Space Force officer named undersecretary of the Air Force

On By Littum

A former Space Force officer previously relieved of his command role has been nominated to serve as undersecretary of the Department of the Air Force.

On Friday, January 17, President-elect Donald Trump announced his nominations for top roles in the Department of the Air Force, naming Matthew Lohmeier as his choice for undersecretary of the department. Lohmeier, a former officer with both the Air Force and the Space Force, was fired from his command role at the 11th Space Alert Squadron in 2021 after appearing on a right-wing podcast.

In his appearance on the show while promoting his self-published book as an active-duty officer, Lohmeier endorsed political conspiracies commonly circulated in far-right media. At the time, Space Force said he was removed for one loss of trust in his ability to lead, and the decision “was based on public comments made by Lt. Col. Lohmeier in a recent podcast.” Lohmeier left the military soon after.

Lohmeier graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2006. He served as a pilot and flight instructor, flying the F-15C and T-38. He continued to train airmen in space-focused roles as of 2015. He was one of several Air Force officers who transferred to the new military branch after it was founded in late 2019, joining it in 2020. He served as head of the new military branch. 11th Space Warning Squadron, based at Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado. The squadron monitors the launches and trajectories of ballistic missiles. He left the military as a lieutenant colonel. Since leaving the military, he has been a regular commentator on right-wing media. He is now up for the second-highest civilian job in the Department of the Air Force.

If both are confirmed, Lohmeier will serve as Troy Meink’s replacement. Meink, an Air Force veteran and former KC-135 Stratotanker navigator, previously served as a test engineer for the Missile Defense Agency. He currently serves as the Principal Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office. NRO oversees intelligence and surveillance satellites. If confirmed as secretary of the Air Force, Meink would be responsible for both the Air Force and the Space Force, the latter of which has been focused on acquiring and launching new satellites into orbit.

Both nominees have experience with space-oriented operations within the department; Meink was previously Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space and Director of Space Personnel.

As of press time, many of Trump’s Cabinet nominees, including potential Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, are awaiting confirmation votes in the U.S. Senate.

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