Posts in category: 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

(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.

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

Matthew Lohmeier joins ‘Hannity’ to discuss critical race theory push inside the US military.

Some of the comments from the YouTube video:

This gentleman is the kind of public servants we desperately need. Thank you for your courage.

Smart guy. Losing people like him from serving the country is a major major loss. Thanks for speaking out.

It’s basically only people like Lohmeier who stand between us all and Hell.

Thank you for your service Sir. You did your troops proud.

You can see the integrity and courage in this man.

Lt. Colonel Lohmeier is a 21st century warrior battling the Neo-Marxist enemy within our military—> Give him 100% support.

Commander Lohmeier, you have my deepest respect. Thank you for your service to this nation at a critical moment.

Matthew Lohmeier is exactly the kind of person that makes our military the world’s best. Put him back in the space force with honors. We need leadership like Matthew.

What a courageous and honest man; a true leader. What has happened to him is a travesty of justice.

I am reminded of Court martial General Billy Mitchell who challenged the Defense force in the 1920s … he predicted pearl harbour and the likelihood of airforce becoming very relevant to modern warfare … they laughed him out and top brass shut him down …. Colonel Lohmeier is a patriot and he is so right …

Thank you Mathew for exposing what we thought was going on. A true patriot for the USA. Thank you for taking a stand for the America we love. God bless you and yours. This is what we need each American to do for our country. Thank you for your service. You will go far in this life.

I know Matt Lohmeier from my time at USAFA…He is one of the nicest and most genuine individuals I have ever met….I commend him on speaking up on what he has seen and what we are all seeing within every American institution…Matt is a man of great integrity that is rooted not only in his Military duty but also in his Moral and Religious convictions…Those human characteristics have become scarce in today’s America and with any luck “wokeness” will squash them out of existence one great person at a time.

Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier was relived of his duties after speaking out in print and on a podcast about what he’s seen in the military in recent years in regards to racially-sensitive training and other ‘Marxist’ practices, and where the dynamic could go from here.

Matt was on the a The Chris Salcedo Show on Newsmax TV.

(Military.com) A commander of a U.S. Space Force unit tasked with detecting ballistic missile launches has been fired for comments made during a podcast promoting his new book, which claims Marxist ideologies are becoming prevalent in the United States military.

Lt Col. Matthew Lohmeier, commander of 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, was relieved from his post Friday by Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, the head of Space Operations Command, over a loss of confidence in his ability to lead, Military.com has exclusively learned.

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

Lohmeier’s temporary assignment in the wake of his removal was not immediately clear.

Earlier this month, Lohmeier, a former instructor and fighter pilot who transferred into the Space Force, self-published a book titled “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military.”

“Irresistible Revolution is a timely and bold contribution from an active-duty Space Force lieutenant colonel who sees the impact of a neo-Marxist agenda at the ground level within our armed forces,” a description of the book reads.

Lohmeier sat down last week with L. Todd Wood of the podcast “Information Operation,” hosted by Creative Destruction, or CD, Media, to promote the book.

He spoke about U.S. institutions, including universities, media and federal agencies including the military, that he said are increasingly adopting leftist practices. These practices — such as diversity and inclusion training — are the systemic cause for the divisive climate across America today, he said.

From his perspective as a commander, Lohmeier said he didn’t seek to criticize any particular senior leader or publicly identify troops within the book. 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 one-day stand-down on extremism in the ranks.

As part of his stand-down, Lohmeier said, he was given a booklet that cited the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol as an example of extremism, but did not mention the civil disobedience and destruction of property that took place following the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis last May.

He also took issue with “the Pentagon spokesperson,” seeming to allude to Press Secretary John Kirby. Lohmeier claimed Kirby said “there are too many white pilots,” amid an ever-increasing pilot shortage.

“If you want to provide that kind of messaging to your already struggling pilot force, you can already expect to see further retention problems,” he said.

In a statement Friday, Kirby denied ever saying such a thing about a surplus of white pilots, and pointed to Austin’s comments made last week during his first press conference about the importance of increased diversity programs.

“This department has an open door to any qualified American who wants to serve,” the defense secretary said May 6. “Diversity throughout the force is a source of strength. We can’t afford to deprive ourselves of the talents and the voices of the full range of a nation that we defend.”

Lohmeier told Military.com he had consulted with his base public affairs and legal counsel about his plans to publish a book and its contents.

“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 said in an email.

“My intent never has been to engage in partisan politics. 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 said.

The book is available on Amazon, on Lohmeier’s website and Barnes & Noble.

The book ranked No. 2 under Amazon’s “Military Policy” section this week.

Promoting His Book While on Active-Duty

Prior to transferring into space operations, specifically space-based missile warning, Lohmeier spent over 14 years in the Air Force. His Air Force career included instructor pilot training on the T-38 Talon jet and time flying the F-15C Eagle, according to biographical information listed on his book cover. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2006.

He moved into the Space Force in October 2020. The following month, then-President Donald Trump called Lohmeier and other members of the Space Force for the branch’s first Thanksgiving holiday.

Lohmeier told Wood, the podcast host, that the beginning chapters of his book explore the history and foundation of the United States and how critical race theory — a study of how race and racism impact or are impacted by social and economic power structures and institutions — plays a role.

“The diversity, inclusion and equity industry and the trainings we are receiving in the military … is rooted in critical race theory, which is rooted in Marxism,” Lohmeier said, adding it should be seen as a warning sign.

In the segment, Lohmeier said his book is not political, and is meant to alert readers to the increasing politicization of today’s armed forces, some of which he said he’d seen or experienced firsthand.

There are Defense Department policies that spell out all the nuanced do’s and don’ts surrounding politics or political discourse for active-duty service members, said Jim Golby, a senior fellow at Clements Center for National Security at the University of Texas at Austin who specializes in civil-military relations and military strategy.

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.

“Those are fairly broad and would not prevent publication, but might impose some minor limitations on content,” Golby said Friday. Also, policies associated with a service member’s security clearance or policy-related access, are usually covered by an Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) or a clearance read-in agreement, Golby said.

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 NDA 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.

Subject matters about hobby-like activities, such as cooking, sports, gardening, crafts, artwork, are unlikely to be reviewed pre publication since it is not associated with an author’s work with the Pentagon.

Still, “the line on what is a ‘military matter’ or ‘subject of significant concern’ is not entirely clear, and likely only comes into play if someone is discussing personal experiences in the military and not outside research or personal political opinions,” Golby added. “And again, that is primarily related to sensitive positions where you have access to classified or sensitive information.”

‘We Don’t Have a Voice Anymore’

While a major, Lohmeier attended the Air Command and Staff College, where he published “The Better Mind of Space.” The paper explores the U.S. military’s role in space beyond geosynchronous Earth orbit.

In the “Information Operation” podcast, Lohmeier said his fascination with Marxism began after that, when he was pursuing his second master’s degree in philosophy in military strategy at Air University’s School of Advanced Air and Space Studies.

“All my interactions with senior leaders in the Air Force and in the Space Force have been very positive; they care a great deal about their people [and] the lethality of the force,” Lohmeier said during the 34-minute interview.

However, leaders may be afraid if they don’t get on board with diversity training, they will face scrutiny, “or might not get promoted,” he said, adding that liberal ideas are welcomed whereas ideas from more conservative voices are criticized or silenced.

Lohmeier advised any new service member, from enlisted to officer, to reject critical race theory if they see it being taught in the ranks, because it too is a form of extremism by the definitions outlined in DoD Instruction 1325.06, “Handling Dissident and Protest Activities Among Members of the Armed Forces.”

Golby, an Army veteran, said Lohmeier’s advice to the junior ranks potentially undermines good order and discipline, or DoD policies aimed toward diversity and inclusion. “Or maybe both,” he said.

Lohmeier told Wood he has received many messages of support from active-duty members on the book’s release.

“[They’re saying], ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you for speaking up — because we don’t have a voice anymore,” he said.

Published in Military.com

PHOTO: In this July 22, 2015 file photo, Capt. Matthew Lohmeier, 460th Operations Group Block 10 chief of training, stands in the Standardized Space Trainer on Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. (Darren Scott/U.S. Air Force)

During a video teleconference with members of the military on his last Thanksgiving as commander in chief, President Trump touted his efforts to establish the Space Force, calling the newest branch of the armed services “a very important thing to me.”

Trump spoke Nov. 26 from the White House Diplomatic Reception Room with officers representing units from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force and Coast Guard.

The Space Force officer on the call was Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado.

“You keep watch around the world to detect missile launches, space launches, and nuclear detonations while providing critical intelligence. All of you are pioneers in the newest branch of our armed forces,” Trump told Lohmeier, according to a transcript of the call released by the White House.

The 11th Space Warning Squadron operates the Defense Support Program and Space Based Infrared System satellites that detect launches and provide early warning.

Trump thanked all the officers for their service. He was especially eager to talk about the Space Force and his personal involvement in getting the service enacted as a separate branch of the military. 

“Nobody thought that could happen,” Trump said. “It’s very special to me, that new branch, because that was something that I felt was necessary.”

Trump once again repeated his claim that it was him who came up with the concept of an independent space service. “Nobody even thought about Space Force,” he said. “And I looked at it, and I said ‘We’re going to have to do something’ because I looked at what China was doing and Russia was doing and others are thinking about doing.”

The idea of a separate military branch for space, however, had been championed by members of Congress before Trump became president. It grew out of a bipartisan push from the House Armed Services Committee going back to 2016, when then-chairman and ranking member of the HASC strategic forces subcommittee Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) started advocating for a separate space branch.

Rogers and Cooper wrote language to establish a Space Corps under the Department of the Air Force. The provision was passed by the House in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act but was defeated in the House-Senate conference.

The only difference between the Space Corps of 2017 and the Space Force of 2019 is “just one word,” Cooper told reporters last December just days before Congress passed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that established the U.S. Space Force.

Officer thanks Trump

“I want to thank you personally for your advocacy for an independent Space Force … We’re very grateful for that,” Lohmeier, the commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron, told Trump. “We’re making great progress that I don’t think we were able to necessarily make while we belonged to the Air Force.”

Lohmeier in a recently published paper argued that it’s important for space operators to break free of the traditional thinking and develop an independent culture.

“The Air Force has maintained what we will call the traditional mind of space and is responsible for current military space culture,”  Lohmeier wrote in a 34-page paper published in September by the Air Force’s university the Air Command and Staff College.

“Like the waning moon, the traditional mind of space is diminishing in vigor, power, and influence,” he wrote.

First published in Space News

Photos from the Department of Defense Public Affairs – Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS):

BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, CO, UNITED STATES
12.22.2016
Photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Rau
460th Space Wing Public Affairs

Eliza rides with her dad Maj. Matthew Lohmeier, 460th Space Wing executive officer, on her way to visit the Mission Control Station during Team Buckley Spouse and Family Day Center on Buckley AFB, Colo., Dec. 22, 2016. The event consisted of families given access to see the 460th Space Wing mission up close, with demonstrations from the operators, Defenders, and firefighters. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Rau/Released)

BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, CO, UNITED STATES
12.22.2016
Photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Rau
460th Space Wing Public Affairs

Luke receives a surprise gift from Buck Lee, six-star general and Buckley Air Force Base mascot, after finishing a cupcake during Team Buckley Spouse and Family Day at the Base Chapel on Buckley AFB, Colo., Dec. 22, 2016. The event consisted of families given access to see the 460th Space Wing mission up close, with demonstrations from the operators, Defenders, and firefighters. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Rau/Released)

Other photos from that day:

Col. David Miller Jr., 460th Space Wing commander, explains how missile warning the mission is accomplished during at Team Buckley Spouse and Family Day at the Mission Control Center on Buckley AFB, Colo., Dec. 22, 2016. The event consisted of families given access to see the 460th Space Wing mission up close, with demonstrations from the operators, Defenders, and firefighters.

The 460th Operations Group pulls back the curtain to show attendees of Team Buckley Spouse and Family Day operators working and flying the satellites controlled inside the Mission Control Center on Buckley AFB, Colo., Dec. 22, 2016. The event consisted of families given access to see the 460th Space Wing mission up close, with demonstrations from the operators, Defenders, and firefighters