A commander in the still-new Space Force has been relieved of duty after publicly espousing a number of conspiracy theories, including that Marxists had infiltrated leadership in all branches of military, while promoting a self-published book.
“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,” Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier said on “The Steve Gruber Show” podcast. “That wasn’t just prolific in social media, or throughout the country during this past year, but it was spreading throughout the United States military. And I had recognized those narratives as being Marxist in nature.”
According to the book, a “new-Marxist agenda” has taken hold in the military.
In the podcast, Lohmeier also decried anti-racism training and education and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The Pentagon said it no longer trusted Lohmeier to lead.
“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,” a Defense Department official told CNN. “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.”
Prior to joining the Space Force last year, Lohmeier spent more than 12 years in the Air Force. It was not immediately clear where he will be re-assigned.
