The National Right to Life and Operation Rescue were among pro-life organizations labeled “terrorist groups” in a slide presented during training at Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg.
“Opponents of Roe v. Wade” were also listed on the slide. Now, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) is leading an effort demanding answers.
Rogers, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and U.S. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, sent a letter to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth.
“We write today to express our outrage at a Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) training held at Fort Liberty that characterized pro-life organizations as ‘terrorist groups,” the letter stated. “The training labeled several prominent and well-respected pro-life groups as violent extremists. The training also indicated the members of these organizations are threats to the safety of military installations and designated symbols of pro-life groups, including state-issued pro-life license plates, as indicators of terrorism. This is truly shocking for an organization that insists on treating everyone with ‘dignity and respect.’”
“We urge the Army to immediately issue a correction to all servicemembers who received this briefing, to implement rules to ensure officials do not make similar claims in the Army’s name in the future, and to discipline those individuals responsible for spreading such false and divisive claims,” the letter continued. “Additionally, the Army must reassess Army Directive 2024-07, to ensure that certain conservative and religious beliefs that are outside the progressive left ideology popular in military leadership, are not swept in as extremist activity for ‘advocating or engaging in unlawful force or violence to achieve goals that are political, religious, or discriminatory or ideological in nature."
The letter demanded answers to a series of questions by July 25.
The full text of the letter can be read online.
.@RepJimBanks & @RepMikeRogersAL led their Republican colleagues in a letter to @SecArmy demanding answers on a Directorate of Emergency Services training held at Fort Liberty that characterized pro-life organizations as terrorist groups⬇️https://t.co/lCTQMhFdEy pic.twitter.com/5EB1FpADjq
— Armed Services GOP (@HASCRepublicans) July 13, 2024
Fort Liberty responded by saying the slide was no longer being presented.
“It came to our attention that an anti-terrorism slide was posted on social media,” the military installation stated in a press release. “After conducting a commander’s inquiry, we determined that the slides presented on social media were not vetted by the appropriate approval authorities, and do not reflect the views of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty, the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.”
“The slides were developed by a local garrison employee to train Soldiers manning access control points at Fort Liberty,” the release continued. “These slides will no longer be used, and all future training products will be reviewed to ensure they align with the current DoD anti-terrorism guidance.”
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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