With service to our nation as a core tenet of our operations, we execute research, monitoring, and interdiction operations to counter domestic extremism across the country. We work with other civil society organizations and pro-democracy institutions to ensure the safety of those most often targeted by domestic extremist activity. We exploit opportunities to interdict and deter extremist activity online and in-person. Our goal is not to harm those who’ve fallen sway to misinformation and radicalization, but to encourage them to leave a path that exclusively leads to their destruction.

Task Force Butler’s name and inspiration comes from two historical sources that exemplify the ability of America’s military women and men to rise to the call of defending the U.S Constitution from both foreign and domestic threats.

The first Task Force Butler was an ad hoc armored task force created by Major General Lucian K. Truscott Jr. during Operation Dragoon (the second Allied amphibious assault after D-Day) with a singular goal: destroy the Nazi defenses through combined arms tactics. The soldiers who came together from various units, military occupational specialties, and combat experiences were able to successfully integrate their unique backgrounds into an extremely effective fighting force.

It is in this spirit that our Task Force Butler was formed, bringing military veterans from all branches and experience together to accomplish a specific mission: observe and deter domestic extremist activity in the United States. From former Navy aviators to Marine Corps machine gunners, from data scientists to college students, the women and men of Task Force Butler are the embodiment of how effective “improvise, adapt, and overcome” is as a doctrine to defend America from the insidious threat of domestic extremism.

Task Force Butler is also named after Marine Corps General Smedley Butler. Enshrined in Marine Corps history as one of two Marines to receive the Medal of Honor twice, General Butler’s legacy and impact on American history after leaving the Corps is less known, but arguably more important than anything he did while in uniform. In the early 20th century, then-retired General Butler was approached by a corrupt group of extremely wealthy and influential American businessmen who asked him to help them overthrow the United States government by leading a mob of homeless veterans camped in Washington, D.C. General Butler went along with the plot long enough to gather as much information as possible about who was behind it before turning over all the evidence to Congress. It was, in no uncertain terms, the closest historical parallel to what occurred on Jan. 6, 2021.

The actions of General Butler single handedly preserved American democracy at a time when it felt weakest. Task Force Butler takes inspiration from his patriotism, dedication to democracy, and willingness to serve his country and his Constitution well past his time in uniform.

Those who wish to join Task Force Butler are welcomed to a community of fellow veterans who understand the threat that violent domestic extremists pose to our communities and our democracy. For those accepted into the team, we provide research and training on the full breadth of our operations, both online and in person. We encourage and embrace a variety of experiential backgrounds and will find the best ways to utilize your time and knowledge in this fight.

Task Force Butler is not the solution to domestic extremism — we are merely one vital part of a vast ecosystem of Americans working together to ensure that our Constitution and ability to govern by the people and for the people is preserved. We partner with leading experts in domestic extremism who share our values, facilitating a variety of projects and programs, from technology development to policy proposals. We work with organizations in the public and private sector to develop and deploy scalable defenses to protect vulnerable and frequently targeted communities online, including veterans, women, and minorities.

Task Force Butler is the embodiment of our true commitment and oath to uphold and defend the U.S Constitution against domestic threats. It is a commitment to the belief that America is an inclusive, complex, and turbulent nation defined by the moments in which we approach one another with open arms and reject those who seek to define our nation by a single race, creed, religion, or ideology.

For those who wish to use violence or the threat of violence to achieve political goals in the United States of America, let Task Force Butler be a warning and a promise:

America is watching you.