The U.S. Senate should “decline to appoint” a Shaw Air Force Base colonel to brigadier general due to his promotion of LGBTQ+ initiatives and hosting of diversity-focused events, according to Restoration News columnist Victoria Manning.
Colonel Matthew R. Reilman, currently serving as the chief of staff of the 9th Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, participated in a Pride Month Kickoff event in June 2022, where he expressed support for the LGBTQ+ community.
According to Manning, in March 2022, Reilman organized a Commander’s Call at Shaw Air Force Base that featured Angelo State University’s chief diversity and inclusion officer. The discussion centered on enhancing diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence within the Air Force. During his June 2022 Pride Month speech, Reilman stressed the significance of acknowledging and supporting the LGBTQ+ community across the military. As commander of the 17th Training Wing in 2022, he managed initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion, aligning with broader cultural goals within the Air Force.
Manning wrote that “it’s imperative that President Trump appoints senior-level military officers who will enthusiastically follow the orders of the Commander in Chief,” adding that several recent announcements for senior officer promotions include individuals who she believes are not qualified due to their “leftist ideology.” She said that “President Trump must retract—or the Senate must decline to appoint—these individuals whose views don’t align with a warrior-focused military.”
Doug Truax, CEO of Restoration of America and a U.S. Army veteran and West Point graduate, told Palmetto State News that “we’ve got to get back in the business of having warriors join our military.”
President Trump issued an executive order on January 27 during his first week back in office banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the military. The order aims to “eliminate race- and sex-based discrimination” while seeking to “restore merit and lethality” in armed forces operations. Despite this new directive, Restoration said Reilman’s nomination and others like it suggest ongoing resistance to merit-based reforms at senior command levels.