I ran my unit’s extremism stand down and, in the process, confronted my own bias

Norfolk Police Detective Alex Benshoff of the Criminal Intelligence Unit, Norfolk Police Department, describes various extremist groups known to be operating in the Hampton Roads area for members of the Joint Planning Support Element during the day-long stand down to discuss the problem of extremism in the ranks.  

Three weeks ago, I’m in a military exercise at my unit when my boss tells me I'm tagged to run the Department of Defense’s mandatory extremism stand-down training.

I was not thrilled to take this one on. The training, ordered on Feb. 5 by the DOD, mandates that all military units conduct a one-day stand-down to address extremism in the ranks. I had heard the services were preparing to put out lesson materials but had no idea this training was going to impact me so profoundly.

Here’s why I was not happy getting assigned to run this training. First, I’ve never known of anyone with ties to extremist organizations. I’ve never been the target of a hate group. Like all of us, I read about the events at the Capitol building on January 6th, but I’m skeptical about how bad something is portrayed in the media. How bad could this problem be, and did we really need a day set aside to learn about it?

Secondly, I walked around my office building to get a sense from the staff of their reaction to the training. It did not seem anyone was excited about it and many felt the mandate was politically motivated. Just another mandatory training we all had to attend. Many shared with me that this was a knee-jerk response to a news event. I knew I had a challenge on my hands to understand the extent of this issue, then attempt to create something people would find valuable. I did not even know what the word extremism meant. I felt lost.

To complicate matters, I wasn’t sure which training to use because my command is joint. Later, I realized because we fall under the Air Force, it seemed a natural fit but decided to research every service’s videos, training handbooks, and legal guidance. I figured the more I understood the impact of extremism in the ranks, the better training I could facilitate.

Then something started to change in my perception of extremism. The training materials helped me understand the legal terminology and even the word extremist. The simplest explanation is this: does a group advocate violence? If so, it’s extremist. Then I watched a Frontline documentary called Documenting Hate. The show detailed how these groups target the military. I learned because of our majority political affiliation we are an appealing demographic to certain kinds of organizations. Additionally, with our access to weapons and other warfighting skills, many people with ties to the military are revered in these extremist groups, giving them a sense of purpose. I watched another video on an extremist group that targeted a young and vulnerable woman, one who needed a support network but found herself caught up with a hate group. Simply put, these groups prey on the weak, the vulnerable, and those who feel disenfranchised.

I became energized on making this stand-down the best possible experience for the attendees. I could have read off of the provided scripts and talking points. I could have shown the provided training videos, but I wanted to leave a more lasting impression. After a few failed attempts to reach any investigators who prosecute hate crimes through people I asked to help connect me, I decided to cold-call the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Norfolk branch and the Norfolk Police Department. I wanted to hear from the people on the ground that see the problem with extremism day in and day out. To my shock, those cold calls led to the appearance of two experts who investigate hate crimes to determine if they are cases for further prosecution.  

Using a training schedule put together by one of our combatant commands as a guide, our lawyer, the NCIS agent, and a detective from the Norfolk Police Department gave the training last Friday. Each speaker brought their unique perspective and expertise to the issue and the questions from the audience invigorated the discussion. I especially found so much value in learning about the hate groups from the Norfolk police detective. I had no idea these groups were so active in the community. I had no idea there was not a government-approved list of domestic hate organizations. We learned membership in a hate group is permitted in the military, but it's up to investigators to determine "active participation." This is why early intervention is key, and good leadership means knowing if your people are vulnerable to joining these organizations.

After a solemn opportunity to recite the oath of office, we broke for lunch. During the afternoon, we gathered in small groups and discussed eight case studies provided by the Air Force handbook. The cases highlighted how each situation when it comes to this issue is so unique and personalized. Many people shared deeply personal stories on times they’ve felt targeted by racism or people in their previous units who joined extremist organizations.

I came away from the experience better understanding my teammates and my own bias. I thought because I had not experienced this issue personally, it wasn’t common, but what I learned was that we all bring preconceived leanings into our interactions with others. It’s my job to recognize when I’m bringing a bias into social interactions and understand that while this issue may not have affected me deeply, it has impacted others who serve.

Regardless of what prompted this training, I’m thankful we did it, and we’re better off as a military for addressing this issue. I’m honored I played a part in educating about extremism in an effort to promote kinder work environments. Several people approached me afterward and said this was the best stand-down they’ve ever attended. I along with them came away invigorated on creating the best possible work culture so that we all feel included, we all feel like we belong, and we’re not suspectable to the recruiting tactics of groups that promote division and hate.