The dismissal of a Space Force commander for comments on two podcasts, in which he raised concerns that critical race theory is being promoted in the military, has triggered the outrage of GOP members of Congress.
In a letter Wednesday to Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond and acting Air Force Secretary John Roth, two dozen members of Congress called for the reinstatement of Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier. They wrote that “promoting critical race theory will disrupt the good order and discipline of the Space Force and eviscerate our nation’s ability to attract patriotic talent to serve in uniform and fight our wars.”
Critical race theory holds that systemic racism is part of American society and that historical prejudice influences the way minorities are treated today.
The lawmakers are worried diversity training is a euphemism for rooting out conservative ideologies and gave several examples of other service members criticizing Fox News personality Tucker Carlson and involved Minnesota police officers after the killing of George Floyd, or the military itself, without similar punishment.
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The first signatory to the letter, Colorado Republican Rep. Doug Lamborn, told the Washington Examiner that the expelling of Lohmeier is an example of bias against those who hold conservative opinions.
”I’m concerned that there is a double standard,” he said. “When people make politically correct controversial remarks, there are no consequences. If someone makes a conservative, controversial remark, they can get in big trouble.”
Lamborn said Lohmeier had begun to distinguish himself in the Space Force.
“Lt. Col. Lohmeier was a rising star with an impeccable record,” said Lamborn. “I think his stellar records should be part of the story about him.”
The young Space Force member had served as Raymond’s aid, graduated in the Air Force’s premier graduate school for strategists, and was selected to command a squadron.
A recent report refuted by the Defense Department claimed a panel exploring how to improve diversity in the ranks would track service members’ social media posts for extremism.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told the Washington Examiner this week that there is no such program for continuously monitoring service members. Nonetheless, some members of Congress worry that the department may begin targeting soldiers who hold conservative beliefs.
“We should always seek to root out all kinds of extremism in line with existing regulations,” Florida Republican Rep. Mike Waltz, a former Green Beret, told the Washington Examiner in a statement. “My concern is this could be weaponized to target service members with political leanings that stand in contrast with the current administration.”
The Space Force Thursday declined to comment to the Washington Examiner on the letter, noting the Lohmeier case was an open investigation. A spokesman referred to a Space Force statement issued over the weekend.
“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 the Washington Examiner.
“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.”
Lamborn said it’s too early to hear back from Raymond or Roth, but he had spoken to Whiting and received assurance that the decision to relieve Lohmeier was his own.
“We had to agree to disagree,” Lamborn said of his call with Whiting, whose recently stood-up command is at Peterson Air Force Base in Lamborn’s Colorado Springs district.
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Lamborn said Whiting had explained the decision was based on Lohmeier’s “politically partisan” comments and the failure to provide a disclaimer before giving interviews. Lohmeier’s self-published book, Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military, immediately shot to the bestsellers list.
“Under the Biden administration, and with his political appointees in some of the top positions in the Pentagon, there seems to be more acceptance of left-wing sentiment and controversial statements than there are for the rest of the spectrum of thought,” said Lamborn. “I’m hopeful that when that investigation is done, that they will see fit to cancel this decision as a mistake.”
