DENVER — A Space Force commander at Buckley Air Force Base has been forced to give his command more space.
Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier is no longer in charge of the 11th Space Warning Squadron, which operates the Space-Based Infrared System for missile warnings.
He is out for publishing and promoting a book suggesting that the military is pushing Marxism and that the military's diversity and inclusion training creates conflict.
"Our diversity, inclusion and equity 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 on a conservative podcast on May 7. That podcast interview led to his no longer being in command.
"The diversity and inclusion industry is all about punishing people for their implicit and unconscious biases, as if we can be judged by biases that we, ourselves, can't even perceive that we have," Lohmeier said on the podcast.
During the podcast, he discussed problems he had with a February extremism training that he had to lead.
"All of the examples that were given in that 70-page book, had to do with, not last year, 2020, and the destruction of cities and people's civil liberties, the talking points had to do with various odd examples of white nationalists that have been caught at some point in the last decade and punished for it and kicked out of the military," said Lohmeier. "The most radical forms of extremism that we're seeing in our country, and insurracists [sic] have nothing to do with the examples that they gave."
A Space Force spokesperson provided a statement explaining why Lohmeier is no longer in command.
“Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, Space Operations Command commander, relieved Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier of command of the 11th Space Warning Squadron, Buckley AFB, Colo., May 14 due to loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead. 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. Due to the ongoing investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
Department of Defense Instruction 5230.09 deals with "Clearance of DoD Information For Public Release." The policy describes when information must go through official channels and command. However, there is a section that discusses military members acting in a private capacity.
"DoD personnel, while acting in a private capacity and not in connection with their official duties, may prepare information for public release through non-DoD venues or media… Such activity…may not have an adverse effect on-duty performance or the authorized functions of the DoD."
Lohmeier, who appeared on Hannity on Fox News on Monday night did not respond to multiple requests from Next with Kyle Clark including an email through his contact form on his website. The publicity he has received for being relieved of his command has resulted in his book reaching number 3 on Amazon's Best Sellers.
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