Duckworth Warns That Under Secretary of the Air Force Nominee Would Erode Combat Effectiveness If Confirmed

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services (SASC)—exposed how President Trump’s nominee to be Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Lohmeier is unfit to do the job, pointing out that he violated his professional ethics as a military officer by choosing to skirt good order and discipline in order to speak out publicly against lawful orders that he personally didn’t agree with. Drawing from her own military experience, Duckworth warned that confirming Mr. Lohmeier would send troubling signals to our servicemembers that insubordination for personal views is acceptable, eroding combat effectiveness. Duckworth’s full remarks at yesterday’s SASC hearing can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.

“The lethality of our military depends on our servicemembers maintaining good order and discipline—sometimes even when it goes against their own personal opinions,” said Duckworth. “I fought in a war I did not support on the orders of a President I didn’t vote for—but all honorable servicemembers know that circumventing commanders on the battlefield in real time could lead to life-or-death mistakes. By defying the sanctity of military discipline as a commander, Mr. Lohmeier signaled to those under his command that it is okay to do the same—something that would dangerously undermine our military’s lethality and readiness. That is not someone who is fit to serve as a leader for the Air Force and Space Force.”

Ultimately, Mr. Lohmeier’s willingness to neglect good order and discipline is what led to his termination from command in the Space Force.

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