U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden conducts stand down day

By Connie DickeyMarch 31, 2021

Maj. Chris Ford with the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Legal Center, explains the legal ramifications of being associated with extremist behavior in the military.
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Maj. Chris Ford with the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Legal Center, explains the legal ramifications of being associated with extremist behavior in the military. (Photo Credit: Connie Dickey) VIEW ORIGINAL
The Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, opened up the extremist training with a pre-recorded message on its importance.
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, opened up the extremist training with a pre-recorded message on its importance. (Photo Credit: Connie Dickey) VIEW ORIGINAL
During the extremism training, slides were shown showing the responsibilities of Solders, officers and civilians on addressing extremism in the ranks.
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During the extremism training, slides were shown showing the responsibilities of Solders, officers and civilians on addressing extremism in the ranks. (Photo Credit: Connie Dickey) VIEW ORIGINAL

WIESBADEN, Germany – The Secretary of Defense signed a memorandum on Feb. 5 directing a one-day stand-down to address extremism in the ranks. The stand-down is the first initiative in a deliberate campaign to identify and eliminate the corrosive effects of extremist behavior in the workforce.

U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden conducted a stand-down on March 24 for all Soldiers and Army Civilian employees and addressed the impacts of extremism in the ranks, as well as the responsibilities of commands, in order to foster an environment free of discrimination, hate and harassment to prevent harm to the Army and to honor the trust of the American people.

Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Truchon, command sergeant major of the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, said “Like sexual assault and harassment, extremism destroys the readiness of our

formations, and devalues the sacrifices that Soldiers, past and present, have made to protect those that are oppressed and unable to defend themselves.”