A former officer of the United States Space Force has recently voiced concerns over the enforcement of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the Air Force Academy.
According to the officer, these initiatives are overseen by a "separate chain of command," a structure that has raised eyebrows and sparked debate.
Former Lieutenant Colonel Matt Lohmeier, who was dismissed from his command in 2021 after expressing his opposition to DEI initiatives in the military, shared his experiences on "Fox and Friends Saturday." According to Conservative Daily News, Lohmeier, who claims to have lost his pension as a result of his outspokenness, was responding to guest host Joey Jones' reference to an Arizona State University study. The study suggested that service academies encourage the reporting of "private conversations that challenge DEI precepts."
Lohmeier confirmed that he had indeed encountered similar situations. "A fellow commander informed me that theyre aware of my kind of politics and that theyd be happy to turn me into the base commander if I continued to privately criticize our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives," he said. He added, "But this problem has grown far beyond what I experienced, personally and professionally in the military workplace."
Lohmeier, an alumnus of the U.S. Air Force Academy, further revealed that the academy has "diversity and inclusion cadet officers" who wear a unique insignia and report to a separate chain of command. He likened this structure to the political commissars established in the Soviet Union and other Marxist revolutionary efforts throughout the last century.
He described DEI as a "very dangerous, very divisive ideology" that is treated "like it is a protected religious worldview." He warned that those who do not align with this ideology in their words and actions could face consequences.
Lohmeier also addressed his alleged dismissal due to his opposition to DEI initiatives. "Unfortunately for the American people and for all of the men and women in uniform, its been considered for a number of years now to be politically partisan to speak up against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives," he told Jones. He argued that his criticism of DEI initiatives should not be viewed as a partisan issue, but senior military leaders, particularly under the current administration, have chosen to treat it as such.
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