A former U.S. Army paratrooper who allegedly enlisted to become proficient at killing Black people was kicked out of the military after an FBI probe discovered his ties to White supremacist organizations. CNN reports that authorities arrested Killian M. Ryan on Aug. 26 and charged him with one count of knowingly making a false statement on his secret security clearance application. The Army also discharged Ryan on the same day for multiple driving under the influence of alcohol violations. Ryan was required to obtain a secret security clearance for his job as a fire support specialist. His duties included gathering intelligence and enemy target positions so that troops could accurately fire artillery.
On his May 2020 application for the security clearance, Ryan stated that he hadn’t been in contact with his father for more than 10 years. Ryan’s father has felony convictions for drugs and auto theft. Prosecutors said he lied. Investigators discovered several social media accounts allegedly registered to Ryan that were used to contact his father, as well as recent pictures of them together within the 10-year period. A closer look at Ryan’s social media accounts revealed that one of them was “in contact with numerous accounts associated with racially motivated extremism,” prosecutors said. He allegedly used an email address that included “Nazi ace1488” to register several of those accounts. Ryan is also accused of posting, “I serve for combat experience so I’m more proficient in killing [N-words].”
A Defense Department report drafted by the Trump administration underscores the problem of white supremacists in the military ranks, NBC News reported in February 2021. It called for an adjustment to how the department screens military recruits for ties to domestic terrorism. The report says white supremacists in the military represent a small percentage of active-duty and reservists. "Despite a low number of cases in absolute terms, individuals with extremist affiliations and military experience are a concern to U.S. national security because of their proven ability to execute high-impact events," NBC News quoted the report. According to CNN, at least 95 people charged in connection with the January 6 insurrection served in the U.S. military.
