President Donald Trump on Friday tapped a former Space Force lieutenant colonel — who was fired after publicly criticizing the military’s diversity programs and alleged leftist and Marxist ideology in the ranks — to be the Air Force’s next undersecretary.
In May 2021, while serving as commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado, Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier self-published the book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest and the Unmaking of the American Military.”
Shortly after, Lohmeier appeared on a podcast where he criticized diversity initiatives, critical race theory and Marxism as anti-American, divisive and threats to the nation, claiming those schools of thought were spreading through the military and weakening it.
Then-Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, who at the time was head of Space Operations Command, relieved Lohmeier of command due to a loss of confidence in his ability to lead, Military.com reported at the time.
Trump announced his plan to nominate Lohmeier as the second-highest ranking civilian official in the Department of the Air Force in a social media post Friday, three days before his inauguration, touting Lohmeier’s experience as a fighter pilot, squadron commander and Air Force Academy graduate.
Trump also said he chose Lohmeier to change the military’s “woke” policies, alongside his nominee to run the Pentagon, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth.
“Matthew will work with the GREAT Secretary of Defense Nominee, Pete Hegseth, to end the devastating ‘woke’ policies that have destroyed our Military, and make our Country STRONG AGAIN,” Trump said.
Whiting, now a four-star general and commander of U.S. Space Command, also directed an investigation be opened into Lohmeier’s comments to consider whether they amounted to “prohibited partisan political activity.” Soon afterward, the investigation was elevated to the Air Force Office of Inspector General.
That investigation has not yet been released publicly. The Air Force did not immediately respond to queries about the status of Lohmeier’s investigation or whether it would be released.
Lohmeier left active duty in September 2021, according to his website. The site describes Lohmeier as a “highly sought public speaker and private consultant on matters of Marxist ideology and tactics, CRT [critical race theory], the betterment of military culture, and the preservation of our liberties.”
Lohmeier also serves as the executive vice president of STARRS, or Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services, a group of veterans that advocates against “Marxist collectivism and one party rule,” socialism, “CRT which destroys unit cohesion-pits one group against another,” “politically correct woke policies, lowering standards,” and “’equity’ meaning equal outcomes based on racial or gender quotas, according to the organization’s website.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
Read the full article here
