On book tv on cspan2. Next, officials from the defense department, army, navy, and air force on the incidence of White Supremacy in the military. This portion of the hearing is an hour. The hearing will come to order once again. Id like to welcome our second panel. We have joined this afternoon by mr. Gary reid who is a director for defense intelligence, obviously the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, stefanie miller, director of accessions policy, office of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness and mr. Joe etheridge, chief criminal intelligence division, u. S. Army criminal investigation command and mr. Christopher mcmahon, National Security director, the naval criminal investigateive services, and mr. Robert grabolski of afsoi, u. S. Air force, office of special investigations. We will begin with you. Thank you, madam chair, and Ranking Member. On behalf of the entire team here, i would like to convey our appreciation for your time and interest and the committees support for the department. If you would allow, madam chair, i represent the Background Investigation piece of this process and i would like ms. Miller to begin and ill come back. Its the front end and then well go through the military departments. Thank you. Thats appropriate. Ms. Miller . Good afternoon, madam chair, Ranking Member kelly, and members of the subcommittee. Im stephanie miller. Im director under the secretary of defense. Im pleased to provide testimony on this important issue and i want to thank the members of the first panel for their knowledge and expertise. Which the department values. Im responsible for the oversight of all matters of pertaining to the recruitment of officers and enlisted personnel. Im responsible for policy and recruitment matters, providing oversight of resources, managing the process and other matters of the all volunteer force. Each year, we recruit approximately 400,000 applicants for military service. Approximate 250,000 actually contract into the all volunteer force. We remain committed the recruiting high quality applicant represents. While todays economy has brought challenges to military recruiting, the department has been steadfast that the services should adhere to our policies candidatesd list that actually meet our High Standard standards. The life cycle for military personnel is a complex process which is constantly evolving. Methods for improvement. For example, the department has launched a satellite screening capability that identifies indicators of questionable allegiance. This embedding progress process has proven successful, not only are available from the standardized background. Recruiters play a Critical Role in assessing the qualifications of the applicants. Each applicant is interviewed to obtain as much information as possible about the individualss qualifications for military service. During our processing stations, applicants undergo a physical by trained professionals and background searches. Applicants answer questions about arrests, charters, probation,parole, or regardless of the outcome. Applicants undergo a fingerprint check. Subsequent background checks screens for extreme with ties. Law Enforcement Agency checks, and a review of the violent gang file. Upon entry into the armed services, the department, the military services and individuals share a responsibility to ensure members are afforded the opportunity to serve with dignity and respect. The departments overreaching guidance is clear that military personnel must not advocate supremacist or gangaffiliated doctrines, including those that encourage discrimination based on race, creed, ethnicity, or national origin, or those that advocate the use of force, violence, or criminal activity. Beyond its guidance, the Department Works to provide commanders and senior military leaders the tools they need. To keep informed about activities or behaviors of Service Members. Commanders working with key stake holders are swift to take appropriate action when warranted. We are gaining additional insights on Service Members through the deployment of new technologies and have employed screening techniques that assess personality dimensions to identify applicants that fit with the militarys culture of treating all with dignity and respect. In conjunction with traditional qualifications these tools can , be utilized as a wholeperson applicant screening process and can tell us a great deal about the likelihood of completing an initial entry training, and the ability of that individual to adapt to the rules and regulations of military culture. D. O. D. Remains committed to ensuring all personnel are treated with dignity and respect in an inclusive environment. This is accomplished while keeping each persons Civil Liberties intact. While its not always easy, its critical to protect our Service Members and are those of those want to serve throughout the country. Madam chair woman, i look forward to answering your questions and appreciate you offering this opportunity to discuss this issue. Thank you, ms. Miller. Mr. Reid . Thank you, madam chair. Again, i thank you for the opportunity to testify on my oversight of personnel Security Policy and the steps we take in the department of defense to develop and sustain a workforce that embodies our values as americans. I will focus my opening remarks on Background Investigations, Insider Threat programs, and continuous evaluation, as these are the primary authorities and capabilities we employ to identify persons with extremist ideologies and deny them the opportunity to serve in the department of defense. Where indicated, we also ensure they are investigated for any policy violations or criminal behaviors and are held accountable for their actions. Once a person has been selected for military service, the Department Initiates a comprehensive Background Investigation. All applicants must complete the questionnaire for National Security positions, published by the office of Personnel Management as the sf86. All military applicants must pass a rigorous Background Investigation that exceeds the standards apply to many nonmilitary persons. This is a choice made by the department of defense in recognition that theres a high level of public trust in our military that necessitates a strong commitment to ensuring persons with criminal, extremist, or other undesirable characteristics are not allowed to serve in our ranks. Applicants are asked probing and detailed questions about personal conduct, job history, encounters with Law Enforcement, drug use, credit, foreign travel, and associations with organizations dedicated to terrorism, use of violence to overthrow the u. S. Government, and the commission of acts of force or violence to discourage others from exercising their constitutional rights. Background investigators supplement and enrich this data on the sf86 with information provided by former educators, employers, coworkers, and neighbors of the applicants. Investigators check federal and state Law Enforcement data history and review public records, credit reports, and other data sources. Investigators initiate additional checks. This information is aggregated in a reportive investigation. As certified to an adjudicator. Against the 13 federal adjudicated guidelines. Of the guidelines personal conduct, criminal conduct, and allegiance to the United States are the primary criteria used to vet personnel that exhibit any extremist behaviors. While cases with allegiance are uncommon, overall, the three guidelines combine for almost half of the denials for military personnel. Keeping in mind, the prior screening ms. Miller described happens in front of this. You have narrowed down to a more selected population by the time we run this. Applicants with favorable Background Investigation results are subject to two sets of monitoring procedures throughout their military service. Each of our military departments manage their own Insider Threat programs that serve as a conduit for reporting behaviors of concern that are observable in the workplace. All d. O. D. Personnel are mandated to report such behaviors that are similar, but not identical to the federal adjudicated guidelines. The d. O. D. Component provides reporting to a central Threat Center led by our defense Counter Intelligence and security agency. All dod personnel are covered by one of the 43 hubs distributed across the department and reporting of behavior is increasing. Suspicious behavior is increasing. Any behavior that crosses the threshold is assessed by Insider Threat hubs, the chain of command, or security managers. In addition to monitoring for Insider Threat behaviors, the Department Also conducts a Continuous Evaluation Program at the d. O. D. Level. Presently, 1. 9 million d. O. D. Personnel are enrolled in this system. The department has plans to enroll the full population by october 2021. Continuous evaluation provides data by outside the department with monitoring of commercial and public Data Services for indicators of behavior that violates the standard of conduct. When alerts indicate unacceptable behavior, an incident report is submitted that is reviewed by the chain of command and dod facility. If appropriate, the incident can be referred to Law Enforcement. If indicated, the subject can be removed from eligibility to hold a position and processed for separation from military service. Madam chair, ill close by highlighting that this is a dynamic process that is in the state of improvement. Know, thembers government is in a process of adding additional controls in the personal that in enterprise, moving to a continuous vetting model across the entire government. Everything i described will continue to be refined and enriched to where we have the greatest degree of awareness of where threats are across the department, including those posed by those with extremist attitudes. Thank you for your time. Thank you, mr. Reid. Mr. Ethridge . Good afternoon, chairwoman spear, Ranking Member kelly. Im joe ethridge. Chief of the criminal intelligence division, Army Criminal investigation command. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to provide testimony on the important issue of racially motivated extremist threat. As the chief of cids intelligence division, i assist in developing courses of action to prevent or mitigate. The cid identifies soldiers suspected of participating in extremist activities to include chain of command reporting, socialolice, media, media searches, deadline reports, and fbi domestic terrorism investigative reporting. We evaluate these reports to identify supporting facts. The majority of the soldiers identified as participating to some extent in extreme it activities in extremist activities are not subjects of criminal investigations. The more common scenario is participation in an online forum that might be expressing some premises views. In these instances, cid notifies commanders by an information report for action in accordance with army policy. Commanders have the authority to counsel, train, and take disciplinary action to restore good order and discipline. Additionally, cid notifies the facility anded intelligence and security command for personnel security adjudication. The cid initiates investigations when indications or allegations of a crime are present. In early 2019, cid observed a small increase in criminal investigations initiated with soldier participation in extremist activities as a component. Specifically, there were 7 criminal investigations initiated with an extremist activity component in 2019 in comparison to an average of 2. 4 per year in 2014 to 2018 period. This includes soldiers from all components, active duty, national guard, and army reserve. During the same time period, the fbi notified cid of an increase in domestic terrorism investigations with soldiers or former soldiers as suspects. The fbi reporting clearly stated that extremist organizations were seeking veteran skills. In may 2019, the Provost Marshal general and i briefed the vice chief of staff of the army and members of the army staff on the cid on the fbi observe observations. The army chief of staff ordered a working group to review this. To prevent extremism in the ranks. The working group offered up several adjustments stated in chapter 412 of army regulation. The revision is scheduled for release in the Second Quarter of this year. Internally, cid expanded its liaison relationship with the fbi, traditionally centered on the National JointTerrorism Task force and the National Gang intelligence center, into the fbis domestic terrorism operations unit. In summary, over the past year, cid has increased collection events and formed our leadership of observations, participated in the review and changes to army policy, expanded our relationship with Law Enforcement partners and made notification to commanders. Additionally, cid has formulated a request to the Army Inspector general to add unit implementation of extremist Activity Policy that is encapsulated as a focus area for the next inspection cycle for army wide Inspector General inspections. The army is postured to identify extremist behavior in the ranks. It has the leadership tools to prevent emergence as an issue. Madam chairwoman, im happy to answer any questions you or any members may have at this time. Thank you. Mr. Mcmann . Good afternoon chairwoman, Ranking Member and distinguished members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on extremism in the military. I am the executive assistant director of the National Security director. I am pleased to have the opportunity this afternoon to appear before you and provide testimony on this topic. As executive assistant director of the National Security director, i lead investigations confronting the intelligence and terrorism threats posed to the department of navy personnel, assets, research, and technologies. My team also addresses all force protection issues, to include force engagements, ship visits. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating domestic terrorism investigations, including racially motivated extremism. These investigations receive immediate priority attention. Our highly skilled civilian Law Enforcement professionals use all available resources to address these matters working closely with the fbi and additional federal and local partners to address these threats. Over the course of fiscal year 2018, we experienced an increase in the number of domestic extremism related reports from the fbi involving department of defense affiliated personnel. In response to these referrals and to more accurately reflect the scope of these incidents, ncis established the case category of domestic terrorism for investigative reporting purposes. Ncis generally defines domestic terrorism as terrorism perpetrated by individuals in groups inspired by or associated with u. S. Based movements that espouse extremist ideologies of a political, social, religious, racial, or environmental nature. We investigate crimes associated with domestic extremist organizations when theres a federal violation, violent ideology in an active Service Member or current civilian employee who has expressed an aspiration to further the violent ideology by threats, acts of violence, or other enabling criminal activity. For instances in which a crime is suspected, a general Crimes Investigation with an ncis is initiated. Ncis does not pursue investigations of department of the navy individuals who make statements they share the beliefs or a subset of the beliefs held by domestic Extremist Groups unless information exists indicating it meets this threshold. Investigations where crimes are not evident, information is passed to appropriate commands deemed appropriate. In conclusion, the predication for domestic terrorism investigations typically comes from command complaints, other Investigative Agency referrals , or tips. Ncis maintains form information sharing agreements with the fbi on terrorism matters. These same channels serve as the primary method of information sharing involving employees. Thank you and i look forward to your questions. All right, thank you. Mr. Gorowski . Chairwoman, Ranking Member, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to address you. As the Department Director for Law Enforcement, air forces special investigation, i oversee policy, tra