New NPR Series ’A Good Guy’ follows a U.S. Marine involved in the Jan. 6 riot

A new series from NPR’s Embedded follows the case of Sergeant Joshua Abate, an active-duty Marine who joined the mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Sgt. Abate says that he’s not a rioter or an insurrectionist. So what was he doing inside the Capitol that day, and what does his case tell us about the legacy of January 6th?

In this two-part series beginning October 24, NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and producer Lauren Hodges, explore Sgt. Abate’s journey after January 6th: his appointment to a prestigious NSA internship, his eventual arrest by the FBI, and his appearance before Marine officers judging his fitness to serve. In the process, Bowman and Hodges dig into the military’s efforts to counter extremism in the ranks.

Listen to the trailer HERE

Military prosecutors say Josh took an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. With the threat of violence hanging over the 2024 presidential election, “A Good Guy” looks at what happens when that oath is compromised.

Episodes excerpts will air on NPR’s All Things Considered and NPR’s Morning Edition and will appear in the NPR Embedded podcast feed. Embedded+ supporters will get to hear both episodes on October 24. Sign up for access at plus.npr.org.

The events of January 6th continue to cast a long shadow over the country,” said Tom Bowman. “I’ve spent over three decades covering military affairs and there is no question that this nagging and sometimes brutal political divide has roiled all our nation’s institutions, including the Pentagon. Our series provides a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes and learn how the Marine Corps handled the case of Josh Abate.”

As Abate’s case makes its way through the legal system and within the Marine Corps, Bowman and Hodges close in on a question with deep implications for the military: What should the consequences be for those who breached the seat of government they’re tasked to defend?

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