A soldier dismissed from the Army allegedly said he enlisted to become 'more proficient in killing' Black people

A former soldier is accused of lying in his application for a security clearance in order to get into the Army so he could kill black people.

According to a statement from the XVIII Airborne Corps, Ryan held the rank of specialist and served in the Army until August.

Ryan was separated from the Army for serious conduct.

Ryan had online ties to people whose social media accounts were associated with racially motivated extremists, according to an affidavit.

The affidavit was written by a police officer on the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. He is said to have said, "I serve for combat experience so I'm more proficient in killing black people." Ryan communicated with extremists on social media who were motivated by race, according to the affidavit.

Ryan was under investigation by the FBI and the Army cooperated in his arrest, according to the Airborne Corps.

The U.S. Army does not tolerate any form of discrimination. Military personnel are not allowed to participate in activities of extremists. Extremism is not welcome in the army.

Ryan and his attorneys were not reachable Thursday.

In April 2021, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered new steps to tackle the threat posed by extremists in the military, including updated screening questionnaires for recruits, a review of the department's definition of extremists, and efforts to prevent veterans from being drawn into violent movements.

After a 60-day stand-down across the armed services, commanders and troops were allowed to discuss how to confront white supremacy or other extreme ideologies in the military.

Ryan was a fire support specialist with the 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery and the 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry. Ryan wasn't deployed according to officials.

Ryan began active duty almost two weeks after he applied for a security clearance, according to the affidavit. Ryan said in the clearance form that he hadn't spoken to his father in more than a decade. Dillard has a criminal history that includes drugs and auto thefts.

Dillard posted a picture with his son at a high school graduation, according to federal prosecutors. Ryan communicated with his father on five different social media platforms. Ryan is accused of using the email address Naziace1488@aol.com to sign up for one of the accounts.

Dillard was not available for comment.

The article was first published on NBC News.