Here are some updates from the 25 June 2024 STARRS staff meeting:
PROJECT 50 UPDATES:
STARRS grassroots Project 50 now has 111 volunteers; 20 state leaders and representation in 32 states. Volunteers help get the word out in their states about what is happening to our military, to work on projects, and to form community. If you would like to be a part of this, fill out the Volunteer Form here: https://starrs.us/volunteer/
A new video was made called “STARRS Overview” (32 minutes), narrated by STARRS Vice Chairman Gen Joe Arbuckle. You can watch the video here: https://starrs.us/about/ and also here https://starrs.us/volunteer/outreach/. The video shows a PowerPoint presentation made by Gen. Arbuckle for volunteers to use to introduce groups to STARRS or for volunteers to learn how to present the PowerPoint presentation themselves to groups. The PowerPoint can be personalized for individual states and information.
STARRS Board of Advisor Dr. Greg Salsbury is coordinating a new, growing research and writing group of volunteers.
A new Senior NCO Council is starting to be formed.
PR/MEDIA UPDATES:
STARSS President Col Ron Scott, Phd (USAF ret) was interviewed on Real America’s Voice on Friday, June 21, 2024: https://starrs.us/backlash-over-draft-debate-col-ron-scott/. The host, Tera Dahl, has taken an interest in having STARRS on her Saturday hour-long program called Threat Assessment.
STARRS sent out its weekly news recap and information newsletter which can be viewed here: https://conta.cc/3xKHgyk
STARRS leaders had a Zoom meeting Monday, June 24, 2024, with Colonel Marion Oelke (USAF ret) regarding updating and presenting a motivating lecture about the Oath of Office she created and delivered while in a training command in the Air Force. She is in the process of scanning and sending the slides to STARRS to be updated and STARRS could use this in many different ways.
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE:
STARRS is focused on and in the midst of fundraising for the Cultural War Campaign: https://starrs.us/campaign/.
We are also deep in planning for a conference/rally in Arizona the morning of Saturday, 7 September 2024: “Rally for our Republic” featuring STARRS leaders and other guest speakers. This will be the template for STARRS volunteers to use in their states. The second STARRS rally will be held in Texas in October 2024.
LEGISLATIVE:
NDAA: Superb article by William “Woody” Woodruff in the Federalist: https://thefederalist.com/2024/06/24/congress-must-do-more-to-halt-the-biden-dods-woke-agenda-thats-destroying-our-military/
Elaine Donnelly, President of the Center for Military Readiness will brief NDAA status to our Board on July 19, 2024
STARRS is working on some prospective hearings in the Fall.
FOIA ACTIVITY:
Appeal to Case Number 2022-00568-F (records related to diversity and inclusion demographics, in particular leadership positions) submitted June 17, 2024. No response/acknowledgment as of today. It appears there is ample evidence in the unredacted material to motivate Congress for hearings.
Alerted Judicial Watch about the appeal to FOIA Case Number 2022-00568-F.
Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit regarding West Point removing “Duty, Honor, Country.” See https://starrs.us/judicial-watch-sues-defense-department-for-records-about-deletion-of-duty-honor-country-from-west-point-mission-statement/
COLLABORATION:
Military Readiness and Merit Coalition: STARRS is seeking to expand this group of organizations.
MacArthur Society Update: Last week, the Society held an open staff meeting with 35 new attendees. It sent out an email newsletter of information and updates on July 23. The Society is working on a number of different issues of concern.
Calvert Task Group (CTG) Update: They are focused on the release of their book, “Don’t Give Up the Ship”.
Project 2025 and Duty, Honor, Country Commission Update:
Jim Bowden explained the connection between Project 2025 and the Duty, Honor, Country Commission. Project 2025 is the means to having a Duty, Honor, Country Commission.
By the end of June, representatives from STARRS, MacArthur Society and Calvert Task Group will have approved a draft Executive Order establishing the Duty, Honor, Country Commission. This draft will then be submitted to The Heritage Foundation, which will in turn include it in the SECDEF pillar; then submitted to the transition team in September.
The Commission will do a 300-day bipartisan deep dive into the need for and necessary preservation and reform for the three Service Academies;
Now looking for candidates (O-7 to O-9; do not need to be grads) to serve on a Blue Ribbon panel. Also looking for a Council of colonels and flag officers to review findings. Also need subject matter experts on the admissions process, athletics, curriculum, accreditation, officer retention, etc.—could be asked to serve in DC for a year and compensated for the effort;
It was suggested that the Commission include some recognized warriors to keep the efforts grounded; Jim responded with a reflect on the Borman Commission in 1976 that started small (honor code) and emerged to a broader culture of command—the DHC Commission is starting broad with the culture of command with the expectation to identify specific, relevant problems that need to be resolved;
Another person observed that the proposed Commission has excluded the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Academies; James responded that the relationship and implications are complicated as in peacetime they fall under the jurisdiction of the Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation; the results of the Commission could very well have implications that will affect these Academies as well
CALENDAR:
June 26, 2024: Zoom introduction with Amber Smith, author of “Unfit to Fight: How Woke Policies Are Destroying Our Military”
June 27, 2024: Research and Writing Group Strategy Meeting # 2 (content priorities) via Zoom at 9 am Mountain
June 28, 2024: Research and Writing Group Strategy Meeting # 3 (format, platforms) via Zoom at 9 am Mountain
July 2, 2024: No staff meeting in honor of the 4th of July
July 17, 2024: STARRS Townhall meeting. Maj General Rich Comer (USAF, Retired) is guest speaker. Register at: https://starrs.us/town-hall/
July 19, 2024: Quarterly STARRS Board of Directors (BOD) meeting (9:00-11:00 am Mountain) and BOD/Board of Advisors BOA meeting (11:00 am – 1:00 pm Mountain)
September 6, 2024: Evening VIP Meet-and-Greet for speakers and STARRS state leaders, Scottsdale, AZ
September 7, 2024: STARRS event in Scottsdale Arizona: “Rally for Our Republic: Wake Up, Stand Up, Speak Up and Never Give Up”
September 18, 2024: Panel to discuss elections, Marxism, and trafficking, VFW, Westport CT
October 2024: STARRS rally at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas
November 3, 2024: STARRS speaks at “Veterans Celebration” at Hilltop Gun Club, Aurora, Colorado
OTHER:
Additional FOIAs planned, such as gender training in academies and military, inappropriate classification of documents academies want to hide from public, etc.
A strategy to recruit VFW/American Legion organizations. Both organizations are Congressionally chartered.
First Amendment Initiative: To counter a lack of transparency and accountability (FOIA experience/evidence); Reigning in the unelected bureaucracy. See Timothy Sandefur April lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDqd0LjyaUc
People are fearful of supporting, getting involved. It was recommended to read a book explaining this: “The Weaponization of Loneliness: How Tyrants Stoke Our Fear of Isolation to Silence, Divide, and Conquer“, by Stella Morabito, former intelligence analyst at the CIA.
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