The Virginia National Guard confirmed that it has launched an investigation into two soldiers who have espoused anti-government views while running a county militia in the state.
Last week, Military.com reported that two Guardsmen -- Staff Sgts. Daniel Abbott and Alexandra Griffeth -- are running the Campbell County Militia, which operates in the countryside around Lynchburg, Virginia, with the blessing of Campbell County's Board of Supervisors .
In a statement provided to Military.com, Virginia National Guard spokesman A.A. Puryear said that it is "aware" that the pair are active in the militia "and have initiated an investigation into the matter."
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Puryear said that the service component "will take appropriate action, in accordance with U.S. Army guidelines and directives, once the investigation is complete" and noted that the state Guard "welcomes the focus on extremism and discussions about what meets the Army's definition of extremist behavior."
When asked for a comment last week, Puryear declined to say whether the Guard was investigating Abbott and Griffeth.
After reviewing several hours of the militia's meeting videos, Military.com discovered a pattern of Abbott issuing threats against the federal government and making it clear that his militia's mission is to be ready to wage a potential war.
At an event earlier this year, Abbott said that the U.S. government "is the greatest threat to our safety and security."
"Power is akin to force. I would argue there are only two [forces] man has direct access to. One of those is violence ... [and] the threat of violence."
Meanwhile, Campbell County's Board of Supervisors officially recognized the militia " as a barrier against a tyrannical government " in a six to one vote in 2020.
The news of the anti-government comments and the investigation comes just months after Army Secretary Christine Wormuth issued a new policy that underscored the fact that soldiers are forbidden from participating in radical causes, including anti-government activity.
The new set of rules explicitly notes that threats of violence against the government are prohibited and that "advocating, engaging in, or supporting the overthrow of the government ... by force or violence, or seeking to alter the forms [of government] by unconstitutional or other unlawful means, such as sedition" are not permitted.
The Virginia National Guard has previously moved slowly to address allegations of anti-government violence or rhetoric by its troops.
Jacob Fracker was the first service member to be charged by federal officials for being part of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. However, he was not removed from the Virginia Guard for more than a year after his arrest , despite public admissions that he took part in the destruction that included posting images of himself in the Capitol building.
Fracker, a corporal at the time, was an infantryman assigned to the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 29th Infantry Division.
However, since that time, a new commander, Maj. Gen. James Ring, has taken over running the Virginia Guard.
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