EXTREMISMBehind the Oath Keepers Charged with Sedition Are Many More Who Have Been Trained by the U.S. Military
Experts on violent extremism believe it isn’t only the number of Oath Keepers that is a problem, it is their makeup. A significant number of their members are veterans – both female and male – who bring military skills to the group and also serve as recruiters for other active and former armed service personnel.
The article was originally published 27 January 2022. Note: On Thursday, Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, of Granbury, Texas, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, and Kelly Meggs, of Dunnellon, Florida, the leader of the Florida chapter of the organization, were sentenced for seditious conspiracy and other charges. Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison, and Meggs was sentenced to 12 years in prison. On Friday, Jessica Watkins, of Woodstock, Ohio, was sentenced to eight years and six months behind bars, and Kenneth Harrelson, of Titusville, Florida, was sentenced to four years in prison. A federal jury acquitted Watkins and Harrelson of the seditious conspiracy charge, but jurors convicted Watkins and Harrelson of other Jan. 6 charges.
The leader of the Oath Keepers militia, Stewart Rhodes, must stay behind bars pending trial for his alleged role in the storming of the Capitol, a judge ruled on Jan. 26, 2022. While this means authorities can keep tabs on the whereabouts of Rhodes – and presumably limit any perceived threat from him – the same may not be said for all members of the group.
Rhodes and other defendants who have pleaded not guilty to charges of seditious conspiracy over the attempted insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, present just a fraction of the total membership of the Oath Keepers – the size of which raises uncomfortable questions about the possibility of violent radicalization in the U.S. military.
As experts on violent extremism, we believe it isn’t only the number of Oath Keepers that is a problem, it is their makeup. A significant number of their members are veterans – both female and male – who bring military skills to the group and also serve as recruiters for other active and former armed service personnel.
Challenging the Commander in Chief
The Oath Keepers were founded by Rhodes in 2009 as an anti-government group in response to the Obama presidency.
The group’s name implies a mandate to honor their oath to the U.S. Constitution, and in particular to “defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
But its founding inspiration was precisely the opposite: challenging a legitimate president and commander in chief out of animosity toward what Barack Obama stood for. Since then, the Oath Keepers have armed and broadcast plans to mobilize.
The Oath Keepers may number in the thousands, yet we believe they present a greater threat than their membership suggests. This is partly because the Oath Keepers actively recruit current and retired members of the armed forces.
As UMass Lowell terrorism expert and our research collaborator, Arie Perliger, has shown in his work, Oath Keepers members are likely better trained militarily than other extremist groups because of the group’s composition.
About 10% of the Oath Keepers are active-duty military, and around two-thirds are retired military or law enforcement, according to analysis of the group’s membership by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Several Oath Keepers present at the Jan. 6 attack were veterans, such as Larry Brock, the so-called “zip-tie guy” due to his being photographed with the makeshift handcuffs.
