STARRS held its quarterly Town Hall meeting on 9 April 2025 with special guest speakers Sam Shoemate, a retired Army intelligence analyst, and Chase Spears, a retired Army Public Affairs Officer.

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A chilling revelation unfolds as military whistleblowers expose the coordinated resistance against presidential executive orders to dismantle DEI programs within the Department of Defense. Former Army intelligence officer Sam Shumate and former Army public affairs officer Dr. Chase Spears share firsthand accounts of "malicious compliance" and deliberate subversion from within military ranks.

We discover how senior officers openly mock the chain of command while carefully constructed networks of resistance operate through the Judge Advocate General Corps and public affairs channels to undermine reform efforts. The discussion reveals troubling patterns: affinity groups functioning as resistance cells, strategic leaking to embarrass the administration, and an ideological capture so deep that DEI functions "almost as a religion" for adherents within military leadership.

Matt Lohmeier, STARRS Executive Vice President and nominee for Undersecretary of the Air Force, offers a sobering perspective on the challenges facing political appointees attempting to implement change against entrenched bureaucratic resistance. His candid reflections highlight the tremendous pressure to conform rather than speak truthfully about military challenges.

The town hall culminates with STARRS leadership outlining their adjusted mission: monitoring executive order implementation, advancing national defense reform, supporting service members harmed by vaccine mandates, and continuing vital education efforts. The message is clear—while policy changes represent progress, the deeper cultural battle for America's military institutions demands sustained vigilance and commitment.

This episode serves as both warning and call to action for all who believe our armed forces should remain focused on warfighting excellence rather than ideological experimentation. Join us in this crucial fight for the soul of our military and the security of our nation.

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For more information about STARRS, go to our website: https://starrs.us which works to eliminate the divisive Marxist-based CRT/DEI/Woke agenda in the Department of Defense and to promote the return to a warfighter ethos of meritocracy, lethality, readiness, accountability, standards and excellence in the military.

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In this episode of STARRS & Stripes, host CDR Al Palmer, USN ret, interviews retired Brigadier General Christopher Petty who draws from his distinguished 31-year Army career as a West Point graduate, combat helicopter pilot, and battalion commander in Iraq to discuss how CRT/DEI ideology has affected military readiness and what must be done to restore a warfighting focus.

Among the topics he discusses:

• West Point graduate who chose aviation after seeing helicopter pilots during Ranger School
• Discusses how DEI policies introduced under Obama's 2011 Executive Order have undermined military unit cohesion
• Explains how prioritizing demographic quotas has resulted in lowered standards and damaged the meritocracy
• Identifies China's superior industrial production capacity as America's greatest strategic vulnerability
• Argues that senior military leadership failed to show moral courage in pushing back against harmful ideological policies
• Believes the military must return to valuing warfighters who can win conflicts
• Created Battle Digest to help today's military leaders learn from historical battles

Gen. Petty is the author of "12 Battles Every American Should Know" and the creator of Battle Digest (battledigest.com) —described as "Reader's Digest for Warfare"—to explore military history in an accessible format designed for today's officers and military enthusiasts.

Subscribe to STARRS & Stripes for more critical conversations about America's military readiness and the challenges facing our armed forces in an increasingly complex global landscape.

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For more information about STARRS, go to our website: https://starrs.us which monitors the elimination of the CRT/DEI/Woke agenda in the Department of Defense and promotes the return to a warfighter ethos of meritocracy, lethality, readiness, accountability and excellence in the military.

Join our Mailing List for our weekly newsletter on this issue.

Follow STARRS:
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Support the Mission: Make a tax-deductible donation to STARRS.

America faces a maritime crisis that few citizens recognize but that threatens our national security at its core. In this eye-opening conversation, Captain Brent Ramsey, a 40-year Navy veteran and defense writer, provides urgent insights into America's diminishing naval capabilities against China's rapidly expanding fleet and strategic ambitions.

• America's status as a maritime nation with 90% of global commerce traveling by sea
• US Navy has shrunk from 600+ ships during the Reagan era to just 295 ships today China's naval force now numbers 400 combat vessels plus 180 armed Coast Guard ships
• America's shipbuilding capacity is 1/20th of China's current production capability
• Chinese technology theft costs the US approximately $600 billion annually
• US Navy recruitment shortfalls and inability to meet readiness goals
• China's stated intentions to seize Taiwan by 2027 and achieve global dominance by 2049
• Current naval funding represents just 0.5% of the federal budget
• Critical shortage of skilled tradespeople needed for shipbuilding
• Importance of revitalizing America's naval industrial base and defense capabilities

BIO: Captain Brent Ramsey (U.S. Navy, Ret.) served 30 years in the Navy and 23 years in Navy Civil Service. His assignments included Commanding Officer, Cargo Handling Battalion TWELVE, Executive Director, Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, and Mississippi Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer. He served as Senior Advisor, Center for International Maritime Security, and was Member and Secretary of the non-partisan Military Advisory Group for Congressman Mark Meadows (NC-11) for four years. He currently serves in the same capacity for Congressman Chuck Edwards. He is a Vice President with Calvert Task Group (CalvertTaskGroup.org) and on the Board of Advisors for STARRS (STARRS.US) and the Center for Military Readiness. CAPT Ramsey studied at Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, and is a graduate of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Executive Management Program, the Reserve Components National Security Course, and the FEMA Emergency Preparedness Management Officers Course. He has written extensively on national defense matters since 2017.

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For more information about STARRS, go to our website: https://starrs.us which works to eliminate the divisive Marxist-based CRT/DEI/Woke agenda in the Department of Defense and to promote the return to a warfighter ethos of meritocracy, lethality, readiness, accountability, standards and excellence in the military.

Join our Mailing List for our weekly newsletter on this issue.

Follow STARRS:
X | Facebook | LinkedIn | Rumble | YouTube | Truth | Gettr | Gab

Support the Mission: Make a tax-deductible donation to STARRS.