With the election of President Donald Trump and his inauguration in January 2025, the sheer agony and persecution of military members who had for conscience reasons declined to take the COVID vaccine was over, wasn’t it? After all, multiple courts ruled that the vax order was illegal.
In Executive Order 14151 issued on January 20, the president ordered the end of radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferences. This EO directed “the immediate termination of all federal Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) activities: offices, programs, grants, contracts, and even website content related to DEI across all federal agencies, including the U.S. military.” This was a lawful order under his executive power under the Constitution to direct the activities of the military. This was precisely what the American people elected Trump to do. This should have ended DEI in the military, but it did not. Why?
It’s apparent that a combination of factors — institutional inertia, hidden vax or DEI zealots in the military chain of command, or just plain incompetence — have left hundreds or even thousands of military personnel still subject to proposed or already taken disciplinary action related to the vax or DEI from their respective chains of command.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired one of those DEI zealots, announcing, “Pronouns UPDATED: She/Her/Fired.”
Many faithful, patriotic service members continue to suffer harm from these former policies. Thousands left the service and will never return. In recognition of the egregious nature of the previous administration’s errors, offers of reinstatement were made to those unlawfully separated, but few have agreed to come back. Once bitten, twice shy. According to the Department of Defense’s own figures, only 13 individuals out of more than 8,000 discharged for vaccine-related issues have taken the offer to return.
What about those who were not forced out or stayed in but were otherwise damaged by actions taken by their chain of command, including denial of promotion, less desirable duty assignments, denial of commissioning, and numerous other negative impacts? Who is standing up for them?
Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services (STARRS) is standing up for individuals adversely impacted by the previous administration’s vaccine mandate or DEI policies. Along with it are the Calvert Task Group and the MacArthur Society of West Point Graduates.
These three charitable organizations collectively decided to help those Patriots and to call attention to their plight. They sent a letter to the president on June 2 pointing out the unresolved problems and asking for executive action. A copy of the letter to President Trump is on the STARRS website.
“To right these wrongs, we respectfully request you order full and unconditional pardons, amnesty and remedies for all Service Members negatively impacted, in any way, by the military’s anthrax and COVID mandates,” it says in part. The letter requests “an Executive Order (EO) directing full and unconditional pardons and amnesty, or an amendment to Executive Order No. 14184, Reinstating Service Members Discharged Under the Military’s COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate” that will “remedy the existing ineffective, untimely, bureaucratic intransigence and resulting injustice.”
To date, President Trump has not taken the action that these patriotic organizations have requested. Many are being harmed by actions of the prior administration, which now continues against the express orders from the commander-in-chief.
STARRS has received almost 200 requests for assistance from members harmed by the vax mandate or by the DEI policies of the prior administration. These cases are being very carefully reviewed and, if justified, validated by a team of volunteers, including retired military attorneys who are former or retired Judge Advocate General Officers of the services. For validated cases, STARRS contacts the applicable service and objectively presents the facts of the cases. Current senior officials who fully support the president’s policy for fair treatment of vax refusers and DEI victims are reviewing the data STARRS presents on the cases. This might seem unusual or even out of order, but unfortunately, it is necessary for justice to be carried out. Regrettably, there are many in positions of authority who remain in DOD who are DEI or vax zealots, and they are determined to punish those who resisted the illegal vax orders or did not go along with the racist DEI policies the previous administration forced on the military.
STARRS and its collaborating organizations are filling a void that we hope DOD will eventually address. Readers are strongly encouraged to help spread the word about Operation Rescue and Restore. Write the president and ask him to right these egregious wrongs. Visit the STARRS website for more information. Encourage those you may know who suffered harm from the vax mandate or DEI policies to file a request for assistance.
It is not too late for justice for those who suffered harm from the COVID vaccination mandate or for those whose careers were ruined by DEI zealots who ignored individual merit. Please act now to help save the careers of these stalwart Patriots.
