EXPERT: Bishop Garrison
Vice President for Policy at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance and former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Human Capital and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He has a background in the U.S. Army and has held various government roles, advocating for diversity and inclusion in the national security and defense sectors.
Bishop Garrison, former senior advisor to the US Secretary of Defence, was lead in countering violent extremism in the military. He issued recommendations on extremism in the military, including vetting measures. He states that extremism in the military has an outsized impact despite a small number breaking the law – but that extremists can erode the military’s ability to perform their duties. Extremism is a perennial problem in the military, but is currently supercharged by the internet. He says that veterans often lack a sense of structure, community and meaning which extremist organisations can provide within a hyper-partisan political environment. Some are politically disillusioned and vulnerable to anti-government movements; others may be targeted for their combat skills. He stresses the importance of data-driven policy and holistic approaches to extremism, which takes into account the impact of new technology.