Darren Scott/U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Lohmeier, pictured in 2015, is a Space Force commander who was fired for political comments made on a podcast.
Matthew Lohmeier is a U.S. Space Force commander who was fired from his position leading the 11th Space Warning Squadron after making political comments on a conservative podcast. The decision to remove him from his post was first reported by Military.com on May 15, 2021. Lohmeier appeared on a podcast to promote his book that claims Marxist ideologies are becoming prevalent in the U.S. military.
The 39-year-old Lohmeier transferred to the Space Force in October 2020 after a 14-year career in the Air Force, according to Military.com. He was commanding 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. A Space Force spokesperson told Military.com, “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 on whether these comments constituted prohibited partisan political activity.” The news site reports that Lohmeier is on an unspecified temporary assignment.
Lohmeier, who could not be reached for comment by Heavy, appeared on the Information Operation podcast with host L. Tood Wood on May 7. Lohmeier also recently appeared on The Steve Gruber Show. His self-published book, Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Militar, was released earlier in May and was ranked No. 2 on the Amazon “Military Policy” bestseller list. He told Military.com he talked to his chain of command, public affairs and legal counsel before publishing his book.
“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,” he told Military.com. “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.”
Here’s what you need to know about Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Lohmeier:
1. Lohmeier Describes the Book as a ‘Timely & Bold Contribution’ & About the ‘Impact of a Neo-Marxist Agenda at the Ground Level Within Our Armed Forces
Matthew LohmeierMatthew Lohmeier published his book in May 2021.
Lohmeier writes about his book on his website, “Irresistible Revolution is a timely and bold contribution from an active-duty Space Force lieutenant colonel who sees the impact of a neo-Marxist agenda at the ground level within our armed forces. In it, author Matthew Lohmeier provides answers to many important questions that Americans are currently asking.” Lohmeier adds:
The book begins with a discussion of the greatness of the American ideal, transitions to an examination of the history and overarching narrative of Marxist ideology, and concludes by looking into the ongoing transformation of America’s military culture and military policy, while also providing a warning about where the country is headed if we choose to not make an immediate course correction.
Pundits often seem perplexed by current policy decisions being made in our country. But our apparent missteps are part of a longstanding plan, patiently and methodically pursued by those intent on the overthrow of the US government and its replacement with a communist dictatorship. Unfortunately, many of those now furthering that agenda do so unwittingly.
Lohmeier said his book should be read by every U.S. military servicemember:
After becoming aware of the Marxist conquest of American society, you will never again look at things in the same way. Mainstream media, social media, the public education system, including the university, as well as federal agencies have all become vessels of various schools of thought that are rooted in Marxist ideology—an ideology bent on the destruction of America’s history, of Western tradition, specifically Judeo-Christian values, and of patriotism and conservatism. The problem has become systemic, a tragedy considering that the defeat of Marxist-communist ideology was the very cause against which our nation spent great treasures of blood and iron during much of the twentieth century.
Lohmeier’s description on Amazon reads:
The book’s three-part framework begins with a discussion of the greatness of the American ideal (including the importance of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the notions of individual and civil liberties), transitions to an examination of the history and overarching narrative of Marxist ideology (specifically Marx’s and Engels’ Communist Manifesto wherein the oppressor vs. oppressed narrative is developed), and concludes by looking into the ongoing transformation of America’s military culture and military policy, while also providing a warning about where the country is headed if we choose to not make an immediate course correction.
Irresistible Revolution also covers a breadth of hot topics everyone is hearing and talking about – topics that actually have implications for our national security: woke ideology, cancel culture, identity politics, the Black Lives Matter movement, anti-racism, postmodernism, political correctness, and critical and cynical theories, to include critical race theory. Lohmeier’s penetrating and common sense look at current events within our military and across American society is a sublimely unique contribution that is certain to be shared, referenced, and discussed for years to come.
During his appearance on the Information Operation podcast, Lohmeier talked about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s diversity and inclusion policies, saying, “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 talked about being given a booklet that included the January 6 capitol riot as an example of extremism, but did not discuss protests after the murder of George Floyd. Lohmeier also called out Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby during the podcast. He told the host, Wood, that the training about diversity and inclusion is, “rooted in critical race theory, which is rooted in Marxism.”
Lohmeier told Wood he became interested in Marxism while studying philosophy for his second master’s degree at the Air University’s School of Advanced Air and Space Studies. Lohmeier said he thinks many officers feel pressure to support diversity promoting in fear of being criticized or not promoted, and said he thinks liberal ideas are supported, while conservative ideas are silenced or attacked. He said he has heard from other service members who are telling him, “Thank you, thank you, thank you for speaking up, because we don’t have a voice anymore.”
During his appearance on The Steve Gruber Show, Lohmeier said, “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. 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 CNN, he attacked The New York Times’ 1619 Project, calling it “anti-American,” and adding, “It teaches intensive teaching that I heard at my base, that at the time the country ratified the United States Constitution, it codified White supremacy as the law of the land. If you want to disagree with that, then you start (being) labeled all manner of things including racist.”
2. Lohmeier Graduated From the Air Force Academy in 2006 & Was a Fighter Pilot & Flight Instructor Before Transferring to Space Force
Darren Scott/Air ForceMatthew Lohmeier, then the 460th Operations Group Block 10 chief of training, instructs a trainee in the Standardized Space Trainer July 22, 2015, on Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado.
Lohmeier graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2006, according to his website. Lohmeier said in the bio section of his site, “He began his active-duty military career as a pilot, flying over 1,200 hours in the T-38 as an instructor pilot followed by the F-15C. After flying, he cross-trained into space operations and gained expertise in space-based missile warning.” He moved to the Space Force in October 2020. He was appointed as a lieutenant colonel in the Space Force by Congress along with 633 other officers on September 30, 2020.
Lohmeier added, “He has two master’s degrees: a master in military operational art and science, and a master of philosophy in military strategy. Currently, he is a lieutenant colonel in command of a space-based missile warning squadron in Colorado, where he lives with his wife and children.”
Lohmeier, who has three young children, has been stationed in Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas, during his military career. He was profiled on the Buckley Air Force Base website in 2015 while he was the 460th Operations Group Block 10 chief of training.
He said in that profile, “My job is to make sure the crewmembers are trained to process that mission and warn both the U.S. and the rest of our allies in the world of imminent threats. Without proper training, then you don’t have personnel who can accomplish that mission.” Lohmeier said during that interview that he was, ” medically disqualified from flying because of persistent eye problems.”
Lohmeier said, “I enjoy watching people learn and grow. You get to see a lot of that in training, perhaps more than you do in a lot of other jobs on base. And that’s true of both the students or crewmembers that we’re training, as well as our instructors. As you teach something, you become more intelligent. With every successive class of students that come through, our instructors are able to do a better job because they’ve grown. And I get to see it.”
3. Lohmeier, an Arizona Native Who Converted to the Mormon Church When He Was 14, Was Excommunicated Along With His Wife in 2015 After Joining the Denver Snuffer Movement
Matt Lohmeier is an Arizona native. In high school he won a state high school basketball championship at Sahuaro High School and was recruited to play basketball at the Air Force Academy, according to Tucson.com. In 2017, Lohmeier appeared on the Mormon Stories podcast about his experience in the church, which he converted to when he was 14.
The Mormon Stories Podcast said in the description of the episode, “He served a mission in Taiwan, attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, flew F15s, and married Sara McConkie Lohmeier, granddaughter to Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie. Both Matthew and Sara have joined the Denver Snuffer movement and were excommunicated from the Mormon church in July 2015. This interview discusses their journey, their excommunication, their interactions with the McConkie family, and the state of the Snuffer movement.”
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the movement was started by Utah lawyer Denver Snuffer Jr. and drew in dissatisfied Mormons. Lohmeier wrote a letter in 2014 that led to his family’s excommunication.
Lohmeier talked about joining the movement in a 2019 article in Bitter Root magazine, “I’ve had family who love me as much as anything feel like there’s a distance that’s unbridgeable. It’s just remarkable because all it took was a few minutes of conversation to all of a sudden create this divide. And we’re the same people.”
4. Lohmeier Was Among Space Force Officers Who Received a Thanksgiving Call From President Trump & He Wrote a Paper in 2020 About the New Military Branch
Lohmeier was among the group of Space Force officers who received a Thanksgiving video call greeting from then-President Donald Trump in 2020. Lohmeier spoke to Trump, saying, “And also want to thank you — you’ve already said what we do, which is provide strategic and theater missile warning for the nation and our allies — but want to thank you personally for your advocacy for an independent Space Force so that that could become a reality while we serve. We’re very grateful for that. We’re making great progress that I don’t think we were able to necessarily make while we were — while we belonged to the Air Force. But having our own independent service has — we’ve made great progress already in the first year.”
Lohmeier added, “So thank you for your advocacy for that. And on behalf of all of the missile warning operators here at the 11th Space Warning Squadron, we say, ‘Happy Thanksgiving.'”
Trump responded, “That’s good. Thank you very much, and you too. And I know the coordination with you and Air Force has been stellar. You’re getting along great, and you’re doing well together. And it really does work well together, but I thought that you should have separate. And as years go by and as decades go by, people will see the importance of Space Force. There’s no question about it. So thank you very much. I appreciate it.”
Lohmeier also wrote a paper published by Air University Press in 2020 about the Space Force. The paper, titled The Better Mind of Space, “explores space and space culture from two distinct perspectives: traditional and emergent. The former has shaped the current military space culture,” according to a press release.
The press release adds, “The traditional mind of space believes that air and space are indivisible and are limited to the area from the surface of the Earth to geosynchronous Earth orbit. This mind, Lohmeier argues, can limit the effectiveness of the Air Force and the now-formed Space Force. The emergent mind of space is one that understands the delineation between air and space and views the domain of the military as reaching as far as the moon. This mind, the author says, should be adopted by all space professionals to aid the joint fight and establish U.S. interests in an ever-expanding military and geopolitical landscape.”
5. Lohmeier Has Been Defended by Right-Wing Pundits &Some Republican Politicians, Including Rep. Matt Gaetz, Who Called Him a ‘Patriot Telling the Truth’
US Air ForceMatthew Lohmeier with his wife, Sara McConkie Lohmeier.
The Defense Department said in a statement to CNN, “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. 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 CNN, “Another defense official said the investigation would also look at all elements of rules and policy by which the book was published.” Lohmeier has been defended on social media by right-wing pundits and some Republican politicians.
Embattled Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz tweeted, “Lt. Col. Lohmeier is a Patriot telling the truth about the attempted wokeification of our military – and worse. His demotion is clearly retaliatory. I will be seeking action on this in the Armed Services Committee. Meanwhile, people should listen to the podcast & buy his book.”
Colorado Congressman Ken Buck added, “It’s outrageous that Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier was removed from his command in the Space Force for voicing concerns that the U.S. military is promoting Marxist ideologies.”
READ NEXT: FBI Kills Man at CIA Gates