A former space commander, recently dismissed for his critical remarks about what he describes as a “Marxist” Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative, is advocating for new leadership. He argues that these policies have gained momentum under the current Biden administration.

Former Lieutenant Colonel Matt Lohmeier served in the military for over a decade before transitioning to the U.S. Space Force in 2020, where his focus was on missile warning systems. However, less than a year after joining, in May 2021, he experienced what he described as a betrayal, he told Fox News.

Lohmeier publicly spoke out against DEI training because he believed it was dividing the troops and decreasing morale, which affected military readiness. He believes “the DEI industry… is steeped in critical race theory, is rooted in anti-American, Marxist ideology.”

“The blow was severe,” he said about allegedly being fired for his dissenting views. “It makes you feel like you’ve been betrayed.” He added it was a real “gut punch” to lose his pension.

“You give your life and service to your country and the American people, and you’re not doing it for the pay. You’re doing it because you become [convinced] of the greatness of the American ideal. And… senior leaders [then] say, ‘We want you out of the way because your view is not welcome here,’ even as they pretend to care about inclusivity, even as they pretend to care about diversity, [but] not diversity of thought,” he told the outlet.

Lohmeier argued that his comments were not a breach of policy, as he was addressing what he perceived as anti-American sentiment rather than engaging in political discourse.

“There was a whole string of events that did lead up to my being relieved of command,” he said. “The ultimate reason was because I was willing to be publicly critical of critical race theory, which I understood to be rooted in Marxist ideology… that I saw dividing the troops.”

“I wasn’t advocating for Republicans over Democrats, and I’m conservative myself. But it didn’t matter to me. And it’s never mattered to our troops what someone else’s politics were,” he said.

Lohmeier now works to expose the Marxist ideology infecting the U.S. military.

“We need to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion trainings from the military, from the service academies, and strip all vestiges of critical race theory out of the military workplace,” Lohmeier said.

WATCH:

Meanwhile, a recent study by the Arizona State University Center for American Institutions has scrutinized the Pentagon’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. According to the study, these programs promote the reporting of private conversations about dissenting views on DEI and have seen an increase in funding: $68 million in 2022, $86.5 million in 2023, and a proposed $114.7 million for 2024.

The report, authored by military experts, advocates for the elimination of what it describes as a “left-wing DEI agenda.” Instead, it suggests implementing merit-based selections and incorporating curricula that emphasize American values in military academies.