Matthew Lohmeier, Author at Matthew Lohmeier

Matthew Lohmeier Congressional Testimony Statement

13 January 2024

by Matthew Lohmeier Hearings Military Speeches

Former Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier gave this statement at the “The Risks of Progressive Ideologies in the U.S. Military” hearing for the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs on 11 January 2024:

Good morning. My name is Matt Lohmeier and I’m an Air Force Academy graduate, former F-15C fighter pilot, and was a Lieutenant Colonel and commander in the Space Force.

In 2021, I was fired from my command in the Space Force for trying to reverse the trend of the overt politicization of the Uniformed Services.

Specifically, I criticized the military’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) trainings, which, at my own base, were illegally occurring despite an executive order from the commander-in-chief.

I watched these trainings divide our troops ideologically and, in some cases, sow the seeds of animosity towards the very country they had sworn an oath to defend.

I submitted a formal written complaint to the Space Force Inspector General (see Exhibit 5) detailing that such violations were occurring, including illegal race-based discrimination, but my complaint was never investigated and was later dismissed by then-Lt Gen Stephen Whiting, whom the Senate just confirmed for his fourth star.

After two months, I received a written dismissal of my complaint from General Whiting (see Exhibit 6).

After my complaint was dismissed, I wrote a book explaining that the DEI industry, which is steeped in critical race theory, is rooted in anti-American, Marxist ideology, and demonstrated its divisive impact on our troops.

I explained that DEI initiatives and trainings were dividing our armed forces precisely because CRT was created by those who harbored the intention to undermine and destroy the fabric of American society.

I warned that our recruitment and retention would plummet if we continued to foist such a divisive ideology on the men and women in uniform.

Personally, I have always advocated for a non-political military work environment.

Today, I’m here to testify about the ongoing Marxist-inspired efforts to subvert and weaken our military and broader American society.

We often refer to these efforts as wokeism; it is a culture war. Yet, even in this committee, there are differing views about whether there is such a thing as a “culture war” under way.

Some members of this committee have been outspoken critics of DEI initiatives, CRT, drag shows on military bases, and LGBTQ pride celebrations and woke military recruiting videos—all things that are components of an ongoing culture war.

Ranking member Garcia, on the other hand, asserted as recently as two weeks ago in a tweet that the culture wars are “phony” and are merely a political talking point of Republicans (see tweet from December 31, 2023).

But I assure you that Congressman Garcia’s view is NOT the view of many men and women in uniform who labor under the constant burden of race identity politics in the military workplace, and what appears to them to be the destruction of the merit- based system, whether deliberate or incidental.

It’s nothing if not incredible for a member of this committee to assert the culture wars are “phony” while another member of this committee is a member of the so-called progressive ‘Squad,’ was herself a Black Lives Matter organizer and activist (an organization whose publicly avowed ideology is Marxist), and whose ambition for a seat in Congress was, in her own words, “to accomplish a mission”—no doubt a social and cultural mission, as she says she “doesn’t need to take off her activist hat to legislate in Congress.” She claims her activism has been her “guiding force.”

Servicemembers who wear the uniform of their country do not want to see these things in the military workplace or at their bases. In most cases, this is true regardless of their race or political worldview. Despite that reality.

Pentagon officials requested $140 million to expand woke Diversity initiatives in FY2024, up from $68 million and $86.5 million in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and all but three members of this subcommittee voted in favor of it.

There are few things taxpayers such as myself feel is less essential to the mission of our military than expanding Diversity mandates and indoctrination.

Such aggressively opposed ideological worldviews competing for institutionalization through policy epitomizes and formalizes what is properly termed a culture war.

It is an American-Maoist culture war.

The fact that these debates now infect the US military workplace is an offense to people like me who love their country and all people—regardless of race, gender, or background.

I’d like to briefly draw attention to two of a handful of exhibits I have submitted for the committee’s review and for entry into the official record of today’s hearing.

THE FIRST of the exhibits is a 100-page document (see Exhibit 1) which includes real-world unsolicited feedback from military servicemembers, veterans, and parents about the consequences of this administration’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.

It is, I imagine, merely a small part of the overall discontent and disappointment experienced by those who presently serve.

I submit it for the record because to spend even a few minutes with the document is to get a sense for the ways in which the innocuously labeled “DEI trainings” are hurting morale, dividing and distracting troops, disincentivizing Americans from service, and thereby destroying our recruiting and retention efforts.

Further, it is destroying the image of the United States military, which is a critical component of the proper communication of national strength to both allies and enemies alike. We now appear weaker because we are weaker (see Exhibit 7).

THE SECOND exhibit I’d like to mention is a letter signed by 185 retired General and Flag Officers (see Exhibit 2) that is dated May 20, 2023, and was previously sent to then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as well as other House leaders. I have confirmed that those to whom the letter was addressed received it.

For the same reasons as those I’ve previously stated, the letter “requested that Congress, pursuant to its Constitutional powers .. . take legislative action to remove all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs from the Department of Defense (DoD).”

It also requested that Congress “ensure that no DEI related policies, programs, and funding are included in the 2024 NDAA.”

These leaders warned:

“As our Nation faces looming threats from ‘foreign’ adversaries/enemies, our military is under assault from a culture war stemming from ‘domestic’ ideologically inspired political policies and practices. IF NOT STOPPED NOW, they will forever change the military’s warrior ethos essential to performing its mission.”

Despite their request and warning, and despite some genuine efforts of some members of the House, the Congress ultimately DID NOT use the power of the purse to put an end to DEI policies, programs, and funding in the recently approved NDAA.

The men and women who sent that letter raised the warning voice and tried their best to respectfully influence our Nation’s lawmakers.

Both of these exhibits I have mentioned are publicly available at the STARRS.US website.

I said in my book that if we did not abandon the diversity and inclusion trainings, then we would see unprecedented “recruitment and retention woes.”

That has been true and we have seen as a Nation that it is not getting any better.

I also said that unless we abandon our present hate-filled and divisive path, and repent as a nation, we will destroy ourselves.

I reaffirm that view here today, and I’m grateful to answer any questions the committee may have for me.

Exhibits
1. “What Military Service Members, Veterans and Parents Are Saying: Evidence that the CRT/DEI/Woke agenda being pushed in the military is harming morale, recruitment and retention” (100 pages)
2. Flag Officers 4 America Letter, dated May 20, 2023
3. Lt Col Lohmeier_Summary of Military Record (ranked #1/753 Space Force officers at time of promotion to Lt Col)
4. Lohmeier_Civilian CV
5. Lt Col Lohmeier_Space Force IG Complaint Citing Marxist Teachings
6. Lt Gen Stephen Whiting’s Dismissal of the IG Complaint
7. Heritage Foundation’s 2023 Index of US Military Strength Report

Full Statement with Exhibits (pdf)

Watch his statement (starts at 35:48 mark):

Matthew Lohmeier Testifying on Capitol Hill on Dangers of CRT/DEI ideology in the military

10 January 2024

by Matthew Lohmeier Events Hearings Military

Matthew Lohmeier was called to testify at the January 11, 2024 hearing, “The Risks of Progressive Ideologies in the U.S. Military”, which is to explore the politically driven DoD priorities that are affecting military readiness and examine the military’s prioritization of progressive programs such as DEI programs and other social priorities versus critical military needs.

Matthew Lohmeier Congressional Testimony Statement (pdf)

Watch: (jump to 21:00 minute when hearing starts)

BACKGROUND:

Grothman Announces Hearing on Progressive Ideologies in the U.S. Military (January 4, 2024)

WASHINGTON—Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Chairman Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) will hold a hearing titled “The Risks of Progressive Ideologies in the U.S. Military.”

The subcommittee hearing will explore the politically driven Department of Defense (DoD) priorities that are affecting military readiness and examine the military’s prioritization of progressive programs such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and other social priorities versus critical military needs.

“Our military has one primary function: defend Americans and American interests at home and abroad. At least this was the primary function until the Biden Administration force fed progressivism into the branches of the armed services.

“Due to an avalanche of foreign policy blunders by the Biden Administration, the world is a less safe place.

“The men and women who bravely serve within the military must stay focused on combat readiness, not left-wing objectives which serve no military purpose.

“It is imperative to extract this poisonous and unhelpful thinking from our military and return the armed services to their core functions,” said Subcommittee Chairman Grothman.

WHAT: Hearing titled “The Risks of Progressive Ideologies in the U.S. Military”

DATE: Thursday, January 11, 2024

TIME: 10:00 a.m. ET

LOCATION: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building

WITNESSES:

Will Thibeau, Director, American Military Project
Matthew Lohmeier, Space Force Veteran, Author

The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at https://oversight.house.gov/.

Hearing Date: January 11, 2024 10:00 am 2154 Rayburn

The Risks of Progressive Ideologies in the U.S. Military

Subject: The Risks of Progressive Ideologies in the U.S. Military
Date January 11, 2024
Time 10:00 am
Place 2154 Rayburn
National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs

Witnesses and testimonies:

Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier (Ret.)
Document

Brigadier Gen. Ty Seidule (Ret.)
Document

Mr. Will Thibeau
Document

New Documentary Tells Story of Space Force Commander Who Spoke Out on CRT, Wokeness in Military

22 November 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier Documentary In the News

Production began last week on a documentary about former Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, who faced retaliation for exposing claims of “institutional racism” in the military.

In 2021, the Space Force relieved Lohmeier of command of the 11th Space Warning Squadron in Colorado in retaliation for his comments. He said he was compelled to speak up after hearing concerns from those serving under his command.

He said that those serving in his command from “diverse backgrounds, racially and certainly probably politically, religiously, economically” came to him expressing concerns.

“They were concerned about the training we were having that talked to them about [the] falseness of the American idea, that the country wasn’t really what it purported to be,” Lohmeier told The Daily Signal in an interview Monday.

The Heritage Foundation provided seed money for a forthcoming documentary about Lohmeier.

The documentary is based on his book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military,” released in May 2021.

“When they were being exposed to these alternative narratives, [such as the idea] the country was rooted in white supremacy, that was off-putting to them, regardless of their race, regardless of their political upbringing, regardless of what motivated them to join the service,” he added.

“They would sit down with me and say, I’m a black male or I’m a black female and I’m offended by what I’m hearing. Or I’m a white male and I’m offended by what I’m hearing, or I’m an Asian male and offended by what I’m hearing.”

He said race focus “toyed with the psyche” of servicemembers, leading them to doubt one another.

Further, he said that critical race theory is rooted in Marxism, which is dangerous for the military.

“Marxism as an ideology is intended to divide and breed sufficient hostility for the other, which is sufficient enough to present a violent impulse,” he said. “So I thought that’s worth speaking up about. We need to push back on this because I know the outcome is something that is totally unacceptable for military culture that needs to be unified.”

The production company Root Causes began filming last week, and is expected to wrap up in the first quarter of 2024. The company is aiming for a mid-to-late 2024 release.

Production began in Lohmeier’s hometown of Tucson, Arizona, with on-camera interviews featuring people who knew him early in life. He played basketball at Sahuaro High School, joining a team that won the state championship. From there, the Air Force Academy recruited him to play basketball.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., the chairman of the House Anti-Woke Caucus, and Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, also make appearances in the documentary.

“We need new leadership in the White House, we need new political appointees in the Pentagon that will have our military exclusively focused on lethality, readiness, being the best of the best, and infusing in our service members that it’s about standards, not race, religion, socio-economic background, you leave all that stuff at the door,” Waltz told The Daily Signal in an interview.

“Congress is stepping in. We are banning CRT. We are defunding a lot of this DEI training,” Waltz continued, referring to critical race theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion training.

“I am all for equal opportunity. I want every American to have the opportunity to serve and to hit those standards. But you can’t start artificially turning the dials on different percentages of race, religion.

“The Pentagon has yet to show me data that a more diverse submarine crew—or a less diverse submarine crew—is more or less ready.”

The documentary will also feature interviews filmed at The Heritage Foundation, featuring Heritage staffers Robert Greenway, director of the Center for National Defense, and Michael Gonzalez, senior fellow for international engagement.

In a statement to The Daily Signal before the interview, Lohmeier said:

“I’m incredibly grateful to be working with The Heritage Foundation on this timely project revealing the troubling trends that have been spreading throughout military communities.

“It is with a strong sense of duty and commitment to preserving and defending what is most special about our armed forces that I am working to help tell this story and use my own career as a way to illustrate what is at stake in our country.

“Alongside a group of talented filmmakers, I am honored to share with The Heritage Foundation in the mission that they fight for on a daily basis—that neither America’s exceptionalism nor our future is guaranteed, and each must be defended by both reclaiming our first principles while combating the insidious ideas of today in their more modern expressions.

“I could not ask for better partners on this journey and I am sure our military communities will be proud of the work we accomplish with this film.

First published on The Daily Signal

Former US Space Force Commander EXPOSES What’s Really Happening

13 October 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier Interviews

Matt Lohmeier joined Jimmy Corsetti for a live session on Jimmy’s Bright Insight channel and talked about a lot of things: Matt’s story, the infiltration of Marxism in our country and military, UFO/UAP’s, and many other consequential topics:

or watch the first half on YouTube:

Follow Jimmy on X: @BrightInsight6
Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/BrightInsight
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrightInsight

Excerpt from the interview:

“Communism predates Karl Marx. The Communist League asked Karl Marx if he would pen a declaration or a manifesto for them that would state articulately their views, and Marx published what is now known as the Communist Manifesto.

Marx wrote his young, bright ideas down about how he best thought it was possible to incite the working class in his day to a violent revolution against the bourgeoisie.

He divided up his narrative of human events into two groups: an oppressor class--this is all in part one of the Communist Manifesto–and an oppressed class that was respectively the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.

He gave the proletariat sufficient reason in the manifesto that they needed to unite as workers and if necessary, violently throw off their oppressor, the modern capitalist.

One of the things that I saw when I began to study Marxism, the ideology that was permeating all of the countries across the globe in the late 19th century and surely throughout all of the Cold War, was that there was an emphasis on pitting one class or group of people against each other for whatever reason.

In the mid the late 19th century, it is about economic class stratification. Later it was usurped and today it has been usurped to be about race relations and an oppressor class versus an oppressed group or class of people– the spirit of it all is the same.

But the narrative has been adapted to our modern circumstances in the United States because it’s the best narrative of human events that can be leveraged to create anger and hatred, sufficient to get people to unite together in violence against the other, the evil other. That is what I want to emphasize.

So as a starting point, I’ll say that is Marxist ideology or Marxist thought. The idea in the end is that it brings about a revolution that will allow for a communist state to be established. The first successful revolution, by the way, that led to a successful establishment of a communist state was the Bolshevik Revolution.”

More about Matt’s book:

BOOK: Irresistible Revolution

Get a signed copy of Matt’s book

Propaganda, Politicization Making Military Service Less Popular

2 August 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

Matthew Lohmeier, a former military commander, told NTD that a big reason why the U.S. military is not able to meet its recruitment goals is because of the politicized environment in the army, with the military increasingly being used “to shape the political views of service members.”

NTD spoke to former Space Force Commander Matthew Lohmeier for his insight into the current malaise afflicting the U.S. military.

Watch:

TRANSCRIPT

NTD Host

And there is one former military commander who says a big reason why they are not able to meet those goals is because of the politicized environment in the army. I got his take on things.

Matthew Lohmeier

Rather than share my views, I thought I would call a military veteran this morning who’s also a parent and a grandparent. Anticipating this question, I wanted to hear it from a veteran myself this morning and relate that to the American people.

So, fresh off the press this morning, I asked why is it that parents and veterans aren’t interested in recommending military service to the next generation?

His response was that when he served, the military was about fighting, and today it’s not. And in his view, he said, today it’s an environment filled with propaganda that is intended to shape the political views of service members. Then he finished his thought by saying it’s quite offensive.

I think that that line of reasoning is simple and it’s typical of your broader American population.

When I decided I wanted to serve in the military and attend the Air Force Academy in Colorado, I did so because I had both encouragement and wise counsel from parents and active duty and retired military veterans.

NTD Host

Now, can you talk more about what has changed? Because children of military families usually made up the majority of new recruits, so it seems like the sentiment was different a while back. So what happened?

Matthew Lohmeier

A big part of the answer to that question, and it’s also a part of the solution to the problem, is driven by this administration’s policy in particular and the current set of personalities we have in senior military leadership positions.

While the problem of partisan politics plagues the military from top to bottom, it is nevertheless driven by and supported by the current leadership.

I’ll give you a good example of this. We’ve got a Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Four star general, General C Q. Brown, who’s been Biden’s pick and nomination for the chairman of the Joint Chief’s role under the leadership, if you want to call it that, of General Mark Milley.

The American people have lost trust and confidence in him and in the institution writ large because of highly politicized statements of overt public criticism of the former Commander in Chief, President Trump, and because he’s leaked private conversations to journalists and authors to sell books.

There is a consternation and a division and a disagreement about what’s best for the readiness and lethality of the US military.

It will require a new administration at this point, it’s very clear. And it will require a whole cast of new senior military leaders who are willing to act in courage and to put down recent ways and to return to a patriotic, America loving, apolitical military work environment.

NTD Host

Thank you so much for giving those insights and also answering one of my following questions. Already I also want to look at another aspect because in the Military Family Support Programming Survey, they found other issues as well that I also wanted to give a bigger picture.

I want to present them to you here as well. So they were saying that the financial strain, for instance, is an issue.

And then there’s the argument that the Afghanistan withdrawal comes into play as well. So how do you weigh all these?

Matthew Lohmeier

Well, the Afghanistan withdrawal, first off, is a terrible black eye for the administration and our senior military leaders. It showed that it was likely due to highly misplaced priorities, that we made such a botched withdrawal.

Again, their testimony before Congress, which was public and which people who cared paid attention to, showed what looked like incompetence, what looked like infighting, what looked like disagreement with the sitting commander in chief.

No one willing to take responsibility for our actions, for our decisions, and for our lack of strategy. That’s why some people were fired for speaking up against our senior military leaders at the same time, because they demanded accountability, which clearly we didn’t have anymore in our senior military ranks.

As far as for financial reasons, let me say that always, traditionally or historically, men and women have been willing to serve in uniform, and parents have been willing to suggest to the next generation that they serve in uniform.

Despite the fact that pay is not great for military service members, some of our youngest enlisted members actually join because it will help pay for their associate’s degree or their bachelor degree. It helps them further their education.

So they serve for a minimum of maybe four years while they’re having their education paid for, and those incentives remain in place.

NTD Host

Well, thank you so much, Matthew Lohmeier, for giving us your aspect on this. I appreciate your time today.

Matthew Lohmeier

Thanks for having me.

General nominated for Space Command chief defends firing of colonel who criticized Marxist training in the military

28 July 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

The three-star general nominated to head the U.S. Space Command declined to endorse the Biden administration’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies in the military at a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

Space Force Lt. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, whom President Biden nominated this month to be the force’s second commander, also defended his firing of an officer who went public with criticisms of the Pentagon leadership’s campaign to impose diversity in the military, calling it Marxist ideological subversion. . . . .

. . . . Sen. Schmitt then raised the case of now-retired Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, whom Gen. Whiting relieved of duty in May 2021. Gen. Whiting said he acted because Col. Lohmeier criticized DEI training in the military as “rooted in Marxism” during an appearance on a conservative podcast while on active duty. He continued to air his criticisms after being ordered not to do so, officials said.

In addition to his public criticism of DEI training, Col. Lohmeier was removed from command for criticizing “specific political parties,” Gen. Whiting said.

Questioned by Mr. Schmitt, Gen. Whiting said that opposition to DEI policies does not constitute partisan political speech unless the comments advocate for a specific political party or candidate.

Col. Lohmeier’s case “involved a specific quote involving a specific political party,” Gen. Whiting said, adding that the offending podcast was an hour long.

A review of the podcast appearance shows Col. Lohmeier spoke for about 10 minutes on the “Steve Gruber Show” podcast. The colonel was promoting a book he authored, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military.”

During the appearance, there were no references to any political party or his chain of command.

Col. Lohmeier, who left the service in September 2021, said in an email that he was fired by Gen. Whiting, then chief of operations at Space Command, for two reasons. One was for political partisanship while acting in an official capacity, and the second was for publicly criticizing his chain of command.

“Those were the reasons Whiting gave me over the phone when he called to fire me,” Col. Lohmeier said. “Both of those reasons are false — never did either of those things.”

Col. Lohmeier said the general’s testimony at the hearing “clearly demonstrated that Whiting himself was unwilling to affirm his support for the [Defense Department’s] DEI initiatives and trainings.”

“He was asked several different ways if he supported DoD’s DEI initiatives and, instead of affirming his support, said something that nobody could disagree with; specifically, he said that he cared about developing a lethal and ready force.”

The comments indicate that Gen. Whiting shares his view that “this woke DEI push” has hurt recruitment, retention and readiness efforts in the military, Col. Lohmeier said.

“It is unfortunate that Whiting felt sufficient institutional and cultural pressure in 2021 to make the decision to fire me for publicly sharing a nonpartisan view that he likely holds himself,” he said.

“It is more unfortunate still that our senior leaders lack the courage to speak their minds despite the damage our current policies are inflicting.”

Bill Gertz/Washington Times

Watch:

Biden’s Space Force Nominee Previously Fired Service Member For Speaking Out Against Marxism In The Military

26 July 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

From The Federalist:

Biden’s newest pick to lead U.S. Space Force Command previously removed a service member from duty for speaking out against DEI efforts and Marxism in the U.S. military.

Nominated by Biden to serve as the next head of U.S. Space Force Command earlier this month, Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting played a role in the firing of Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier.

While promoting his book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military,” during a May 2021 podcast interview, Lohmeier spoke about the increasing presence of Marxist thought permeating the U.S. military, specifically pointing to the embrace of DEI and critical race theory.

“Our diversity, inclusion and equity [DEI] industry and the trainings we’re receiving in the military via that industry are rooted in critical race theory which is rooted in Marxism,” Lohmeier said.

DEI, which stands for “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” is a divisive and poisonous ideology dismissive of merit in order to discriminate based on characteristics such as skin color and sexual orientation.

Meanwhile, critical race theory seeks to fracture society along racial lines by promoting the false concept that all white people are oppressors and all non-white people are oppressed.

Not long after Lohmeier’s podcast interview, a Space Force representative informed Military.com (and later CNN) that Whiting had “relieved” the lieutenant colonel of command due to a supposed “loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead.”

The representative further confirmed the decision was “based on” Lohmeier’s podcast remarks and that Whiting had initiated an investigation into Lohmeier to determine whether his comments “constituted prohibited partisan political activity.”

During the podcast interview, Lohmeier purportedly took issue with The New York Times’ thoroughly debunked 1619 Project, which attempts to rewrite history by asserting that America’s founding is based upon slavery and racism rather than the premise that “all men are created equal.”

According to Lohmeier, such “anti-American” concepts are being pushed throughout the armed forces.

“It teaches intensive teaching that I heard at my base – that at the time the country ratified the United States Constitution, it codified white supremacy as the law of the land,” Lohmeier said. “If you want to disagree with that, then you start (being) labeled all manner of things including racist.”

During the interview, Lohmeier reportedly went on to make clear that — as described by CBS News — “he doesn’t care about the political views of his fellow service members, whether they’re Democrats or Republicans, but he does not want to see institutions politicized.” Lohmeier confirmed such sentiments to Fox News following his ousting.

In addition to firing Lohmeier, Whiting has a history of advancing DEI ideology throughout the U.S. military. According to a February 26, 2021, Facebook post published by the U.S. Space Operations Command, Whiting participated in a fireside chat with service members where he discussed “diversity and inclusion” in recruiting. . . . (read more on The Federalist)

Matthew Lohmeier – a Tour de Force Supporting our Military Members

4 July 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

By James Nault, Legal Insurrection

While I was on vacation I had the pleasure of representing Legal Insurrection at an event in Scottsdale, Arizona produced jointly by Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services (STARRS) and the Arizona Women of Action (AZWOA).

Speaking at the event were Kim Miller, Founder and Director of AZWOA, Dr. Ron Scott, PhD, Col, USAF (Ret.), President and CEO of STARRS, and most importantly Matthew Lohmeier, a familiar face around Legal Insurrection.

Last December we held a live seminar with Lohmeier, a former Space Force Lieutenant Colonel squadron commander who was fired, forced to resign, and and subjected to an Inspector General investigation within the Pentagon after publishing his bestselling book, Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military, which tore the lid off the military’s obsession with racist and radical “woke” ideologies.

The seminar we held, definitely worth watching, and titled Saving the Military Service Academies from Wokeness, can be viewed here:

Matthew Lohmeier’s excellent Twitter feed can be found here. . . . .

. . . . . In his speech, Ron gave a run-down of everything STARRS has on its front-burner, and to stay up-to-speed on the latest and greatest, you can subscribe to STARRS’ weekly newsletter here.

Last but not least was the evening’s guest speaker, Matthew Lohmeier.

Matthew began by talking about the drag shows at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada, which we reported on here, in 2021, U.S. Air Force Base Asserts Drag Queen Promotes “Readiness of the Military,” and here, in 2022: Air Force Base Hosted Drag Show During its ‘Diversity’ Festival.

As Matthew explained, earlier this year, an Air Force servicemember stationed at Nellis called and informed him that yet another drag show was planned for Nellis in early June 2023 to kick off this year’s “Pride Month” celebration. Lohmeier sprang into action, calling members of Congress and informing them that the drag shows were imminent. This led to the drag show, and others like it, being cancelled.

We had reported on those cancellations here: DOD Cancels On-Base Drag Shows – Leftist Outrage Noticeably Missing.

Matthew Lohmeier during his presentation:

Most importantly, Matthew Lohmeier explained to the crowd that there is a full-length motion picture in the works to be released in 2024. He showed a four-minute trailer of the movie, which tells the story of Matthew’s summary dismissal from Space Force after his tell-all book was published, and it was absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately, because the trailer is likely to go through some editing and updating as the movie production continues, it likely won’t be finalized for viewing audiences until later this year.

Matthew also covered many of the disheartening trends we are seeing in the military these days regarding CRT, DEI, and transgender issues. The types of issues Matt discussed are unfortunately becoming common knowledge among Legal Insurrection readers, as we have reported on most, if not all of them. For example, see:

To learn more about Matthew Lohmeier and his story, or to ask him to speak at your local event visit his web page, available here.

Pentagon’s ‘Woke’ Agenda Dividing, Weakening the Military: Former Space Force Officer

26 June 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier Media Interviews

Matt was interviewed by J.M. Phelps of The Epoch Times:

Military service members have been increasingly exposed to a “hyper-politicized and sexualized work environment,” according to a former lieutenant colonel, who says the resulting divisiveness is weakening the U.S. Armed Forces.

The Pentagon’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies have drawn increased and intense scrutiny in recent years, especially from conservatives, who dubb these moves as part of the “woke” agenda.

Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, deputy chief of space operations, said that “anti-LGBTQ+ laws” introduced by state legislatures are affecting hiring decisions. At a recent Pentagon pride event, she said, “Transformational cultural change requires leadership from the top, and we do not have time to wait. Since January of this year, more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been introduced at the state level.”

“That number is rising and demonstrates a trend that could be dangerous for service members, their families, and the readiness of the force as a whole,” she added.

The Epoch Times spoke to former Space Force officer, Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, who in 2021 was removed from his command for expressing opposition to Marxist-rooted critical race theory (CRT). According to him, there is no place for this kind of advocacy from Burt in the U.S. military.

“Americans should know that when someone signs up to wear the uniform of their country, they’re trained early on to leave political baggage at the door and to be rather apolitical while acting in an official capacity.”

Service members often avoid discussing political topics, because as Lohmeier pointed out, “there is something that supersedes those topics for men and women in uniform—and that’s a particular mission in support of national security.”

“One can make arguments that the military became more political during the Clinton, or during the Obama administration,” he said. “But something radically, fundamentally shifted under the current administration with Lloyd Austin in the seat as secretary of defense.”

Cultural Dialogue

Lohmeier said, “At the forefront of the cultural dialogue in the military is what has been driven by policy.” Under then-President Donald Trump, in September 2020, federal agencies were banned from conducting diversity and inclusion training in an effort to combat race and sex stereotyping. Such training was referred to in the executive order as “divisive, anti-American propaganda” funded by taxpayers.

When President Joe Biden came into office in January 2021, he rescinded Trump’s order and issued several executive orders promoting DEI in the federal government.

“While the military has always been, by and large, a reflection of broader American society,” Lohmeier said, “there is something very different going on right now in this current administration.”

“Left-wing activists have essentially been given a bully pulpit,” and according to Lohmeier, “it is politically agitating.” Whether it’s the push for CRT, DEI, the LGBT agenda, or trans activism, he said it is “divisive in nature because not everyone aligns with or agrees with those agendas, and instead view them as a distraction from what our military’s priorities ought to be.”

But equally concerning to him is that “these agendas strike at the values of the military and its role in defending the Constitution.” As most service members attempt to remain apolitical, Lohmeier said, “they are finding themselves in a hyper-politicized and sexualized work environment at the moment.”

And if they oppose the environment, “they are labeled as politically partisan and simply ‘part of the problem’ and are ostracized for it.”

Drag Controversy

An active-duty Air Force officer reached out to Lohmeier in May, sharing an advertisement for an upcoming “family-friendly” drag show event to kick off Pride Month. The event was scheduled for June 1 at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. “The drag show was to be hosted on base at the officer’s club and was sponsored by and funded by the base—which means your taxpayer dollars,” he said.

Lohmeier’s source said his family was concerned about the event and they were not alone. “There were other families on base concerned about the event. Even though attendance at the event wasn’t compulsory, flyers were being posted around base and parents were distressed about their children being subjected to the content of those flyers,”Lohmeier said.

Thus, an effort to stop the event began. “I sent information about the event with the promotional flyer to members of Congress, [and] I tweeted about it,” he said. “A few members of Congress, in particular, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) took swift action.”

Gaetz sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, “demanding answers as to why these things are still taking place on DOD installations, because [on March 29], the Secretary of Defense in a hearing before Congress said that the Defense Department is not using taxpayer dollars to fund drag shows.” But to the contrary, Gaetz provided evidence of DOD-affiliated drag queen events.

For Lohmeier, the secretary was “either ignorant or being disingenuous,” but he is thankful a policy memorandum was issued in early June to end drag shows at Department of Defense installations around the world.

On June 21, House Armed Services Committee Republicans adopted provisions in the annual defense spending bill to eliminate the chief diversity officer at the Pentagon, end funding for DEI programs, as well as other measures targeting “woke” policies.

Lessons Learned

Lohmeier said there are lessons to be learned through this example of opposition to drag queen events at Pentagon facilities.

“While there are thousands concerned about drag queen shows and story hours, it only took one person to send a request for help and it made all the difference,” he said. “Men and women in uniform need to learn that it’s not off limits to speak up and voice your concern, because you could make changes in policy when you do so.”

There are still thousands of service members who love their country, Lohmeier said. “They take pride in the country and the greatness of the American ideal, and they are willing to fight for and defend that ideal,” he said.

“The best men and women in uniform defend the Constitution for every American, but they need not bow to the political agenda of a select few.”

And as various left-wing movements grow, he said, “We need decent people with traditional American values serving in the police force, in the schools, and in the military to shield us from illegal, unethical, or immoral policies that often stem from political and sexual activism run amok.”

“The LBTGQ+ agenda is every bit as divisive for our military as the Marxist-rooted CRT,” Lohmeier said. “It’s every bit as divisive as the diversity and inclusion training that need to be eliminated.”

“If we are going to be strong, if we are going to be ready, if we are going to be lethal,” Lohmeier said, “it will be because of unity.”

For him, “the strength of the military is in its unity, not in its diversity.”

The Department of the Air Force and Department of Defense did not return requests for comment from The Epoch Times.

First published in the The Epoch Times

Military ‘hyper-politicized and sexualized’ under Biden admin, former Space Force officer says (Just the News, 27 Jun 23)

The military is a “hyper-politicized and sexualized work environment” that shifted “radically” under the Biden administration, according to former Space Force officer Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, who was removed from his position in 2021 for denouncing Marxism in the armed forces.

“One can make arguments that the military became more political during the Clinton, or during the Obama administration,” Lohmeier told The Epoch Times in a story published Sunday. “But something radically, fundamentally shifted under the current administration with Lloyd Austin in the seat as secretary of defense.”

Lohmeier also said that most service members are attempting to remain apolitical, but “they are finding themselves in a hyper-politicized and sexualized work environment at the moment.” Those who oppose the Defense Department’s initiatives “are labeled as politically partisan and simply ‘part of the problem’ and are ostracized for it,” he also said.

As he promoted his book during a May 2021 podcast, Lohmeier said that Austin was promoting “diversity, inclusion and equity,” which he said was rooted in Critical Race Theory and “Marxism.” He left the military in September of that year after he was punished by officials for his remarks.

Congressional Republicans have been sounding the alarm under the Biden administration about how liberal ideologies such as Critical Race Theory are reportedly harming military readiness.

Recent diversity efforts in the armed forces have included everything from using a non-binary drag queen as a recruitment ambassador to allowing service members to use the bathrooms and showers of the gender they identify with.

Space Force General demonstrates being politically partisan

16 June 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier Military

LTC Matthew Lohmeier: I was once fired from command in the @SpaceForceDoD for allegedly “being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity.” That allegation was totally false. Lt Gen Burt here demonstrates what being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity really looks like.

The more I reflect on these remarks the more I realize just how foolish they are. Because many of them seem to actually have been brainwashed into believing this garbage, senior military leaders can’t help themselves from now driving away talented recruits and their most qualified servicemembers. Ideologues will never attract sane patriots to join or stay in an all-volunteer force. The rest of the senior leaders who don’t believe in this nonsense appear to lack courage. Their cowardice is largely the result of fear.

Starts at her speech:

I was once fired from command in the @SpaceForceDoD for allegedly “being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity.” That allegation was totally false.

Lt Gen Burt here demonstrates what being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity really… https://t.co/cghkdMhsFn

— Matt Lohmeier (@matthewlohmeier) June 14, 2023

The more I reflect on these remarks the more I realize just how foolish they are.

Because many of them seem to actually have been brainwashed into believing this garbage, senior military leaders can’t help themselves from now driving away talented recruits and their most… https://t.co/OciA8XfVNU

— Matt Lohmeier (@matthewlohmeier) June 15, 2023

Candidate Selection Based on Worries About ‘Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws’ Reinforces Woke Military Concerns (Townhall, 16 June 23)
Earlier this week, video clips from last week’s Pentagon Pride event resurfaced, in which Space Force Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt admitted that she is “compelled to consider a different candidate and perhaps less qualified” for squadron command based on the state where the candidate lives.

Burt had been lamenting the rise in “anti-LGBTQ+ laws” being introduced and the supposed effect it could have on force readiness. Introducing those laws, Burt claimed, “demonstrates a trend that could be dangerous for our service members, their families, and the readiness of the force as a whole.”

“I strive to match the right person to the right job,” Burt offered. While she does look at candidates based on “job performance and relevant experience first,” there is a “however” in there. “However, I also look at their personal circumstances, and their family is also an important factor,” she went on to say.

“If a good match for a job does not feel safe being themselves and performing at their highest potential at a given location, or if their family could be denied critical healthcare due to the laws in that state,” is why Burt said she may be “compelled to consider a different candidate and perhaps less qualified.”

This “critical healthcare” that Burt spoke about at the Pride event has to do with irreversible procedures performed on children that involve not just puberty blockers and hormone therapies, as well as the health problems that come with that, but genital mutilation and sterilization.

That this wokeness and targeting of children is affecting the military is particularly concerning. If there’s any concern about “readiness,” it’s to do with the idea that a candidate would be selected based on anything other than his or her job qualifications, demonstrating an overall a lack of proper priorities. . . . . (read more on Town Hall)

Space Force general decries ‘anti-LGBTQ+’ laws at Pentagon Pride event, claims they affect hiring decisions (Fox News, 15 Jun 23)
A high-ranking officer in the U.S. Space Force used her speech at a Pentagon pride event last week to rail against what she called “anti-LGBTQ+ laws” introduced in state legislatures across the country.

Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, deputy chief of space operations, also claimed that such laws affect her hiring and promotion decisions, sometimes leading her to choose a “less qualified” candidate because of a preferred candidate’s “personal circumstances.”

“Transformational cultural change requires leadership from the top, and we do not have time to wait,” Burt told those attending the event. “Since January of this year, more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been introduced at the state level. That number is rising and demonstrates a trend that could be dangerous for service members, their families, and the readiness of the force as a whole.” . . . . (read more)

Anti-constitutional military leadership is becoming more brazen (American Thinker, 17 Jun 23)

Air Force uses taxpayer money for personnel to travel to pride events in DC

7 June 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier Military

A memo (below) sent out from the Department of Air Force Office of Diversity and Inclusion encouraged personnel to attend various pride events at the Pentagon in Washington, DC.

They reminded them that according to government regulations, they can travel for free to DC, paid for by their unit (which is funded by American citizens tax dollars):

“In accordance with the Joint Travel Regulation (JTR) Section 030201 “Conference Attendance and Participation”, Air and Space Force Commanders are authorized to utilize unit funds for their Air and Space personnel to travel to, and participate in, this year’s DAF Pride events if approved by their individual supervisory authority.

Service members or civilian employees may attend conferences at the unit expense to maintain and improve professional competency or to improve management of the Department’s functions and activities. Attendance is not mandatory at this event.”

In case personnel had difficulty trying to convince their supervisor to allow them to leave their duties and travel at government expense to the nation’s capitol (great tourist spot), a sample memo request was provided (below).

But how to justify official travel to pride events rather an activity having to do with, say, readiness and warfighting? The memo provides guidance for that too. Go under the mantra of “Diversity and Inclusion”:

“b. Air Force Instruction (AFI) 36-7001, Diversity and Inclusion.

It is the Air Force’s mission to “…develop and retain a high-quality, diverse Total Force, ensuring a culture of inclusion in order to leverage the diversity of the nation for strategic advantage in Air Force, joint and coalition operations.”

(Para 1.2) “Airmen, military and civilian, must be deliberately developed to apply diversity and inclusion competencies to the Air Force mission, in order to effectively achieve individual, organizational, and operational excellence.” (Para. 1.5)”

Do everything you can to twist and turn to justify using American taxpayer dollars to send yourself for free to DC.

Also notice that phrase, “Airmen, military and civilian, must be deliberately developed to apply diversity and inclusion competencies…” Sounds like a job for Military Political Commissars. Just like Communist Russia had.

LTC Matthew Lohmeier, who was the first to call attention to this on Twitter, said,

“Even if you’re not into all that Pride stuff, this is your shot at an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC with your friends. Why sit it out?! Be sure to visit with some members of Congress while you’re there to let them know how you got there.”

Yes, let members of Congress know you used government money which came from hard-working Americans to attend a non-warfighting event.

BREAKING: “Pride at the Pentagon”: Troops, don’t miss out on your opportunity to use taxpayer dollars to travel to Pride Month at the Pentagon beginning this Thursday, 8 June.🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️✊🏿 🧵 Check out the official memos in this thread… pic.twitter.com/WhrNLSxslb

— Matt Lohmeier (@matthewlohmeier) June 6, 2023

The Air Force has provided a pre-constructed Memorandum for servicemembers to use to request permission of their local commanders to leave their units on short-notice to travel out for the events. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/GLMEPkTSyb

— Matt Lohmeier (@matthewlohmeier) June 6, 2023

Click on graphic to enlarge:

Matt on FBI Kyle Seraphin Show

5 June 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier Interviews

Matt was on former FBI Special Agent Kyle Seraphin’s show talking about the neo-Marxism infecting the military. Both men stood up for what what was the right thing to do and became whistleblowers in their respective organizations.

DOD: No drag events at U.S. military installations or facilities

1 June 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier Military

A win in the culture war battle! Matt Lohmeier was the first to call attention to the Nellis AFB drag show on Twitter, which prompted the notice of many on Capitol Hill. Now the DOD is banning all drag shows on military bases.

The Department of Defense issued this statement:

“Per DoD Joint Ethics Regulation (JER), certain criteria must be met for persons or organizations acting in non-Federal capacity to use DoD facilities and equipment. As Secretary Austin has said, the DOD will not host drag events at U.S. military installations or facilities. Hosting these types of events in federally funded facilities is not a suitable use of DOD resources.”

The no-age limit drag show scheduled at Nellis Air Force Base was then canceled:

“Consistent with Secretary Austin’s congressional testimony, the Air Force will not host drag events at its installations or facilities. Commanders have been directed to either cancel or relocate these events to an off-base location,” an Air Force official said when asked about the Nellis event.

US Senators and Representatives had opposed drag shows on military bases, which SECDEF Austin and C/JCS Gen. Milley denied was happening.

(NBC) At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on March 29, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., angrily questioned Austin and Milley about drag queen story hours on bases around the world, including in Montana, Nevada, Virginia and Germany.

“Drag queen story hours is not something that the department funds,” Austin told the committee.

Milley chimed in, asking to see the flyers for the events Gaetz was referring to and saying he was not aware of such events and does not support their being held on military bases. “I’d like to take a look at those, because I don’t agree with those,” Milley said.

The drag show at the officers club on Nellis AFB was apparently the last straw. News reports state:

When Milley was informed about the event this week, he was visibly angry about the decision to host the event on base, a U.S. official and a defense official said.

LTC Lohmeier sent word that the Nellis show was canceled per DOD:

From the Nellis Air Force Base LGBTQ+ Pride Council:

“We have received notification that the DoD has directed commanders not to host drag events on military installations.”

Thanks to those members of Congress who stepped up and took swift action and created positive change!… https://t.co/K0sM0cHyuU pic.twitter.com/VEKyGnLaXE

— Matt Lohmeier (@matthewlohmeier) June 1, 2023

Keep up the pressure! Drag shows mock real women and sexualize children. See a drag queen tell what these shows are really about.

Pentagon leaders cancel drag show at a Nevada Air Force base (NBC News, 31 MAY 23)

Defense Department leaders have stepped in to stop a drag show scheduled for Thursday at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, according to two defense officials and a U.S. official.

The show, which was in celebration of Pride Month, was approved by Air Force leaders, but Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, told the Air Force it is not Pentagon policy to fund drag shows on bases and the show should be canceled or moved off base.

Drag shows and events on military bases have become a politically contentious issue in recent months, with conservative politicians and pundits arguing the military should not be spending taxpayer money on them. . . .

. . . “Consistent with Secretary Austin’s congressional testimony, the Air Force will not host drag events at its installations or facilities. Commanders have been directed to either cancel or relocate these events to an off-base location,” an Air Force official said when asked about the Nellis event.

“Per DoD Joint Ethics Regulation (JER), certain criteria must be met for persons or organizations acting in non-Federal capacity to use DoD facilities and equipment. As Secretary Austin has said, the DOD will not host drag events at U.S. military installations or facilities. Hosting these types of events in federally funded facilities is not a suitable use of DOD resources,” deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said in a statement.

The Nellis drag show was scheduled for Thursday, but the base commander was informed in the past few days that it must either be canceled or moved off base, the officials said. . . . . (read more)

Pentagon cancels ‘family friendly’ drag show at Nevada Air Force base (New York Post, 31 MAY 23)

Defense Secretary Orders No Drag Shows on Military Bases After Political Furor (Military.com, 1 JUN 23)
A Defense Department-wide prohibition on drag shows on military bases has resulted in the cancellation of at least two events that were planned for Pride Month and previously approved by base officials, two defense officials confirmed to Military.com. Shows at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and Ramstein Air Base in Germany scheduled for this month were canceled, participants and defense officials confirmed. The two officials told Military.com the cancellations were part of a direction from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that drag shows, which have become a target of the political right, not be hosted on bases. . . .

Rep Gaetz gets Pride Month ‘family friendly’ drag show at Nevada Air Force base canceled (Fox News, 31 MAY 23)

One week after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., demanded answers from the Department of Defense about why a “child-friendly” drag show was being hosted at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, the show was abruptly canceled.

“HUGE VICTORY,” Gaetz wrote on Twitter. “Drag shows should not be taking place on military installations with taxpayer dollars PERIOD!”

A drag show initially scheduled for June 1 — in celebration of Pride Month — organized by the Nellis LGBTQ+ Pride Council, was canceled, the group confirmed on Facebook.

“The Nellis LGBTQ+ Pride Council is saddened to inform you that we are no longer able to host our annual Pride Month Drag Show on Nellis AFB.” The group said it “received notification that the DoD has directed Commanders not to host Drag events on military installations.”

The cancellation came after Gaetz “demanded answers” from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, the lawmaker highlighted on Twitter.

On May 23, Gaetz wrote a letter to Milley and Austin “demanding immediate answers on why these drag shows are still occurring” despite their testimony in March that the Defense Department did not support or endorse such shows, he said.

Lying Lloyd Austin https://t.co/aqGx8XljV1 pic.twitter.com/R5sSNtj7Jw

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) May 19, 2023

. . . . In the letter, Gaetz reminded Austin and Milley of their testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on March 29, where they expressed their disapproval of such performances.

“On March 29, 2023, during the House Armed Services Committee hearing on the ‘FY24 Defense Budget Request,’ I questioned you about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the Department of Defense (DoD). I find it completely unacceptable that DoD is using taxpayer dollars to fund DEI programs that are divisive in nature. DoD resources should be used for mission-essential operations, not diverted toward initiatives that create cultural fissures within our service ranks,” Gaetz wrote in the letter dated May 23. . . . (read more)

Jim Banks Asks Pentagon to Ban All Drag Queen Shows on Military Bases (Breitbart, 1 JUN 23)

House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee Chairman Jim Banks (R-IN) and other lawmakers are demanding the Pentagon clarify its policy on drag queen shows, to include issuing guidance to prohibit them on all military installations, Breitbart News has learned.. . . .

. . . Banks, along with Gaetz and Rep. Mark Alford (R-TX), wrote Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday asking him for clarification on what happened and to issue formal guidance prohibiting drag shows on any Department Of Defense (DOD) installation or any location using DOD funds.

They wrote:

We write to you today in response to the May 31 NBC News report on the decision by Department of Defense (DOD) leadership to intervene in and cancel a previously scheduled drag show at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB).

As members of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Military Personnel, we are deeply concerned that the DOD’s focus on woke programs weakens and distracts our nation’s Armed Forces.

From appointing a drag queen as a ‘digital ambassador’ to mandating ‘pronoun’ training for service-members, the Department of Defense has sacrificed precious man hours and resources that should be dedicated to improving readiness and lethality – not advancing a divisive, far-left agenda.

While we commend your reported decision to cancel the drag show at Nellis AFB and wholeheartedly agree that ‘hosting these types of events in federally funded facilities is not a suitable use of DOD resources,’ we request answers to the following questions by no later than June 15, 2023:

1. Has the drag show at Nellis AFB officially been cancelled?

2. Has the Department of Defense prohibited Nellis AFB from holding this drag show off-base using DOD funds?

3. Does the Department of Defense consider it a suitable use of DOD resources to hold drag shows in locations other than in federally funded facilities?

4. Will the Department of Defense commit to issuing guidance that drag shows are prohibited on any Department of Defense installations?

5. Will the Department of Defense commit to issuing guidance that no Department of Defense funds shall be used to hold or promote drag shows in any other locations?

6. At what level of the chain of command did the Nellis AFB drag show get approved? Has the DOD delegated approval authority for drag shows to all base Commanding Officers?

7. How has the Department of Defense allowed drag shows on military bases – events that, according to your own testimony and statements from your press spokesperson, conflict with DOD policy – to be scheduled on at least six other occasions?

Nellis AFB to hold drag show for all ages at base officers club

19 May 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier Military

LTC Matthew Lohmeier, USAFA ’06, former Air Force and Space Force officer and author of the best-selling, Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military , called attention on Twitter to a drag show to be held at Nellis Air Force Base in June:

CRY FOR HELP: Our military families need and are asking for our help!

The @SecDef Lloyd Austin recently testified that “the DoD doesn’t support Drag shows on military bases.” But that’s not true.

For the third year in a row, Nellis AFB is hosting a drag show; it’s one of many bases now overtly sexualizing the workplace and complicit in introducing sexual predators to children.

Troops are reaching out asking for help to put an end to the madness.

The next show at Nellis is June 1st on base in the Officer’s Club (flyers below ) Notice there is “No minimum age requirement.”

If you’re stationed at Nellis AFB (military, contractor, or civilian), or any base where this is happening, let base leadership know this is unacceptable and offensive to you and your family, submit IG complaints now, investigate lawsuits, call your congressmen, and talk openly with the press.

One memo from the secretary of defense can end this for all US military bases. If he won’t (and he should but likely won’t), then our service chiefs can and should end it. Base leadership can end it.

Who has courage anymore among US military leaders? Step up and do what is right.

He later added:

Let me help the short-sighted “no-one-is-forcing-you-to-go-to-the-military-drag-show” crowd.

–The US military is an all-volunteer force; our recruitment efforts are spiraling down the drain at the moment, and this constant barrage of woke messaging is putting the nails in the coffin.

— Decent Americans don’t support and shouldn’t tolerate this garbage. Many men and women in uniform don’t support and won’t tolerate this; when DoD not only tolerates but celebrates it, good men and women leave the military.

— Optics matter a great deal on the global stage. Senior military leaders should know this. Perceptions and misperceptions about US military strength shape how countries act and react to one another. Do you think it’s coincidence that around the same time our military put our weak recruiting videos and ads, our adversaries put out strong recruitment ads? These kinds of things are woven into the fabric of states’ decision making. Our adversaries no longer respect our strength, and our Allies don’t take us seriously.

— These drag events and this entire perverse political and social agenda is a waste of taxpayer dollars (and you’re fooling yourself if you think that’s not part of the DoD budget).

Ignorance and liberty are not now and never have been compatible. Some of us are actually trying to solve problems. It’s an uphill battle when senior military leaders only act responsibly when forced by congress or fear of embarrassment to do so.

Ninety years ago, Douglas MacArthur said this about the proper way to produce morale for the military:

“The unfailing formula for production of morale is patriotism, self-respect, discipline, and self-confidence within a military unit, joined with fair treatment and merited appreciation from without. . . . It will quickly wither and die if soldiers come to believe themselves the victims of indifference or injustice on the part of their government, or of ignorance, personal ambition, or ineptitude on the part of their military leaders.”

This is still true today.

Lying Lloyd Austin https://t.co/aqGx8XljV1 pic.twitter.com/R5sSNtj7Jw

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) May 19, 2023

Marxism in the Military and Humanity in Space

17 May 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier Interviews

Matt Lohmeier was on the Chatter podcast discussing his book Irresistible Revolution, the infiltration of Marxism in the military and wider society, and imagining humanity as a multi-planetary species.

Can the Military be saved from far-Left indoctrination?

12 May 2023

by Matthew Lohmeier Interviews

LTC Matthew Lohmeier, USAFA graduate and author of a best-selling book about the infiltration of Marxist ideology into the US military, was interviewed by former Marine Corps University professor and White House advisor Dr. Sebastian Gorka on the America First with Sebastian Gorka show.

They discuss whether or not the U.S. military can be saved from the far-left indoctrination efforts of the Biden regime.

Watch or read the transcript:

Referenced:

How Cultural Marxism Threatens the United States and How Americans Can Fight It (Heritage Foundation)

Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military by Matthew Lohmeier

TRANSCRIPT

Sebastian Gorka

Look at what the Navy did recently, they have a drag queen quote, “artiste” put into a combat uniform. To do what? Recruit more drag queens. What does our enemy think about that? They’re laughing at us. Dear friends, it’s serious business. A man who knows just how badly the neo-Marxist rot has penetrated the armed forces is the man who calls himself the first veteran of the Space Force. And that’s not for a good reason. He is a patriot. His name is Matthew Lohmeier. Matthew, welcome back to America First.

Matthew Lohmeier

Happy to be back. Thanks.

Sebastian Gorka

Tell people who missed your story and haven’t read your book, why are you the first veteran of Space Force? How did that happen?

Matthew Lohmeier

I was one of the first sessions into the Space Force when it was first stood up. December 2019 is when the Space Force became a reality, thanks to President Trump and Pence championing the idea that had been a bipartisan idea for quite some time before they came into office. I end up transitioning out of the Air Force into that Space Force.

I had flown F-15s, I had done space-based missile warning for the Air Force, which was responsible for most of our national security space assets, and then transitioned into the Space Force and was placed in command of our nation’s space-based missile warning out in Colorado.

Unfortunately, the time I came into command– fortunately, I suppose, depending on how one looks at it — is that was a time in the summer of 2020 that we had just seen George Floyd’s death reported in the news, and you saw what was literally a neo-Marxist activism hit the streets in this country.

It looked to the American observer like Black Lives Matter, Antifa and others who seemed to be craving some kind of new purpose in their lives, smashing police cars, smashing the windows on buildings, and terrorizing the American people. Unfortunately, that impulse, which is really a spiritual impulse of sorts, was prolific.

All of a sudden, for the first time in my military career, throughout the Defense Department, you had activists high and low of various ranks, of various races, who seized the opportunity to join in their voices with the other activists, whether it be online or in the military workplace and politicize.

Sebastian Gorka

The political activism in uniform was rescinded in general, so Trump hats could be worn and people could talk about the Bible.

Matthew Lohmeier

Yeah, it is a good idea that our military remain relatively apolitical, at least in the workplace. Now senior leaders have a roughly speaking, political job. But no, absolutely, the obligation is to be rather apolitical.

And yet there was a left wing — and make no mistake about it, that’s precisely what it was — it was a radical left-wing politicization of the military workplace.

Now it’s turned into not just a politicization, but a sexualization of the military workplace. When we talk about hiring a drag queen to be the digital ambassador for the United States Navy, I mean, it’s really getting out of hand quickly. Despite the fact that both service members and the American people are waking up to this problem that we’re facing — not just in American society, but in the military.

Let me mention this one more thing. Here’s the unfortunate reality. It is deemed non-political to spout the left-wing talking points when wearing the uniform of your country. It’s like, well, that’s just “be accepting, be inclusive”.

But if you have someone that speaks up and identifies these talking points as a problem in the military workplace, they have a label slapped on them immediately. It’s, well, they’re politically partisan. They’re ‘alt-right’. They’re ‘white supremacist’.

I’ll tell you, it has really disincentivized our men and women in uniform from either continued service or young men and women who had aspirations to join the military from joining.

After all, people are really disappointed by what they’re seeing right now. So we have to fix this problem.

Sebastian Gorka

My wife and her former colleague at the Heritage Foundation, Mike Gonzalez, have written a piece. I commend it to all of you. It’s titled How Cultural Marxism Threatens the United States and How Americans Can Fight It. Katie and Mike came up with this concept of Next-Gen Marxist. This is a new kind of Marxism. It pits us against each other, not based on class and socioeconomic background, but gender, skin color, and what have you.

You wrote the book. It’s “Irresistible Revolution“. Everybody needs to read this. “Marxism’s Goal of Conquest and Unmaking of the American Military”.

You may have left Space Force, but you’re not giving up. So tell us a little bit, as much as you can about this new project that you have ventured upon.

Matthew Lohmeier

I have been, ever since I separated in the fall of 2021, tried to stay in touch with our service members of all branches of the military, first off, and I interact with them still. Some of them still reach out to me. As recently as this week, two new service members have reached out to me saying, hey, please help. I’m in a bind here because of the politics at my base. That’s been things like the COVID shot mandate, which is now gone fortunately, but also just the race talk and the sexualization of the workplace. So there’s that, and that has not stopped.

I’ve been speaking around the country, but there’s another project that I’m throwing my energy into at the moment. I think it’s going to be very impactful. It won’t be seen publicly by the American people probably in the next couple of months, but they will hear about it soon. I’m hoping to try and solve some of the problems as well as educate all American people, regardless of where they sit on the political spectrum, frankly, because everyone — Democrat, Republican and unaffiliated — need to be willing to learn about how this is affecting the military soldier.

All right. He’s a brave man. You’ve got to read the book. It is “Irresistible Revolution“. Follow him right now @MatthewLohmeier.

He has endeavored to bring us a new product. He can’t release all of the information right now, but he said to me outside, this is part and parcel of how we recover the US military.

Have faith, dear friends, even if you’re still in uniform. Why? We’ve been here before. Not this bad, but if you remember the Carter years, it was bad. It was drug use. It was all kinds of things inside the military. It was a loss of faith in the institutions. But thanks to Ronald Reagan, we recovered. We can do it again if we have the requisite leadership and truth tellers like Matt.