Capt.
Matthew Lohmeier, 460th Operations Group Block 10 chief of training, stands in
the Standardized Space Trainer on Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., on July 22,
2015. (Darren Scott/U.S. Air Force)
A U.S. Space Force commanding officer was removed from
his post after publishing a book that warned of the spread of Marxism and
critical race theory in the military.
The Space Force confirmed that it relieved Lt. Col.
Matthew Lohmeier, a former instructor and fighter pilot, as commander of
the 11th Space Warning Squadron.
“Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, Space Operations Command
commander, relieved Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier of command of the 11th Space
Warning Squadron, Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, May 14, due to loss of
trust and confidence in his ability to lead,” the Space Force said in a
statement to various news outlets over the weekend.
“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 (CDI) on whether these comments constituted prohibited
partisan political activity,” according to the statement.
The “public comments” that he made in a podcast were
likely in reference to the spread of Marxist ideology
within the military, which was detailed in Lohmeier’s recently
self-published book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest &
the Unmaking of the American Military.”
Lohmeier had appeared on the podcast “Information
Operation” to promote his book, and during the show, he criticized Defense
Secretary Lloyd Austin’s agenda. After Austin’s confirmation, he ordered a “stand down” to deal with alleged extremism
within the ranks of the U.S. military coming after the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.
“I don’t demonize the man, but I want to make it clear to
both him and every service member this agenda—it will divide us. It will not
unify us,” Lohmeier said, adding that Austin is promoting “diversity,
inclusion, and equity,” which he and others have said are “rooted in critical
race theory, which is rooted in Marxism.”
Critical race theory, which draws heavily upon Marxist
and postmodernist theories, denounces U.S. and Western culture as a form of
oppression. Critics have said its proponents apply the Marxist tactic of “class
struggle” to divide people along lines of race, gender, and ethnicity to label
them “oppressors” and the “oppressed.”
In recent days, a number of GOP-led states have barred
schools from using curriculum based on critical race theory or The New York
Times’ “1619 Project,” which critics have denounced as ahistorical and
inaccurate. Recently, White House press secretary Jen Psaki defended both the 1619 Project and critical race
theory.
“What you see happening in the U.S. military at the
moment is that if you’re a conservative, then you’re lumped into a group of
people who are labeled extremists, if you’re willing to voice your views. And
if you’re aligned with the left, then it’s OK to be an activist online because
no one’s gonna hold you accountable,” Lohmeier also said, according to the
Washington Examiner.
Space Force officials didn’t immediately respond to a
request by The Epoch Times for comment.
