In a 52-46 vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed former Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier as the next under secretary of the Air Force. The vote came along partisan lines, with Republicans supporting Lohmeier’s nomination and Democrats opposing.
Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., did not vote on the nomination.
“Congrats to Hulett, Wyoming’s Matthew Lohmeier and family as he is confirmed by the US Senate to be Under Secretary of the US Air Force!” Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wy., wrote in a congratulatory tweet.
Lohmeier’s nomination was advanced to the full Senate by the Senate Armed Services Committee alongside several other military-related nominees in May. The committee did not release a full vote tally, only saying that Lohmeier’s nomination was reported “favorably” in a roll call vote.
A former fighter pilot for the Air Force and later the Space Force, Lohmeier was removed from service under the Biden administration in May 2021 after espousing concerns about the military’s embrace of Marxist ideology. The lieutenant colonel specifically criticized the force’s obsession with DEI racism and critical race theory.
Meanwhile, Gen. Stephen Whiting — who reportedly played a role in Lohmeier’s dismissal — was promoted to lead U.S. Space Force Command by President Joe Biden. Whiting has a history of using his position to advance DEI throughout the service, as The Federalist previously reported.
During his May 1 confirmation hearing, Lohmeier spoke about the importance of maintaining an “apolitical” military,” a belief he said “was one of the driving, motivating factors” behind his advocacy for such ideals following his separation from the force. Amid aggressive questioning from committee Democrats, he further emphasized that he was “never publicly critical of [his] chain of command [and] was never publicly critical of [his] senior leaders while [he] served in the uniform.”
“If confirmed, [I’m] very committed to making sure that we eliminate political distractions from the military workplace. Our service members and the American people truly deserve the opportunity to serve in a nonpartisan military workplace,” Lohmeier said.
The former lieutenant colonel also pledged to eliminate “all unnecessary distractions and enabl[e] military members to focus on their mission” — echoing sentiments previously expressed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to restore a “warrior ethos” to the Pentagon.
As under secretary of the Air Force, Lohmeier will serve under Air Force Secretary Troy Meink. The latter was confirmed by the Senate (74-25) in May.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood