In the News Archives | Matthew Lohmeier

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.

The Woke Danger Within the US Military

14 September 2022

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

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.

Space Force Officer, Punished After Denouncing Marxism, to Leave Military

17 August 2021

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

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

Fired For Speaking Out

23 June 2021

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

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

Fired Space Force commander issues warning to military leaders

17 June 2021

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

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.

Space Force commander’s career in jeopardy after controversial comments made on podcast

5 June 2021

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

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

Space Force CO Fired Over Comments About Marxism in the Military Now Subject of IG Probe

20 May 2021

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

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)

Lawmaker Calls for Reinstatement of Space Force Commander After Firing for Anti-Critical Race Theory Comments

19 May 2021

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

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.

23 House Republicans Demand Reinstatement Of Space Force Commander Fired For Criticizing Marxism

19 May 2021

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

By Greg Price – The Daily Caller News Foundation

House Republicans sent a letter to the Pentagon on Wednesday urging them to reinstate Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Lohmeier, the Space Force commanding officer who was relieved from duty over his criticisms of Marxism and Critical Race Theory in the U.S. military.

Led by Colorado Rep. Doug Lamborn, the letter is addressed to acting Secretary of the Air Force John P. Roth and Chief of Space Operations John W. Raymond.

“We call on you to reinstate Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier immediately … Whether you agree with him or not,” the letter, signed by 23 Republicans, said.

“[N]o rational American can review his level-headed critique of the critical race theory … and conclude that his comments on that subject deserve relief of command,” the letter continued.

Critical race theory holds that America is fundamentally racist, yet it teaches people to view every social interaction and person in terms of race. Its adherents pursue “antiracism” through the end of merit, objective truth and the adoption of race-based policies.
In addition to demanding the reinstatement, the letter also takes issue overall with an “increasingly politicized environment” and adoption of critical race theory-based diversity practices in the U.S. military.

It also cites many examples of politically charged comments made by other senior military leaders while in uniform that were never punished in the same way as Lt. Col. Lohmeier, including the attacks of several senior military leaders against Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson from earlier this year.

“The sole difference seems to be the ideological content of his remarks,” the letter says.

Lt. Col. Lohemier was relieved from command of the 11th Space Warning Squadron last Friday after he expressed his concern that Marxist ideologies are becoming prevalent in the U.S. military while appearing on a podcast to promote his recently self-published book.

“This decision was based on public comments made by Lt. Col. Lohmeier in a recent podcast. Lt. Gen. Whiting has initiated a Command Directed Investigation on whether these comments constituted prohibited partisan political activity,” a Space Force spokesperson said at the time.

Lohmeier responded at the time in a statement to Military.com, saying that his intent was never to engage in partisan politics, but inform the public about the increased polarization in the U.S. military. (RELATED: Space Force Refuses To Specify Why Commander Was Fired Over Podcast Appearance)

“I am growing increasingly concerned about the proliferation of training and discussions rooted in critical race theory throughout the Department of Defense. This Marxist ideology teaches racial prejudice and collective guilt,” Rep. Lamborn said in a statement.”The fact that it would be taught and promoted in the U.S. military is deeply disturbing … Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier listened to the Secretary of Defense and stood up against extremism on the left. He should be praised for his courage.”

Dear Acting Secretary Roth and General Raymond,

We write to you out of grave concern for what appears to be an increasingly politicized environment developing in the Department of Defense which has recently manifested in the United States Space Force.

Though we remain thoroughly supportive of our nation’s youngest military Service and the indispensable role it plays in our defense, events last week have alarmed us.

Specifically, we are concerned about the removal of Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Lohmeier from his command in the wake of two podcasts he participated in to discuss his new book.

As you know, Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier, commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado, was relieved of command last week by Lieutenant General Whiting, the head of Space Operations Command, “due to loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead.”

According to media reports, “This decision was based on public comments made by Lt. Col. Lohmeier in a recent podcast” and that there is currently an investigation underway “on whether these comments constituted prohibited partisan political activity.“1

Based on the interviews themselves, these statements by a Space Force spokesperson seem entirely divorced from reality.

Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier went out of his way to explicitly express support and admiration for his chain of command.

He said “all of my interactions with senior leaders in the Air Force and Space Force have been very positive” and “we’ve got very good leaders.” He goes on to say that they “care a great deal about our people” and “they care a great deal about the lethality of the force.”

According to his interviews, he raised concerns expressed in his book and on the podcast through his chain of command and through the Air Force Office of Inspector General.

Based on the outreach we have conducted in a very limited period of time, Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier has a stellar service record with no history of insubordination or malfeasance.

We also know that the 11th Space Warning Squadron has long served as a premier command post for those officers serving at the top of their year group.

These facts combine to paint Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier in a very positive light.

Additionally, we have plenty of recent examples of active duty military officers and senior enlisted leaders employing much more politicized speech than anything Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier said last week.

Perhaps Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier observed the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Goldfein, say in June 2020, “Every American should be outraged that the conduct exhibited by police in Minneapolis can still happen in 2020.” 2

While a reasonable person can share that sentiment, it is an extremely political statement for a Service Chief to make about a then-pending legal case.

Or perhaps he read the tweets by then-Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright in which he accused the Air Force of racism because of “racial disparities in military justice and discipline among our youngest black male Airmen and the clear lack of diversity in our senior officer ranks.” 3,4

Again, while we can sympathize with Chief Master Sergeant Wright’s passion, these quite-political statements were made in-uniform from his official twitter account.

Then there is the example of Colonel Jason Lamb, who anonymously ghost-wrote multiple articles to the Air Force Times and War on the Rocks that were extremely critical of various culture issues within the Air Force. 3

Rather than being reprimanded, General Goldfein offered “Ned Stark” a job on the Air Force headquarters staff.

From earlier this year, we have the example of multiple senior leaders in the United States military attacking a private citizen and journalist, Tucker Carlson, for comments he made on his political opinion show.

Space Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Master Gunnery Sergeant Stalker; both the Commanding General and Deputy Commanding General of Army Training and Doctrine Command, General Paul Funk and Lieutenant General Ted Martin; Fort Hood Deputy Commanding General John B. Richardson IV; even the II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group weighed in to explicitly attack the views of a private citizen. 6,7

There were no actions taken against any of these senior leaders who publicly, in uniform, and from official Department of Defense accounts lambasted a private U.S. citizen for having an opinion regarding defense policy which differed from the official DOD policy.

In fact, the official Department of Defense website still proudly trumpets the headline “Press Secretary Smites Host That Dissed Diversity in U.S. Military” in response to Tucker Carlson (emphasis added). 8

We have never seen anything like it.

In addition to all these examples, we note that professional military and Service publications regularly host essays, articles, and discussions that call into question the decisions and policies of the Department of Defense or Services.

These articles in no way violate any rules or regulations found in the UCMJ. They are appreciated for what they are: good-faith attempts to improve our national security enterprise.

Ultimately, there seems to be no material difference between the very public statements made by many senior leaders while in uniform and on official social media accounts, and those made by Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier in an unofficial capacity.

The sole difference seems to be the ideological content of his remarks.

We further note that euphemisms like “diversity training” used to describe critical race theory are grotesque distortions of reality.

Critical race theory is, in fact, a school of thought ultimately and explicitly derived from Marxism.

Critical race theory is a subset of critical theory that was developed in the 1980s to focus on perceived legal injustice in the United States trafficking in racial and sexual stereotypes and collective guilt, and viewing any differences in outcomes as evidence of systemic injustice.

This is an inescapable fact that senior leaders in the Department of Defense can no longer continue to ignore.

Now is a time for choosing: those leaders who are complicit with this poisonous philosophy which promotes racial essentialism and collective guilt in our beloved military will be judged by history accordingly.

Promoting critical race theory will disrupt the good order and discipline of the Space Force and eviscerate our nation’s ability to attract patriotic talent to serve in uniform and fight our wars.

Why would we expect our nation’s young men and women to join the Space Force to fight, and possibly die, on behalf of a systemically racist country?

“Why should they fight for a country we say is racist?” is a question our flag officers should be asking themselves if they believe critical race theory is true.

We call on you to reinstate Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier immediately, barring any violations of the UCMJ which have not yet been publicly disclosed.

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.

Space Force Guardians conduct can’t-fail missions twenty-four 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.

As senior defense leaders, it is imperative that you insulate our warfighters from these excesses.

We look forward to the expeditious reinstatement of Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

1 https://www.militarv.com/daily-news/2021/Q5/15/space-force-co-who-got-holidav-call-trump-fired-over-comments-decrving-marxism-military.html
2 https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/vour-air-force/2020/06/02/Roldfein-every-amerlcan-should-be-outraged-at-police-conduct-in-death-of-george-floyd/
3 https://twitter.com/cmsaf official/5tatus/1267S72332907954l77
4. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/202Q/06/01/chief-writht-i-am-george-floyd-promises-review-of-air-force-justice-system/
5. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-iorce/2020/07/22/commentary-farewell-to-ned-stark/
6. https://www.cnnxom/2021/03/ll/media/tucker-carlson-mocks-militarv-women/index.html
7 https://nvpost.com/2021/03/15/official-marines-account-walks-back-tweet-ripping-tucker-carlson/
8 https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/Article/2534159/press-secretarv-smites-fox-host-that-dissed-diversitv-in-us-miiitarv/source/GovDeliverv/

Rep. Lamborn Letter by Henry Rodgers

Congressman Lamborn Leads Letter to Acting Secretary Roth, General Raymond, Urging the Reinstatement of Space Force Commander

19 May 2021

by Matthew Lohmeier In the News

(Press Release) Congressman Lamborn and 23 colleagues sent a letter to Acting Secretary Roth and General Raymond over the decision last week to relieve the commander of the 11th Space Missile Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base.

Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier was relieved of command after he appeared on two podcasts to promote his new book which highlights the proliferation of critical race theory training throughout the military.

Congressman Lamborn’s letter also highlights the recent political polarization in the military and the hypocrisy of the Department of Defense’s reaction when compared to many controversial comments made by other senior military leaders while in uniform and from official accounts in recent months.

Congressman Lamborn and his colleagues call on the Department to reinstate the commander.

Congressman Lamborn issued the following statement:

“I am growing increasingly concerned about the proliferation of training and discussions rooted in critical race theory throughout the Department of Defense. This Marxist ideology teaches racial prejudice and collective guilt. The fact that it would be taught and promoted in the U.S. military is deeply disturbing. I am extremely concerned that advancing critical race theory will make it more difficult to attract patriotic talent to join the Armed Forces. The military should focus on our national security threats, not pandering to one political ideology. I can’t imagine a better way to weaken ourselves in the midst of a great-power competition with China and Russia. Lieutenant Colonel Lohmeier listened to the Secretary of Defense and stood up against extremism on the left. He should be praised for his courage.”

Congressman Mike Rogers, Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, issued his own statement on this subject yesterday.