Standing Against Marxism is a Requirement of Serving in the Military

The removal of LTC Matthew Lohmeier from his post as commander of 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base demonstrates the exact problem he warns about in his new book, Irresistible Revolution: Marxism’s Goal of Conquest & the Unmaking of the American Military. As a fellow service member (not speaking from any official capacity, obviously), I agree with and will reiterate Lohmeier’s concern: The United States Military has been infected with neo-Marxism, Critical Race Theory, and is fostering a culture of divisiveness where members of the Armed Forces are being encouraged to focus on what divides us (demographic, class) over what unites us (warfighting). These ideologies stand explicitly against American Constitutional values, and when I joined I swore to uphold the Constitution. Standing against Marxism is part of the job.

According to Military.com, Lohmeier was relieved from his post Friday by Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, the head of Space Operations Command, over “a loss of confidence in his ability to lead” while a “Command Directed Investigation” is conducted into whether or not Luhmeier’s comments on a podcast decrying Marxism in the military constitute prohibited partisan political activity.

Yes, you read that right. A member of the United States Armed Forces – sworn to uphold the Constitution – was disciplined for publicly criticizing a decidedly un-American and anti-freedom political ideology.

At issue is DOD Directive 1344.10, which prohibits (among other things) using official authority (such as a DOD social media account) to affect the course or outcome of political issues or “participate in any radio, television, or other program or group discussion as an advocate for or against a partisan political party, candidate, or cause.” The purpose of this restriction is to guard against the perception that the military is siding with a political party. It is not to remove freedom of speech from service members. A couple of months ago, Space Command Senior Enlisted Leader Scott Stalker decided to use official authority to weigh in on the comments of Tucker Carlson, wearing his uniform in front of the flag to chastise a private citizen exercising their free speech. This was a clear violation of DOD Directive 1344.10, yet Stalker faced no consequences because he expressed agreement with the liberal social positions of the current presidential administration.

Clearly, LTC Mohmeier was not speaking as a spokesperson for the military, not using official authority, and was not siding with a political party, candidate, or cause. Marxism is not a valid political ideology within the framework of American governance, and standing against it is not just a non-violation of military law, it is the responsibility of anyone who swears to protect and defend the Constitution.

While the United States military should not be an overtly political organization, it does and should advocate decidedly pro-American values and policies. These values are found in the Constitution of the United States, and they stand in direct opposition to ideologies like Marxism. A service member not in explicit agreement with the values of the founding documents of this country has no business wearing the uniform, and a military commander that disciplines a service member for using their freedom of speech to oppose un-American and anti-Constitutional like Marxism has violated their oath and should be the one disciplined. Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, demonstrating no ability to discern between those supporting the Constitution and those promoting anti-Constitutional ideologies like Marxism, is the one who should be removed from command.