin shooter who was previously in the army, where he began to identify with a neo-nazi group, highlights the infiltration of the military by racist organizations and gangs and proliferated later after the moral waiver study conducted by the pentagon, and the latter Bush administrations removal of gang-activity barriers to enlistment in 2005.

Source

In 2004, the Pentagon instituted a "Moral Waiver Study" whose seemingly benign goal was "to better define relationships between pre-Service behaviors and subsequent Service success." That turned out to mean opening the recruitment doors to potential enlistees with criminal records. In February of this year, the Baltimore Sun wrote that there was "a significant increase in the number of recruits with what the Army terms 'serious criminal misconduct' in their background" -- a category that included: "aggravated assault, robbery, vehicular manslaughter, receiving stolen property and making terrorist threats." From 2004 to 2005, the number of those recruits had spiked by over 54%, while alcohol and illegal drug waivers, reversing a four-year downward trend, increased by over 13%.

This organization is not the only dangerous group that has access to military training and installations. CBS in 2009 posted an article that discussed a very serious concern that asked, "are gang members using military training," including combat, logistics, and even emergency medical skills.



In 2009, DHS warned of the rise in right-wing extremists groups and the resurgence of such racist ideologies comparable to the 1990's fueled largely by economic recession, and the perceived threat to U.S. power and sovereignty by other foreign powers.

Source

The possible passage of new restrictions on firearms and the return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks.

Returning veterans possess combat skills and experience that are attractive to rightwing extremists. DHS/I&A is concerned that rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to boost their violent capabilities.

Regardless of or if this is a contributing factor in recent shootings, coupled with lax security and background checks in possible recruits who enter military service and potentially become radicalized by existing elements, something must be done to eliminate these racist hate groups power and subversion. I say revoke and eliminate future individuals access to the military through waiving criminal and gang related activity just to fill the ranks and voids.

Of course not all people who commit these atrocities are veterans, some have psychological problems or mental issues left unaddressed or are "mitigated ' by pharmaceuticals which only increase psychosis and distress.

Close the loopholes, end the wars, and let's provide our veterans and the mentally distressed utmost care and services they deserve.