Posts in category: In the News

By Calvin Freiburger | LifeSite News

A longtime military commander ousted from the U.S. Space Force in 2021 for criticizing the spread of woke ideology in America’s armed forces is speaking out again, sharing the details of his experience with Fox News and calling for new leadership for the nation’s defenders.

Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, the former commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, was fired in 2021 after self-publishing a book titled Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military.

In an interview at the time, he discussed the spread of critical race theory (CRT, the “view that the law and legal institutions are inherently racist and that race itself… is used by white people to further their economic and political interests at the expense of people of colour”) within the military through so-called “diversity and inclusion” programs.

In response, Space Operations Command head Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting relieved Lohmeier from his position over an alleged loss of confidence in his leadership ability and opened an investigation into whether Lohmeier’s comments qualified as “prohibited partisan political activity.”

“There was a whole string of events that did lead up to my being relieved of command,” the lieutenant colonel told Fox in a new interview published Friday. “The ultimate reason was because I was willing to be publicly critical of critical race theory, which I understood to be rooted in Marxist ideology… that I saw dividing the troops (…) I wasn’t advocating for Republicans over Democrats, and I’m conservative myself. But it didn’t matter to me. And it’s never mattered to our troops what someone else’s politics were.”

Since his firing, which came with the “gut punch” of losing his pension, Lohmeier has remained committed to exposing and uprooting the ideological priorities that have infected the military.

“You give your life and service to your country and the American people, and you’re not doing it for the pay,” he said. “You’re doing it because you become (convinced) of the greatness of the American ideal. And … senior leaders (then) say, ‘We want you out of the way because your view is not welcome here,’ even as they pretend to care about inclusivity, even as they pretend to care about diversity, (but) not diversity of thought.”

“We need to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion trainings from the military, from the service academies, and strip all vestiges of critical race theory out of the military workplace,” Lohmeier declared.

The steady rise of “woke” ideology within the military, which has persisted and grown since the Clinton years despite the presidencies of Republicans George W. Bush and Donald Trump, has been intensified by current President Joe Biden, who upon taking office quickly moved to open the military to recruits suffering from gender dysphoria in a reversal of Trump administration policy, then had  Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin launch a review of supposed “domestic extremism” within the military that many saw as a pretext to purge conservative views from the ranks.

In March 2023, the Center for Military Readiness (CMR) published an update on the administration’s work to infuse the armed forces with left-wing gender ideology, ranging from enforcement of preferred pronouns to allowing cross-dressing and the use of opposite-sex showers and restrooms on military bases to making it harder to access information on the negative consequences of such policies.

Last November, the Pentagon requested an additional $114.7 million for diversity programs in the upcoming fiscal year, representing a total of $269.2 million in taxpayer dollars just on military diversity since Biden took office.

Until December 2022, Biden’s Pentagon leaders also enforced COVID-19 vaccine mandates on American service men and women, provoking lawsuits and threatening soldier and pilot shortages in the tens of thousands, which only added to broader problems of force strength, troop morale, and public confidence.

Such priorities have taken their toll. During a Pentagon press briefing in April 2022 on the Army’s budget for Fiscal Year 2023, Under Secretary of the Army Gabe Camarillo announced the Army had “proactively made a decision to temporarily reduce our end strength from 485,000 Soldiers to 476,000 in FY ’22, and 473,000 in FY ’23.” the Military Times reported at the time that this “could leave the service at its smallest size since 1940, when it had just over 269,000 troops.”

Gallup and Ronald Reagan Institute polls have both shown that the public has lost confidence in the military’s leaders, which presumably also has a significant effect on prospective soldiers’ willingness to sign up.

First published on LifeSite News

Some comments on the article:

“My husband (retired military) and I have read the book and highly recommend it. This is a brave man that put his life and career in jeopardy to speak out about the abuses occurring under this present Administration in our Military. We are a joke to the world and we will pay dearly for what is being allowed under this Administration.”

“A true leader. Reinstate this superb officer now.”

“I applaud this man’s courage. This is not the same country I grew up in. The lunatics are running the asylum. I pray for the young ones coming up behind me who will inherit this mess.”

By Harold Hutchinson   |  The Daily Caller

A former United States Space Force officer said Saturday morning that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is enforced by a “separate chain of command” at the Air Force Academy.

Former Space Force Lieutenant Colonel Matt Lohmeier, who was relieved of command after he spoke out against DEI initiatives in the military in 2021 and says he lost his pension, told guest host Joey Jones on “Fox and Friends Saturday” that the academy “has diversity and inclusion cadet officers” who “report to a separate chain of command.”

Jones had referred to an Arizona State University study that found service academies encourage reporting “private conversations that challenge DEI precepts,” asking Lohmeier if he had similar experiences. (RELATED: ‘Congress Has To Step In’: Judicial Watch Sounds Alarm On CRT At West Point)

“In fact, come to think of it, I did experience that. A fellow commander informed me that they’re aware of my kind of politics and that they’d be happy to turn me into the base commander if I continued to privately criticize our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,” he said. “But this problem has grown far beyond what I experienced, personally and professionally in the military workplace.”

“My own alma mater, the U.S. Air Force Academy, has diversity and inclusion cadet officers who wear a special insignia within their cadet squadrons, they wear purple braided rope over the shoulders and they report to a separate chain of command other than their military chain of command, relating to diversity and inclusion issues,” he continued. “It reminds one of Soviet political commissars that have been established both in the Soviet Union and in other Marxist revolutionary efforts throughout the last century.”

Lohmeier called DEI a “very dangerous, very divisive ideology” that is treated “like it is a protected religious worldview” that “others ought to step in line with and support in their words and actions, otherwise face consequences.”

The former commander spoke earlier in the segment about allegedly being fired over his concerns.

“Unfortunately for the American people and for all of the men and women in uniform, it’s been considered for a number of years now to be politically partisan to speak up against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,” Lohmeier told Jones. “And of course, anyone who looks into this matter knows it shouldn’t necessarily be considered a partisan issue. I wasn’t interested in being politically partisan while I wore the uniform of the country and was in command of a space force unit, but of course, senior military leaders, especially under the current administration, decided that because of the climate of fear that we had created for ourselves they ought to treat my criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as partisan and, quote unquote, hold me accountable for speaking out against it.”

The Air Force Academy did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

CADET PROGRAM PROMOTES DIVERSITY, INCLUSION ACROSS ACADEMY CAMPUS (US Air Force Academy)

By Hannah Grossman, Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi | Fox News

A former space commander is calling for a change of leadership after he was fired for allegedly criticizing the Marxist DEI complex, which he believes is now being accelerated under the Biden administration.

Former Lieutenant Colonel Matt Lohmeier was in the military for over a decade before he joined the U.S. Space Force in 2020, where he specialized in missile warning systems. But less than a year later, in May 2021, he was “betrayed,” he told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Lohmeier publicly spoke out against DEI training because he believed it was dividing the troops and decreasing morale, which affected military readiness. He believes “the DEI industry… is steeped in critical race theory, is rooted in anti-American, Marxist ideology.”

“The blow was severe,” he said about allegedly being fired for his dissenting views. “It makes you feel like you’ve been betrayed.”

He said it was a real “gut punch” when he lost his pension.

“You give your life and service to your country and the American people, and you’re not doing it for the pay. You’re doing it because you become [convinced] of the greatness of the American ideal. And… senior leaders [then] say, ‘We want you out of the way because your view is not welcome here,’ even as they pretend to care about inclusivity, even as they pretend to care about diversity, [but] not diversity of thought,” he said.

Lohmeier believed he didn’t violate existing policy because the issue he took aim at was anti-Americanism, not politics.

“There was a whole string of events that did lead up to to my being relieved of command,” he said. “The ultimate reason was because I was willing to be publicly critical of critical race theory, which I understood to be rooted in Marxist ideology… that I saw dividing the troops.”

“I wasn’t advocating for Republicans over Democrats, and I’m conservative myself. But it didn’t matter to me. And it’s never mattered to our troops what someone else’s politics were,” he said.

The former commander is now trying to expose what he calls the “Marxist” military complex from the outside.

A new study commissioned by the Arizona State University Center for American Institutions revealed that the Pentagon’s DEI programs encourage reporting private conversations on dissenting views of DEI and has been steadily increasing its resources. DEI engines in the military cost taxpayers $68 million in 2022, $86.5 million in 2023, with a proposed $114.7 million for 2024, according to the ASU report.

The report, compiled by military experts, recommends abolishing the left-wing DEI agenda and replacing it with merit-based selections and American values curricula at the academies.

“We need to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion trainings from the military, from the service academies, and strip all vestiges of critical race theory out of the military workplace,” Lohmeier said.

The Space Force did not respond to a request for comment.

Watch:

First published on Fox News

TRANSCRIPT

Matthew Lohmeier: “I’m willing to die on this hill and speak up about this and say, this is, an extremely dangerous territory that we’ve entered. And I weighed the cost in doing that, knowing that, well, I might get in trouble somehow. I’m Matt Lohmeier. I was formerly a Lt Colonel and commander in the newest branch of the military, the Space Force.

I was fired for publicly criticizing diversity, equity and inclusion trainings and critical race theory. I was in command of our nation’s space based missile warning architecture and mission. While I was in command at Buckley Space Force Base out in Colorado, I was relieved of my command in May 2021 on a Friday. And there was a whole string of events that did lead up to to my being relieved of command.

The ultimate reason was because I was willing to be publicly critical of critical race theory, which I understood to be rooted in Marxist ideology.

I was willing to speak up against, diversity, equity and inclusion policies that I saw dividing the troops.

I was not partisan. I wasn’t advocating for Republicans over Democrat, but it didn’t matter to me.

It’s never mattered to our troops what someone else’s politics were. It still doesn’t matter to most of our troops what someone else’s politics are.

But what does matter is that when ideology—that looks and feels awfully religious in nature—that is pressed upon all of our service members as if they ought to believe it, or else face some kind of retribution or punishment. When that begins to become the policy of the services, and it’s dividing the troops, people have to speak up about it at the risk of looking partisan, because it’s been framed as a partisan issue.

But in fact, this is not a partisan issue. It’s about the American ideas and ideals that shaped our country.

Republicans and Democrats or the apolitical, if they’re American, ought to embrace the values that made our country free, that made, us a just a nation and that made us have a merit-based military that made us the most lethal and ready military on the planet.

You start to see all of that stuff disintegrate when diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, so-called de-emphasize merit and strive by fiat to ensure, equality of outcomes and enforced equality of outcomes.

All of that destroys the morale of the military. It sets people at odds against one another and divides the troops. And it dis-incentivizes service. They hear evil things about their country or about one another.

In an all-volunteer force, you need people to be self-motivated for service, both to retain them and to recruit them.

So what we’re seeing at the moment in our recruiting and retention crisis is immediately the result of the things that we’re talking about, the diversity, equity and inclusion trainings, the social justice activism and the celebration of values that frankly, only resonate with a minority of our service members, regardless of their political views.

So I’m willing to die on this hill and speak up about this and say this is an extremely dangerous territory that we’ve entered. I weighed the cost in doing that, knowing that, well, I might get in trouble somehow. I might get paperwork, I might get a slap on the wrist. I might even be asked to step down from my command.

But the response of senior leaders was so swift, it surprised me, even having considered the potential consequences. They acted out of fear. They acted with haste before I’m sure they read anything I said in that book, which I stated was my own opinion and not the views of the Defense Department. And it wasn’t politically partisan. It’s about Marxist history and ideology.

The blow was severe and the way it makes you feel is like you’ve been betrayed.

I mean, you give your life and service to your country and the American people and and you’re not doing it for the pay. You’re doing it because by and by, you become convicted of the greatness of the American ideal.

And to have senior leaders say, we want you out of the way because your view is not welcome here, even as they pretend to care about inclusive inclusivity, even as they pretend to care about diversity. NOT diversity of thought, that that one thing is clear.

They don’t want a diversity of thought. What they’re interested in accomplishing you recognize at once that speaking up and trying to be courageous makes you incompatible with the current policy aims of the administration of the Defense Department.

I lost my retirement, or that I lost my pension. All of that happened so swiftly that it’s a gut punch for sure.

I’m really hoping—and I can say this now and I couldn’t then, and I’ll say it on behalf of plenty of our our troops: I’m really hoping that come this November, there is a resounding victory for some other candidate than who’s currently in the white House, because we need to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion trainings for the military from the service academies and strip all vestiges of critical race theory out of the military workplace.

We need to focus on our mission. We need to get back to the basics that make a military great and allow our people to be free of that burden culturally, politically, socially. They can then be united. They can then genuinely allow for the differences of viewpoint, the differences of background and so forth.

They really don’t care about someone else’s views about any number of things and don’t want to hear them in the workplace. They just want to focus on the same mission together.

When we can get back to that, that same sucker punch, gut check that I had at the time I was fired, that troops are still feeling day in and day out and reeling from, quite frankly, because of these things that can be eliminated from their work life.

I think we’ll retain a lot more of our service members and we’re going to begin to recruit the right talent into the services once again and meet our recruiting goals.

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.

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:

Transcript

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Thank you, Madam Chair. General Whiting, in speaking in support of DEI initiatives, General Brown said that quote, “there’s still a lot to do because this is a cultural shift. This isn’t something you can get done in just a couple of years.” Do you believe that General Brown should be relieved of his command because of those statements?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator, no, I do not.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

General Milley, in speaking in support of DEI initiatives, said, quote, “it’s diversity to improve the system, improve the military, improve our problem-solving capabilities, and improve our war fighting readiness in order to protect and defend the Constitution. That’s why it’s so important, so fundamental that we have this as one of our elements as we move forward to continue to develop the joint force.” Do you believe General Milley should be relieved of his command?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator, no, I do not.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Do you believe that’s partisan political speech?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator, no, I do not.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier said, our DEI industry and trainings we’re receiving in the military via the industry are rooted in critical race theory, which is rooted in Marxism. He was relieved of his command for those statements, correct,

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator, that’s correct.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

By you, right?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator, there were other comments regarding specific political parties that are in addition to what you just quoted.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

This was from the podcast, which was cited by you. So I’m asking, is opposition to DEI partisan political speech?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator, no, it’s not, unless it advocates for a specific political party or candidate.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Okay, well, I would agree with that. So your testimony today is Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier was relieved for something other than these statements on the podcast, or was that part of your consideration?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator, it involved a specific quote involving a specific political party.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

In his free time or on duty?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

It was on a podcast where he associated himself or he identified himself as an active duty space force officer and commander.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Okay, so there were other comments that other than this one I read to you about DEI?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator I think that podcast was about an hour long.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Okay, well, we’ll follow up with some of our questions. I want to ask you, do you support DEI initiatives in the military?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator I support a ready, lethal force that draws from the best talent all across America.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Okay, that’s not my question. I support that, too, but that’s not what DEI is. DEI is rooted in cultural Marxism. So I’m asking you, do you support DEI initiatives in the military?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator I support a merit-based approach to finding the best people across this country.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

That’s not DEI either. So do you support DEI initiatives in the military?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator based on how it is defined, I want to find the best people across anywhere in this country, geographically or any demographic who can support the defense of this nation.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Do you believe that our brave military men and women should be pitted against one another based solely on their race?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

No, sir, I do not.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Do you believe or do you accept the proposition that General Brown, in his August of 2022 memo that we should have racial quotas with officer class?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator, I am not aware that General Brown has said that.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

If General Brown said that we should have a reduction in number of white officers serving to 67% of officers down from I think it’s a total of 5400 officers. Do you support that?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Senator I support that promotion should be based on merit.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Okay, so you don’t support the idea that we would have racial quotas for the officer class?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

That’s correct, Senator.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

I do want to ask you also, what role do you think DEI . . . what’s your experience, firsthand for you? What have you seen in these trainings? What have been the trainings that have taken place? I’m not talking about reaching for the best and the brightest. I want to understand because we have a military recruitment problem, right? And so the issue, I think, is if people view–and this is coming from the Department of Defense and it’s been widely talked about in this committee–if people view that politics is being infused in our military, do you think that that would hurt recruitment?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Sir, I do. And I think the military must be rigorously apolitical and nonpartisan.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Do you think infusing abortion politics into our military hurts our recruiting?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Sir, we in the military should not be partisan or political.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Do you think infusing COVID politics into our military hurts our recruiting? Meaning do you think that people should have been fired for not getting the vaccine?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Sir, we are required to uphold a legal order.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Do you think we should actively recruit those 8500 people who were fired for not getting the vaccine?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Sir, I would like to see those individuals who can come back apply to come back, yes, sir.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Do you think we should recruit them to come back?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Yes, sir.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Okay, and then do you believe that . . . Are you familiar with the August memo of 2022 from General Brown?

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

I am not, sir.

Sen. Eric Schmitt

Okay, in some follow up questions we’ll ask you your points of view on that.

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting

Thank you, sir. Thank you.

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)

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:

• Navy Drag Queen Recruiters – Definitive Evidence that the Military has Lost Its Way
• ‘Harpy Daniels’ Update – Navy Disavows Endorsement of Social Media by Its Own Drag Queen “Digital Ambassador”
• Sen. Tom Cotton Introduces Bill to Stop Teaching CRT in the Military
• Pentagon Burdens Warfighting Commanders with New Transgender Policies for Military Personnel

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.

Matt was interview by Monica Crowley:

Monica has an exclusive story that you’re not going to hear anywhere else – new reporting on destructive wokeness destroying military institutions including the Navy and Space Force. She has an important conversation with former Lt. Col. Matt Lohmeier, who was fired for exposing the government’s crippling wokeness campaign,

Listen to an exclusive interview regarding the destructive Wokeism destroying military institutions including the Navy and Space Force. Starts at the 21 minute mark.

The Space Force officer who was removed from his command post for condemning Marxism and critical race theory is leaving the military.

Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier told The Epoch Times’ “American Thought Leaders” that his last day in the service will be Sept. 1.

“I wrote a letter to then-Acting Secretary of the Air Force explaining certain circumstances, which I don’t plan to make public, but also requesting an early retirement, and a separation honorably from the service,” he said. “And they’ve denied me an early retirement, but agreed that they would separate me. And so my family and I have decided that that’s the best course of action for us right now, given the circumstances.”

“I believe I’m able to continue serving my country outside of the service and out of uniform, perhaps in a better way than I was able to, given the circumstances, in uniform at the moment.” . . . .

Lohmeier told The Epoch Times that neither his book nor the remarks were politically partisan. “It’s not politically partisan to expose Marxist ideology where it exists and to talk about critical race theory; that should be something we’re unitedly standing against,” he said.

He also said he attempted before writing the book to utilize internal mechanisms that let service members lodge complaints, but to no avail. . . . .

Read the Whole Article

Watch Video:

Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier: How Critical Race Theory Is Undermining the Military

“I spoke up and said we need to remove the politics from our military environment. And I was relieved of my command,” says Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier.

How has critical race theory made its way into the U.S. military, and what is at stake? We sit down with Space Force Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Lohmeier, author of “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest and the Unmaking of the American Military.” Soon after he spoke about the book publicly, he was relieved of his command, and his status in the military remained uncertain—until recently.

Video Transcript: How CRT is Undermining the Military transcript

Article from the Colorado Springs Gazette about Matt:

As the commander of a missile warning unit, Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier felt responsible to report threats foreign and domestic before they harm the people of the country he loves and defends. He wrote a bestselling book and spoke out against anti-american, Marxist radicalization of military personnel he has witnessed in his role as commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron of Space Force, at Colorado’s Buckley Air Force Base.

In return for trying to expose what he considers a clear and present threat to national security running through all branches of the military, Lohmeier was relieved of duty on May 14 by Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting.

“I didn’t know the intent of that meeting, but I had my suspicion,” Lohmeier explained during a recent visit with The Gazette’s editorial board. “He said ‘I have seen your podcast and you have been politically partisan while acting in an official capacity,’ which I to this day deny. The second reason he cited is that I was publicly critical of the policies of my chain of command.”

Though the Defense Department announced an investigation of his “prohibited partisan political activity,” Lohmeier says he merely exposed increasingly institutionalized and mandatory left-wing political activity. He said the movement blatantly favors Democratic politicians, policies and ideologies.

“Military professionals have an obligation to be nonpolitical and that’s for good reason,” Lohmeier said. “We shouldn’t be political, and that includes me. I genuinely believe that. It is wise counsel and obligation, and that’s why I’m doing this.”

Lohmeier gives detailed accounts, in his book and in discussions, of emails, memos and down-day workshops that tell young military recruits and officers this country is a place of white “oppressors” and minorities oppressed by whites. They are lectured from and told to read passages of The New York Times’ 1619 Project, which pretends the United States was founded by the arrival of a slave ship and has grown as a culture of oppression ever since.

Lohmeier said service people are taught critical race theory, which characterizes the United States as a country of whites oppressing Blacks and other minorities.

“They’re taught about white groups of people versus Black groups of people — or, pick your oppressed group — and there’s this constant narrative that whites can’t help but be racist against Blacks so we need to disabuse them of their microaggressions and reeducate them in how to be anti-racist,” Lohmeier said. “We need to help white people understand that whether they think they’re racist or not they have implicit and unconscious biases that cause them to put Blacks or other minorities in a terrible position, even in our armed forces.”

Lohmeier believes it makes service personnel hate the country they are supposed to risk their lives defending. It divides personnel, who have more traditionally overlooked race to focus on a common purpose of defending freedom protected by a country they all would die for.

“I had a young Black female in my office saying ‘I’m beginning to learn that I’m not only an outsider in my country but I’m an outsider in the service.’ She had never been brought up to believe any of that, but a short time in the military had changed her entire perspective of her country. She said she had been trained to believe that whites are out to get her. I had to disabuse her of the fact she is not an outsider in this service,” Lohmeier said.

Lohmeier describes a slow and methodical anti-american, racially charged “radicalization” that began long ago and typically failed to gain traction. He believes it reached a tipping point after a white Minneapolis cop killed Black suspect George Floyd during an arrest on May 25, 2020.

“A host of military service members have not only become political they have been exceptionally radicalized to the left side of the political spectrum and they speak up without being held accountable for their radical views,” Lohmeier said.

He has examples, including enlisted personnel using social media to advocate burning down cities. He has screenshots of personnel posting “cops are bastards,” “f— all cops,” and more. Often he sees personnel conducting political activism while in uniform, clearly violating Department of Defense rules without consequence.

“Some took to social media while President Donald Trump was their commander in chief so they could compare him to Hitler,” Lohmeier said. “I see that kind of activism going unchecked. If you criticize those who have become political, to call them out for politically partisan activities, the standard retort is that those of us who say anything about it are racists or unsympathetic. What I witnessed is hyperpoliticization of the military work environment yet calling it out is considered partisan.”

At first, Lohmeier went through the chain of command by documenting political activism in writing. He filed a complaint with the Space Force Office of the Inspector General, but his concerns were immediately dismissed without explanation.

“People were being divided at the ground level in an operational squadron because of politics and political ideologies which I recognized as Marxist,” Lohmeier said. “I’m talking critical race theory, woke culture, political correctness, all of that. I thought nothing I do internally seems to be fixing this problem. So, I’ll write a book about it. Then, fortunately, I had an injunction from the secretary of defense that came on Feb.

5 of this year saying that if you witness any extremism or radicalism you have an obligation to speak up and help educate fellow service members. I thought, ‘Hey, that’s great because I’ve been writing about it and I plan to do just that.’ ”

To avoid the mere appearance of subversive behavior, Lohmeier discussed his book with Space Force public affairs officials and lawyers. He sought counsel from another active-duty lieutenant colonel and author and learned the military’s requirements for books published by active-duty personnel.

“I made sure I wasn’t doing something illegal,” Lohmeier said. “I wanted to get the issue out. So, I did all of that and then I was the one accused of being politically partisan and I was fired in an instant. I understand that it brings embarrassment to the Defense Department. Well, that was my best judgment of what needed to be done to solve what is potentially an irreversible situation within the armed forces if it doesn’t get fixed really quick. Radical leftist rhetoric is accepted, excused, and encouraged and any criticism of that activism is considered partisan. That is a dangerous spot for our armed forces to be in.”

His book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military,” contains at least 60 pages that document examples of radical political activity in the military.

He tells of his base commander sending out two 90-minute documentaries, asking personnel to watch them in advance of a downday discussion about race.

The videos feature interviews with Marxist revolutionaries, including Melina Abdullah who founded the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter and picketed the home of the first Black woman to head the District Attorney’s Office of Los Angeles.

“The videos demonize Republican officials by name, such as (Senate Minority Leader) Mitch Mcconnell, saying he can’t help his white supremacy,” Lohmeier recalls. “One video mentions Donald Trump, who was sitting commander in chief of the armed services, saying he contributes to a white ruling class that Democratic leaders are trying to help the country escape from. Then it mentions Bill and Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama as virtuous, lovely, praiseworthy, and everything good in this world because they are trying to help Blacks escape from the oppression of whites.”

Lohmeier said the overtly partisan propaganda videos, emails, memos, and downday discussions have changed the military’s culture. Instead of a unified force devoted to one country, people want to debate each other and others want to quit.

“Service members I talk to of high and low rank are losing their desire to serve in the forces, regardless of their political views,” Lohmeier said.

“If they’re left-leaning they tend to buy into the narrative that America is an evil place and a place of inescapable racism with an oppressor class of whites who have formed a culture and laws only to benefit themselves. They start to question whether this country is worthy to defend. One active-duty social justice activist, who’s a lieutenant colonel, said on his Facebook page that we need to topple and dismantle the United States and bring about revolution. If that’s what you believe, you don’t want to serve in the armed forces defending this country. You’ve got bigger fish to fry and you want to join the revolution. If you’re conservative, you grow tired of being called a racist. The one trusted institution that has historically been nonpartisan, the American military, is participating in partisan politics constantly.”

One of Lohmeier’s chapters documents the communist origins of critical race theory, and the Marxist tactic of dividing and conquering societies.

“Marx’s economic class stratification of the working and ruling class doesn’t always fit,” Lohmeier explains. “Marxists in the West in the 1930s and ’40s were very disappointed that Western society seemed reluctant to embrace that narrative. So, in the late ’60s and early ’70s, they started to adopt a different oppressor versus oppressed and it was all about race. All the while we were making progress on those fronts they were eager to capitalize on the very narrative that they knew would be very divisive in this country and that is our tough history of racism, of oppression, of slavery.

“Those are sensitive issues to the American people because they are incompatible with our founding philosophy. And, so you’re able to abuse and weaponize those narratives in order to create victimhood on the one hand and then an oppressor class on the other, and then insist that the victim class has an obligation to use violent force to throw off the oppressor class. That turns into race wars. So, if history is at all telling of what the outcome of Marxist ideology is, it is to get people’s blood boiling enough so they hate each other and they show up and protest, get violent, and they smash windows and shout and yell enough in order for people to start throwing punches or stabbing or shooting each other.”

Lohmeier believes the violent left-wing protests that swept through the country in 2020 could be the metaphorical tip of the iceberg if the military, school systems, colleges and universities, corporations, and other institutions continue embracing the oppressor-victim narrative that undermines love for the United States.

“If it starts again and you have another Kenosha (Wisconsin) in 2021 or 22 with the bloodshed of 25 or 30 people, that can spread very rapidly to cities throughout the country,” Lohmeier said.

“Then, depending on how that goes, it could subside or there could be no end to it. As a trained strategist in the Defense Department, I look not just at foreign enemies but at domestic enemies. I see what this impulse leads to. It has the potential to unravel civil society and lead to violence domestically,” he said.

“If you’re military is polarized and fractured like American society, how do you unify as a force in order to fight your nation’s battles either abroad or domestically? You don’t. You have certain people who agree and others who disagree and then they’re empowered to either obey or not obeyed the orders, and that’s a dangerous situation for this country and the world.”

First published in The Colorado Springs Gazette via FrontPage Magazine

Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier joined ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ to discuss how ‘tribalism’ is creeping into US military that have long not been infected with tribal thinking.

Does the military really want to abandon the road to Martin Luther King’s dream of having a society where people are judged on the content of their character and not on the color of their skin?

Some comments from the video on YouTube:

I can understand why this man was a commander. He is intelligent and articulate. When the government starts getting rid of people like this we are in trouble.

This gentleman is very well spoken. Refreshing to hear some logical and positive analysis of the shape of things.

Wow… That gentleman has the presence of be quiet eloquence of power through his words and they command attention.

It’s refreshing to hear someone who is intelligent, successful and articulate speak the truth. It’s a wake up call that if this is who our countries military doesn’t want than what do they want?

Colonel, stand strong! Thank you for your conviction, insight, and courage. God Bless you and prosper – yes, I bought your book.

He is EXACTLY the good type of person we need in every branch of our government, from stem to stern. Best wishes to him in his future.

The military career of a Buckley Space Force Base commander remains in limbo after comments he made on a podcast last month got him in hot water.

Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier was relieved of command of the 11^th Space Warning Squadron after promoting his self-published book, which asserts a neo–Marxist agenda in the military.

Lohmeier believes the military’s efforts to teach diversity, equity and inclusion are rooted in “critical race theory,” which he says stems from Marxism, and instead of uniting is dividing the military.

Lohmeier, a 2006 Air Force Academy graduate, was removed by Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, Space Operations Command commander, because of Lohmeier’s comments on the podcast and “due to loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead,” according to a statement the Space Force shared with Gazette sister paper, the Washington Examiner.

Whiting initiated a command directed investigation on whether Lohmeier’s comments constituted prohibited partisan political activity, according to a Space Force statement. Much of the discussion and contention surrounding critical race theory comes from the political right.

A spokeswoman for the secretary of the Air Force confirmed last week that Lohmeier remains under investigation and said there is no estimated time when a decision will be reached.

Department of Defense Directive 1344.10 prohibits active-duty personnel from engaging in “partisan political activities.” Lohmeier said he does not believe his comments were partisan politics.

Retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark, former NATO supreme allied commander who served more than 30 years before retiring in 2000, said he kept his political views to himself during his career but would offer them up in private if a senior officer asked.

“Right now there is no question in my mind that the current administration is yielding to so many liberal forces … that it is putting the military in a tough spot because the military is built on the principle of lethality,” Clark said. “And I’m not sure that diversity and inclusion and equity are all part of that lethality equation.

“I’m really curious to see how the investigation works out. They are going to give him some credit for being sensitive to the issues but they are going to whack him on the head for being so free with his expressions of it.”

However, retired Air Force General Lance Lord, who commanded Air Force Space Command — the predecessor to U.S. Space Force — at Peterson Air Force Base from 2002 to 2006, said, “The military’s sole purpose is to fight and win America’s wars. When an active-duty military individual, especially a senior officer, speaks out about a political issue, the trust our nation places in its apolitical military is seriously undermined.”

During the podcast, Lohmeier talked about his book, Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military, and what he was trying to do with it.

“Everyone needs to be properly educated on what critical race theory is and how it has roots in Marxism,” he contended. “Critical race theory … makes race the lens through which the world is viewed. And that weaponizes race dialogue to cause divisions and contentions hoping that people will get at one another’s necks … and be divided.”

Lohmeier expressed frustration for the diversity, equity and inclusion training going on in the military, saying it is rooted in critical race theory.

“It is intended to be divisive, but we spread it about the military service, pretending it is going to unify everyone,” Lohmeier said.

When asked to recently share talking points from a 70-page booklet addressing extremism in the ranks with his unit, Lohmeier said he wasn’t happy to see it begin with a vignette about the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

“That context painted the entire discussion and all the talking points,” he said. “All of the examples that were given … had to do with, not last year 2020 and the destruction of cities and peoples civil liberties, the talking points had to do with various odd examples of white nationalists that had been caught at some point in the last decade and punished for it and kicked out of the military.

“I don’t accuse people of ill motive because I can’t possibly know people’s motives, although at the moment the diversity and inclusion industry is all about punishing people for their implicit and unconscious biases.

“I refer to the secretary of Defense, his policies, the way he is trying to go about extremism in the book for example. I don’t demonize the man, but I want to make it clear to both him and every service member that if we pursue this agenda, it will divide us, it will not unify us.”

Before his command at Buckley — which was renamed Buckley Space Force Base on Friday — Lohmeier spent a few years at the Air Command and Staff College, earning master’s degrees in military operations and military strategy. It was there he took an interest in Marxism.

“Since coming into command of a unit, I’ve taken even far greater interest in it,” Lohmeier said during the podcast.

This is how Lohmeier describes his book:

“The first part of the book I (try) to describe something that’s beautiful, that’s America’s history and its founding philosophy and I don’t shy away from some of the ugly issues either. But I try and get at why America’s founding philosophy or ideology is great. I don’t think that people can appropriately or properly appreciate how ugly something is, like Marxism or critical race theory, unless they have something to contrast it with.

“I contrast that with part two of the book with Marxist ideology. I spend a good chunk of the book trying to help educate the reader on what Marxist ideology is and where it comes from.”

When asked by the podcast host L Todd Wood what Lohmeier would tell someone new to the military, Lohmeier said, “I think the bottom line … is that if you start to learn what critical race theory is and you get a sense for its rhetoric and its language, start to reject it. Don’t put up with it.”

Colorado Springs Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn and 23 colleagues sent a letter last month to John Roth, acting secretary of the Air Force and Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, chief of space operations for U.S. Space Force at Peterson Air Force Base, asking that Lohmeier be reinstated.

“I am growing increasingly concerned about the proliferation of training and discussions rooted in critical race theory throughout the Department of Defense,” Lamborn said. “This Marxist ideology teaches racial prejudice and collective guilt. The military should focus on our national security threats, not pandering to one political ideology.”

First published in the Colorado Springs Gazette

The U.S. Air Force has elevated an investigation into a former Space Force commander who was fired for comments made during a podcast promoting his new book, which claims Marxist ideologies are becoming prevalent in the United States military.

A command-directed investigation into Lt Col. Matthew Lohmeier, who last week was fired as commander of 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, will now be investigated by the Air Force Inspector General, officials announced Thursday.

The Space Force falls under the Department of the Air Force.

“The decision was made by the Department of the Air Force Inspector General due to the complexity and sensitivity of the issues under consideration, as well as potential for DAF-wide impact,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in the announcement.

The new review supersedes the command-level investigation, overseen by Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of Space Operations Command, Stefanek said. As a result, that review has been suspended, she said.

Whiting removed Lohmeier last week over a loss of confidence in his ability to lead after Lohmeier made public comments about his military experience to promote the self-published book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military,” Military.com first reported.

During a 34-minute taped segment for “Information Operation,” hosted by Creative Destruction, or CD, Media, Lohmeier stated that diversity and inclusion training — something that the Pentagon has given prominence in order to eradicate extremism in the ranks — is “rooted in critical race theory, which is rooted in Marxism.”

Lohmeier has been reassigned into a non-leadership role at Buckley, Michael Pierson, spokesman for Space Operations Command, said in an email Thursday.

Lohmeier said he didn’t seek to criticize any particular senior leader or publicly identify troops within the book, he said during the podcast. Rather, he said, he focused on the policies service members now have to adhere to to align with certain agendas “that are now affecting our culture.”

Regarding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, he said, “I don’t demonize the man, but I want to make it clear to both him and every service member this [diversity and inclusion] agenda, it will divide us, it will not unify us.”

Austin on Feb. 5 ordered all military services to observe a one-day stand-down on extremism in the ranks.

“My intent never has been to engage in partisan politics,” Lohmeier told Military.com in an email last week.

“I have written a book about a particular political ideology (Marxism) in the hope that our Defense Department might return to being politically non-partisan in the future as it has honorably done throughout history,” he added.

During a briefing Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby addressed questions about Lohmeier’s removal, and whether Lohmeier had consulted the proper officials prior to publication.

“Anytime you’re gonna write a book based on your military experiences or about military matters, and you’re using your rank and title, and your service, as a credentialing opportunity, as an author, you do have to get a policy review by the Department of Defense,” Kirby said.

“I think the Air Force has already addressed the issue that there was no policy review.”

For a self-published work, policies that may apply include DoD Directive 1344.10 and associated guidelines discussing political activity in uniform. According to the services’ standards, personnel may express their views freely, but they are still expected to uphold their branch’s core values both on and off duty.

The Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review, for example, requires all current, former and retired Defense Department employees, contractors, and military service members — whether active or reserve — who have had access to DoD information, facilities, or who signed an non-disclosure agreement to “submit DoD information intended for public release to the appropriate office for review and clearance.”

DoD information can include “any work that relates to military matters, national security issues, or subjects of significant concern to the Department of Defense in general, to include fictional novels, stories and biographical accounts of operational deployments and wartime experiences,” according to the office.

“I was apprised of the option to have my book reviewed at the Pentagon’s prepublication and security review prior to release, but was also informed that it was not required,” Lohmeier told Military.com, adding he consulted with base legal counsel and public affairs.

The Air Force did not say when the investigation is expected to conclude.

First published on Military.com

PHOTO: Then U.S. Air Force Capt. Matthew Lohmeier (left) instructs a trainee in the Standardized Space Trainer July 22, 2015, on Buckley Air Force Base, Colo. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Darren Scott)

By Jack Beyrer – The Washington Free Beacon

A group of 23 lawmakers led by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R., Colo.,) is calling for the reinstatement of a Space Force officer after he was relieved of duty for criticizing the military’s embrace of critical race theory.

Lamborn, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and cofounder of the Space Force Caucus, warned that the decision to bounce the officer from command raises an “inescapable fact” senior Pentagon officials can no longer ignore: Critical race theory undermines the military’s ability to win wars.

“Whether you agree with him or not, no rational American can review his level-headed critique of the critical race theory-based ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ training the military is currently conducting and conclude that his comments on that subject deserve relief of command,” Lamborn said of the officer.

“Space Force Guardians conduct can’t-fail missions 24 hours a day, seven days a week: We cannot allow temporary political appointees at the Department of Defense who are ideologically motivated to purge those men and women in uniform who do not agree with the cultural or political fads of the moment.”

Space Operations Command fired Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, a former Air Force pilot and commander of a Space Force unit tasked with detecting ballistic missiles, citing a loss of confidence in his leadership due to public remarks about critical race theory within the military.

Lohmeier’s remarks on a May podcast about his self-published book, Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military, have prompted an investigation to evaluate if such actions violate military policy, a Space Force spokesperson first told Military.com.

Lohmeier’s book shot to the top of Amazon’s military policy bestseller list and sold out. The book chronicles the use of controversial “neo-Marxist” concepts in U.S. military diversity training, saying their use undermines the effectiveness of the armed forces and runs contrary to the ideals of the American founding. In his podcast appearance, Lohmeier said the controversial diversity and inclusion initiatives amount to a severe threat to the U.S. military.

“We face our greatest threat here at home at the moment,” Lohmeier said. “When senior leaders begin to politicize the institution itself, that’s not what the American people expect, and it’s not our obligation.”

Lohmeier also warned Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that further pursuit of a “toxic and poisonous” critical race theory agenda would divide the armed forces. Experts say Lohmeier’s outspoken views on critical race theory may have been seen as undermining current military policy, which is likely what cost him his job.

Lamborn’s demand to reinstate Lohmeier follows on the heels of a statement from House Armed Services Committee ranking member Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Ala.), who announced Tuesday he would address bias against conservatives in the military in this year’s Pentagon funding request.

“My Republican colleagues and I hear regularly from active duty and retired service members that even holding conservative values is now enough to endanger a service member’s military career,” Rogers said. “The United States Armed Forces should be focused on preparing to face and win any battles against the threats posed by China and other foreign adversaries and not imposing political beliefs on those who chose to serve in uniform.”

Beyond Space Force diversity trainings, critical race theory is taking hold in the Pentagon.

The Washington Free Beacon reported in April that West Point and the Naval Academy are using contested concepts associated with “woke” politics in their curricula and recruiting processes.

The report came after the discovery that the U.S. Navy reading list included books by “antiracist” authors like Ibram X. Kendi. Critics say the inclusion of critical race theory language and ideas into military training undermines the unity and cohesion of troops, making them less effective as China continues to grow in its own military power.

The Space Force did not respond to a request for comment.