The Atomwaffen Division is a violent neo-Nazi group tied to five murders and a bomb plot over the past year. At least some of their members are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces. Our reporting showed that Lance Corporal Vasillios Pistolis, a Marine currently stationed at Camp Lejeune, acted as a cell leader for Atomwaffen and associated with other fascist organizations; he also boasted about assaulting four people last summer at the white power rally in Charlottesville. Our reporting on Pistolis and his fellow Atomwaffen members sparked an investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and prompted Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., to press the Pentagon to explain what it is doing about racial extremism in its ranks.
We know that Pistolis is an outlier. The overwhelming majority of service members don’t agree with his beliefs. But our reporting suggests there are definitely other white supremacists and neo-Nazis serving in the armed forces. (These people may also describe themselves white nationalists or supporters of the alt-right.)
We want to know more about these service members. We want to know what the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines are doing about them.
Can you help us? Are you an active duty or retired service member, or the family or friend of someone in the military who has encountered white supremacy or neo-Nazis in the armed forces? We want to hear your story. Tell us below.
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