STARRS Podcast

STARRS

STARRS Podcasts includes the series STARRS & Stripes which interviews military veterans, talks about their careers and military service, and their concerns about what is happening in today's military. See our website, starrs.us, for more information.

  1. Oct 27

    Gen. Mike Flynn: Why Voting Turnout is National Security

    23% turnout in a key primary. That’s not a footnote, it’s a flashing warning light and at the STARRS “America at a Crossroads” event in Arizona, retired Army Lt. General Michael Flynn uses it to make a bigger point: if we keep waiting on Washington, DC to fix what’s broken, we’re going to keep getting the same results. He talks about patriotism as a culture, not a slogan, and why the American people, not the federal government, end up carrying the real burden in moments of national stress.   From there he zooms out to the long game: cultural capture, propaganda, and the idea that today’s fights didn’t start with the last election. Flynn connects dots between “the march through the institutions,” information warfare, and China’s strategic thinking, including the concept of unrestricted warfare where economics, media, and social pressure matter as much as conventional force. The practical takeaway isn’t to panic, it’s to build judgment and discernment so we can spot manipulation, demand facts, and stop drifting into apathy.   Then he gets specific about what to do next. Local politics is where leverage lives: school boards, city councils, county decisions, and sheriffs as real checkpoints inside a constitutional republic. If you care about public education, parental rights, taxes, cost of living, or community safety, he lays out a simple framework: control what you can control, get off the couch, and show up consistently where decisions are made. _______________________________________ For more information about STARRS, go to our website: https://starrs.us which works to eliminate anti-American radical ideologies in the US Military and promote the return to a warfighter ethos of meritocracy, lethality, readiness, standards, accountability and excellence in the military. Join our Mailing List for our bi-weekly newsletter on this issue. Follow STARRS: X   |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  LinkedIn  |  Rumble  |  Truth   |  Gettr Support the Mission: Make a tax-deductible donation to STARRS.

    Gen. Mike Flynn: Why Voting Turnout is National Security
  2. Oct 27

    Two Veterans Warn: American Principles Under Assault By Radical Ideologies

    In this presentation at STARRS “America at a Crossroads” event in Arizona, STARRS leaders retired Army Major General Joe Arbuckle and retired Air Force Colonel Ron Scott, PhD, make the case that America is at a cultural and constitutional crossroads. Arbuckle, a Vietnam veteran and former Army commander, opens by tracing the "American Creed" back to the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights — arguing that the nation's founding promise of a government "of, by, and for the people" is under threat from two fronts: an external one from China's "unrestricted warfare" strategy, and an internal one from the spread of Marxist ideology through American institutions. Scott, a 31-year Air Force veteran and strategic analyst, shares his personal journey into researching critical race theory and DEI policy after a controversial 2020 Air Force Academy video, walking through the ideological roots of DEI from Marx and the Frankfurt School through its formal adoption in U.S. military policy — and the effects he argues it has had on military readiness and cohesion. The two then turn to the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America, historical warnings from figures like Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan, and the human cost of socialism and communism throughout the 20th century, before closing with a call to civic action ahead of the upcoming midterm elections — covering education, local politics, law enforcement, and media engagement. _______________________________________ For more information about STARRS, go to our website: https://starrs.us which works to eliminate anti-American radical ideologies in the US Military and promote the return to a warfighter ethos of meritocracy, lethality, readiness, standards, accountability and excellence in the military. Join our Mailing List for our bi-weekly newsletter on this issue. Follow STARRS: X   |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  LinkedIn  |  Rumble  |  Truth   |  Gettr Support the Mission: Make a tax-deductible donation to STARRS.

    Two Veterans Warn: American Principles Under Assault By Radical Ideologies
  3. Oct 27

    Kim Miller: Patriotism Should Not Be Partisan

    America IS at a crossroads, and at the STARRS event in Arizona, “America’s Women” President Kim Miller doesn’t talk about it like a pundit. She talks about it like a mom, a citizen, and the founder of a fast-growing grassroots organization. From the start, she traces how a simple text chain among eight women turned into America’s Women, now tens of thousands strong, organizing around children’s innocence, real education, women’s sports, parents’ rights, and practical civic engagement where it counts most: schools, communities, and state legislatures.   Kim makes the case that loving your country shouldn’t be a partisan statement. She shares why this fight is personal through her daughter’s path from the United States Naval Academy to training as a naval flight officer in Norfolk, Virginia, and what it feels like to watch young service members step forward for a nation they believe in. That story opens a bigger conversation about trust, human dignity, and why a strong military must stay nonpolitical while families and communities rebuild shared confidence from the ground up.   She also discusses the cultural forces she believes have shaped decades of anxiety, division, and confusion, especially among women, and why she prefers a steadier model of leadership rooted in strength and dignity. The most actionable part is her simple blueprint: get informed, get engaged locally, and vote. She closes with U Plus Two, a turnout strategy built on relationships that turns one vote into three and individual concern into a movement. _______________________________________ For more information about STARRS, go to our website: https://starrs.us which works to eliminate anti-American radical ideologies in the US Military and promote the return to a warfighter ethos of meritocracy, lethality, readiness, standards, accountability and excellence in the military. Join our Mailing List for our bi-weekly newsletter on this issue. Follow STARRS: X   |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  LinkedIn  |  Rumble  |  Truth   |  Gettr Support the Mission: Make a tax-deductible donation to STARRS.

    Kim Miller: Patriotism Should Not Be Partisan
  4. Oct 27

    Amy Shepard: Strengthening American Institutions by “Stocking the Pond”

    A college junior had never heard of the Berlin Wall and that one detail tells a much bigger story about civic education in America. At the “America at a Crossroads” event in Arizona, Amy Shepard from Arizona State University’s Center for American Institutions talks about what happens when students get ideology instead of an education, and what it looks like to fight back with something more durable than outrage: real history, critical thinking, debate, and civil discourse.   Amy walks us through Don Critchlow’s long-range vision for strengthening American institutions by “stocking the pond” with trained students and teaching fellows. She gets specific about the Political History and Leadership program, how the Center identifies standout students, and how those graduates move into law, business, campaigns, government roles, and military service. If you care about leadership development, constitutional literacy, and building a healthier pipeline of civic-minded citizens, this is a practical look at how that work happens inside a major public university.   Amy also discusses the Center’s National Commission reports on culture-shaping issues, including DEI in classrooms and DEI in the military, plus a behind-the-scenes story of how one military civics report found its way into the broader public conversation. She closes with a clear “now what”: educate yourself, use resources, talk to your neighbors, and vote the entire ballot.  _______________________________________ For more information about STARRS, go to our website: https://starrs.us which works to eliminate anti-American radical ideologies in the US Military and promote the return to a warfighter ethos of meritocracy, lethality, readiness, standards, accountability and excellence in the military. Join our Mailing List for our bi-weekly newsletter on this issue. Follow STARRS: X   |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  LinkedIn  |  Rumble  |  Truth   |  Gettr Support the Mission: Make a tax-deductible donation to STARRS.

    Amy Shepard: Strengthening American Institutions by “Stocking the Pond”
  5. Oct 23

    Kendall Qualls on DEI, Marxism and their War on the Black Community

    In this powerful address at STARRS “America at a Crossroads” event, Kendall Qualls — U.S. Army veteran, businessman, and co-founder of the Christ-centered nonprofit Take Charge — shares his journey from poverty in Harlem to building a movement aimed at reconnecting Black Americans with their historical roots of faith, family, and self-reliance. Qualls traces the real history of Black America, highlighting that nearly 80% of Black families remained two-parent households from the Civil War through 1960, despite segregation and hardship. He spotlights overlooked figures like Booker T. Washington and Thomas Sowell, and shares a personal story about Command Sergeant Major George Rogers as a symbol of resilience. He argues that 1965 welfare policy incentivized single-parent households, triggering a steep decline in Black marriage rates and a surge in fatherless homes — now estimated at 80% nationally and nearly 90% in Minneapolis. Qualls connects this breakdown of the family to broader social and economic disparities seen today. The speech takes aim at DEI initiatives, academic institutions, and advocacy organizations he says exploit Black Americans to advance a socialist agenda — including efforts to lower academic and professional standards. He includes video clips of Black commentators pushing back against these trends. Qualls closes with a call to unity, using a football team analogy to argue that all Americans should embrace shared values, history, and tradition rather than division — ending with a rallying cry to live up to the promise of "the land of the free, the home of the brave." _______________________________________ For more information about STARRS, go to our website: https://starrs.us which works to eliminate anti-American radical ideologies in the US Military and promote the return to a warfighter ethos of meritocracy, lethality, readiness, standards, accountability and excellence in the military. Join our Mailing List for our bi-weekly newsletter on this issue. Follow STARRS: X   |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  LinkedIn  |  Rumble  |  Truth   |  Gettr Support the Mission: Make a tax-deductible donation to STARRS.

    Kendall Qualls on DEI, Marxism and their War on the Black Community
  6. Oct 22

    Col. Rob Maness: We Cannot Defend Liberty by Pretending Evil is Rare

    America turns 250, and Col Rob Maness (retired USAF) argues that anniversaries don’t protect a republic, people do. Speaking at the STARRS “America at a Crossroads” event, he frames the American Creed as more than a slogan: constitutional government, equal rights under the law, and a clear line against any ideology (like Sharia) that demands higher loyalty than the Constitution. The throughline is unmistakable: civic drift is still drift, even when it feels polite.   Maness also recounts a gripping first-person 9/11 story from inside the Pentagon, including the long arc of recovery and reunion with an officer who survived catastrophic burns and returned to public service. That memory becomes the foundation for a broader national security argument about “failure of imagination,” insider threats, and what happens when institutions downplay warning signs. From aviation screening to public trust, the conversation keeps circling back to a single question: what do we refuse to see until it’s too late?   Maness then tackles the Fort Hood shooting, military justice, and accountability, by making a blunt case for naming motives of Islamic ideology and following through on lawful sentencing of Nidal Hasan. Maness then shifts to civic engagement at the local level, urging listeners to pay attention to school boards, courts, and city councils, and to treat public office as a serious trust tied to an oath.  _______________________________________ For more information about STARRS, go to our website: https://starrs.us which works to eliminate anti-American radical ideologies in the US Military and promote the return to a warfighter ethos of meritocracy, lethality, readiness, standards, accountability and excellence in the military. Join our Mailing List for our bi-weekly newsletter on this issue. Follow STARRS: X   |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  LinkedIn  |  Rumble  |  Truth   |  Gettr Support the Mission: Make a tax-deductible donation to STARRS.

    Col. Rob Maness: We Cannot Defend Liberty by Pretending Evil is Rare
  7. Oct 22

    Maj. General Bentley Rayburn: Why a Free Society Needs Faith and Virtue

    America doesn’t lose freedom all at once, it loses it inch by inch when truth gets replaced by feelings and self-government gets replaced by someone else governing for us. At the STARRS “America at a Crossroads” event in Scottsdale, Arizona, Major General Bentley Rayburn, a veteran Air Force command pilot and chairman of the STARS Board of Directors, delivers a blunt, values-driven talk on what keeps a republic standing when the culture feels unstable and the stakes feel existential.   Rayburn explains why he believes the country is at a crossroads, then move straight into his central claim: faith, family, and freedom are not separate talking points, they’re connected supports. He explains why faith must be anchored in facts, not emotion, and why rights can’t be treated as favors granted by government. From the Declaration of Independence to the practical meaning of freedom of conscience, the conversation keeps circling back to one question: what makes liberty sustainable over generations?   Rayburn also unpacks Os Guinness’ “golden triangle of freedom,” the idea that freedom requires virtue, virtue requires faith, and faith requires freedom, like a three-legged stool that collapses if any leg is removed. The most actionable moment comes when we bring it home: virtue is taught, first and best, around the kitchen table. If families stop forming character, the state grows to fill the vacuum, and the bill eventually comes due in lost liberty.  _______________________________________ For more information about STARRS, go to our website: https://starrs.us which works to eliminate anti-American radical ideologies in the US Military and promote the return to a warfighter ethos of meritocracy, lethality, readiness, standards, accountability and excellence in the military. Join our Mailing List for our bi-weekly newsletter on this issue. Follow STARRS: X   |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  LinkedIn  |  Rumble  |  Truth   |  Gettr Support the Mission: Make a tax-deductible donation to STARRS.

    Maj. General Bentley Rayburn: Why a Free Society Needs Faith and Virtue
  8. Oct 16

    USAFA Board of Visitors Meeting - October 16, 2026

    The US Air Force Academy Board of Visitors held a meeting on October 16, 2026 at the Air Force Academy and livestreamed it to the public. Since they only showed one camera angle and not the slides on the livestream, STARRS decided to post it as an audio for you to listen. You'll hear from the new leadership at the Academy. Here is the AI description of the meeting: The Air Force Academy is trying to do two hard things at once: protect what makes USAFA distinctive and rebuild fast enough to meet a future fight shaped by drones, space, cyber, and superintelligence. We hear directly from senior leaders and Pentagon officials on what is changing now, what is coming next, and what still stands in the way. We walk through the superintendent’s first moves to push authority down, sharpen mission focus across the 47-month cadet journey, and keep standards high without sending mixed signals between academics, military training, and athletics. The commandant explains how deliberate challenge builds resilient warfighters, why competition and teamwork matter, and what it means for the honor system to stay cadet run. On the academic side, the provost details a major core curriculum redesign, including integrated studies, a broader warfighting sequence, and the return of American history and civic education so cadets understand what they swear to defend. Then we get practical about technology and readiness. You will hear how USAFA is embedding superintelligence and AI into hands-on education, from faster aircraft design tools to multidomain wargaming labs and drone-building work that includes autonomy in GPS-denied environments. We also cover Space Force integration, fitness and nutrition initiatives tied to warfighter performance, and how athletics supports officer development beyond wins and losses. Facilities are the unavoidable backdrop: USAFA 2050, a long-range plan to reverse decades of underinvestment, and the Cadet Chapel renovation timeline that continues to draw intense public attention. If you care about military leadership development, service academy reform, and what it takes to produce officers ready for modern war, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with someone who follows defense and education, and leave us a review with the one change you think matters most. _______________________________________ For more information about STARRS, go to our website: https://starrs.us which works to eliminate anti-American radical ideologies in the US Military and promote the return to a warfighter ethos of meritocracy, lethality, readiness, standards, accountability and excellence in the military. Join our Mailing List for our bi-weekly newsletter on this issue. Follow STARRS: X   |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  LinkedIn  |  Rumble  |  Truth   |  Gettr Support the Mission: Make a tax-deductible donation to STARRS.

    USAFA Board of Visitors Meeting - October 16, 2026

About

STARRS Podcasts includes the series STARRS & Stripes which interviews military veterans, talks about their careers and military service, and their concerns about what is happening in today's military. See our website, starrs.us, for more information.

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