STARRS leaders wrote a letter to President Trump regarding the Virginia Military Institute. Read the letter with attachments: STARRS POTUS LETTER – VMI 2.18.2026 Final (pdf) or just the letter:
Mr. President:
We write to you regarding a matter that threatens the production of commissioned officers for the United States Armed Forces and the relationship between the Federal Government and one of our six federally recognized Senior Military Colleges.
Legislative actions now advancing in the Commonwealth of Virginia pose material risks to military readiness, officer development, and federal interests protected under 10 U.S. Code § 2111a.
The legendary Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a federally recognized Senior Military College operating under a unique statutory relationship with the Department of Defense.
Its cadets participate in ROTC programs under federal authority, and its graduates commission into the Armed Forces at rates that exceed most civilian institutions.
VMI has produced national heroes, including Generals George Marshall and George Patton, and our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, among others.
Actions that materially alter VMI’s governance or military framework, therefore, affect national defense interests — not merely state policy.
In defiance of 10 U.S. Code § 2111a – Support for senior military colleges, the Virginia General Assembly is currently considering two bills, HB1374 and HB1377.
Attachment 1 provides an analysis of the implications of these two bills.
To be clear, the Virginia General Assembly’s actions are a direct challenge to the authority of the Department of War and POTUS, not only to vital military officer training but also to the military readiness of the United States itself.
We believe that our Commander-in-Chief, our Secretary of War, and members of Congress should have a say on any state legislation that relates to the curriculum of VMI.
We respectfully request that:
1. The Department of War review whether VMI’s proposed governance changes are consistent with the federal purposes of 10 U.S.C. § 2111a, and fully coordinate with the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, scrutiny of potential violations of Executive Orders; Secretary of Defense Memorandum: Restoring America’s Fighting Force (January 29, 2025); and Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, 600 U.S. 181 (2023), currently at VMI and how these proposed Bills may significantly increase such violations;
2. The Secretary of War communicate to the Commonwealth of Virginia the federal interest in preserving the military integrity of Senior Military Colleges and demand that at least two Department of War representatives be full members of any task force, as well as Department of Education and Department of Justice representatives (as appropriate), if said Task Force will investigate any racial or gender issues; and
3. Congress consider whether additional statutory protections are warranted to prevent state-level political restructuring from impairing officer-production institutions, and whether the SecWar should implement a monitoring and reporting plan for VMI to ensure it is not coerced or forced to implement changes negatively impacting military readiness or legal compliance.
For comparison purposes, the link — https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t59c121.php — provides information about the Citadel’s Board of Visitors. As a true peer institution to VMI, the Citadel board is required, by law, to have eleven regular members who “shall be graduates of the college.”
If we may be of further assistance, we can be reached at the STARRS corporate email at Mission@STARRS.us.
Respectfully yours,
Bentley B. Rayburn
Major General, USAF, Retired
Chairman, Board of Directors Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services, Inc. (STARRS)
Ronald J. Scott, Jr., Ph.D.
Colonel, USAF, Retired
President & CEO, STARRS
The Honorable Michael T. Rose, JD/MBA
Executive Vice President & General Counsel, STARRS
William M. Connor, V, Esq.
Colonel, USA, Retired
Chairman, Board of Advisors, STARRS
Member, Citadel Board of Advisors
Attachment: VMI Legislation Analysis and Implications
cc: The Honorable Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (VMI ’90)
UN Ambassador Mike Waltz (VMI ’96)
The Honorable Roger F. Wicker, Chairman, Senate Armed Services Committee
The Honorable Jack Reed, Ranking Member, Senate Armed Services Committee
The Honorable Mike Rogers, Chairman, House Armed Services Committee
The Honorable Adam Smith, Ranking Member, House Armed Services Committee
Congressman Rob Whittman (VA)
Congressman Pat Fallon (TX)
Colonel (USA, Ret) James P. Inman, VMI BOV President (inmanjp@vmi.edu)
Lieutenant General (USMC, Ret) David Furness, VMI Superintendent (VMI-Superintendent@vmi.edu
Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
Mr. Tom Neale, Chair, The Alumni Free Speech Alliance (tom74@comcast.net)
Read letter with attachments: STARRS POTUS LETTER – VMI 2.18.2026 Final (pdf)
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