
On Wednesday, a Department of Defense briefing at Ft. Liberty, North Carolina, sparked controversy when a slide presented in the briefing included pro-life organizations under the “Terrorist Groups” category.
The slide, revealed by DOD whistleblower Samuel Shoemate, listed groups like Operation Rescue and National Right to Life alongside known terrorist entities. The presentation, intended for gate guard duty training, was created by a civilian DOD employee and was not properly vetted by leadership.
The briefing included a section on identifying threats, and pro-life groups were shown with labels suggesting they are equivalent to terrorist organizations like ISIS. The controversy intensified when pro-life leaders, such as the president of National Right to Life, criticized the inclusion, stating their organizations have always condemned violence. Fort Liberty officials have since stated the slides will not be used in future briefings and do not reflect the views of the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.
A soldier who attended the briefing expressed concern, noting the unsettling comparison between peaceful pro-life advocacy and violent extremism. This incident has raised questions about the extent to which such training materials have been used and whether there is a broader issue within the DOD regarding the classification of domestic groups as threats.