Street gangs found in military

By LISA HOFFMAN
Capitol Hill Blue
Feb. 11, 2007

The FBI says it has uncovered members of the Bloods, Crips, Hells Angels, Black Disciples, Mara Salvatrucha and nearly every other U.S. street gang serving in uniform on military bases stateside and overseas.

At Fort Lewis in Washington state, for instance, nearly 130 gang and extremist group members have been identified since 2005, with many believed responsible for criminal misconduct on base. At Fort Hood in Texas, the Army has identified 23 gang-bangers since 2003, including one soldier, who was a Gangster Disciple leader, convicted of two aggravated robberies.

In its Jan. 21 report, the FBI said the gang members “constitute only a fraction of military personnel,” but are increasing in the ranks and posing both a crime and national security threat.

The military services say some of the increase can be explained by a greater focus on the problem, which they say they are actively battling at installations in Germany, Japan and Iraq, as well as at Fort Campbell, Ky., Fort Bragg, N.C., and Fort Bliss, Texas.