The Department of the Air Force has suspended an investigation into comments made by a U.S. Space Force officer who was removed from command after telling a podcast of a book he wrote where he claimed critical race theory and neo-Marxism were gaining an unhealthy foothold in the military.
Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier was relieved of his command at the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado over his comments. In addition to firing him, Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of Space Operations Command, also ordered a Command Directed Investigation (CDI) into whether the comments amounted to prohibited partisan political activity.
On Thursday, Pentagon officials said Lt. Gen. Whiting’s inquiry has been suspended because the matter has been “elevated” with the Air Force’s inspector general now conducting the inquiry.
The decision was made “due to the complexity and sensitivity of the issues under consideration, as well as potential for Department of the Air Force-wide impact,” said Ann Stefanek, Air Force chief of media operations.
A number of Republican lawmakers in Congress have criticized the decision to fire Lt. Col. Lohmeier and have demanded that he be returned to his command. They said the firing was based on a new “politicized environment” in the Department of Defense and a bias against those in the ranks with conservative political views.
“We cannot allow temporary political appointees at the Department of Defense who are ideologically motivated to purge those men and women in uniform who do not agree with the cultural or political fads of the moment,” two dozen Republican members of Congress wrote in a letter to acting Air Force Secretary John P. Roth and Gen. John W. Raymond, chief of Space Operations.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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