A Space Force lieutenant colonel was reportedly fired from his post after boosting his book, which slams the spread of “a neo-Marxist agenda” in the armed forces.
The comments: Earlier this month, 11th Space Warning Squadron commander Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier appeared on the Steve Gruber Show podcast to discuss his book, “Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military.”
- “Since taking command as a commander about 10 months ago, I saw what I consider fundamentally incompatible and competing narratives of what America was, is and should be,” Lohmeier said on the podcast, denouncing those narratives as “Marxist in nature.”
- As an example, he pointed to The New York Times’ 1619 Project, which he called “un-American.”
- In a subsequent appearance on the “Information Operations” podcast, he took particular aim at diversity and inclusivity trainings, which he said spread Marxist narratives.
The removal: Lohmeier was relieved from his post on Friday by Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, the head of Space Operations Command, Military.com reported.
- The Defense Department told CNN that Lohmeier’s removal was “due to loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead,” noting the decision came after comments on “a recent podcast” that are being investigated for possibly constituting “prohibited partisan political activity.”
- “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 in an email comment.
- “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,”
Context: Lohmeier’s book comes amid increasing concerns about woke ideology infecting the U.S. national security establishment.
- Fox News host Tucker Carlson has repeatedly skewered the Pentagon, alleging that the U.S. national security apparatus has been corrupted from within by elite interests.
- “While China’s military becomes more masculine … our military needs to become, as Joe Biden says, more feminine,” Carlson said in a March segment about the Biden administration’s feminist military reforms.
- “It’s out of control and the Pentagon’s going along with this. Again, this is a mockery of the US military and its core mission, which is winning wars.”
