STARRS Podcast

A three-minute video from a military academy lit the fuse for a bigger question: how did ideas tied to Marxism and collectivism become so normal inside American culture, education, and even the armed services?  STARRS & Stripes host CDR Al Palmer, USN ret, sits down with a panel of veterans, scholars, and former Soviet bloc survivors to follow the trail from slogans to systems, and from instit...

In this episode of STARRS & Stripes podcast, host CDR Al Palmer, USN ret, talks with cybersecurity leader Casey Fleming, author of the new bestseller, "Red Tsunami" which warns America faces “unrestricted warfare” from the Communist People's Republic of China that is designed to erode our freedom without a conventional fight. Casey Fleming’s background in IBM cybersecurity, glob...

In this episode of STARRS & Stripes, host Commander Al Palmer, USN ret, talks with the Chairman of the STARRS Board of Advisors, Colonel Bill Connor, USA ret, whose family members have served in the Army for five generations. They discussed a wide range of topics regarding military recruiting, retention, and readiness and how these rise or fall with trust in leadership and a real commitment to...

A fighter pilot’s logbook tells one story; the culture that shaped the pilot tells the rest. STARRS & Stripes host CDR Al Palmer, USN ret, sits down with the new STARRS Chairman of the Board: retired Air Force Major General Bentley Rayburn—F‑4 and F‑16 veteran, former USAFA cadet wing commander (class of 1975), and Air Force Doctrine Center leader—to explore how a lifetime in uniform forged Ge...

In this powerful and eye-opening STARRS Town Hall, guest speaker John Guandolo (USNA '89 grad, former Marine officer and FBI Special Agent) outlined his path from FBI counterterrorism work to training government and local entities on the “Red-Green Axis” — the collaboration between Islamist and Marxist movements. He talked about how the U.S. is engaged in a non-kinetic war primarily in the in...

Hot takes made it sound groundbreaking: elected officials urged service members to “disobey unlawful orders.” Anyone who’s worn the uniform knows that duty already exists—and the harder question is how statements like that ripple through a force that must act fast, trust its chain of command, and still honor the law of armed conflict. In this episode of STARRS & Stripes, host Al Palmer, retire...

A voice that lived through Marxism can strip away illusions in seconds. STARRS & Stripes host Commander Al Palmer, USN ret, sits down with Mihaela Fletcher—born in Romania and grew up under communist dictatorship driven by Marxist ideology fully indoctrinated throughout the country. Mihaela unpacks how grand promises of equality under communism curdled into scarcity, fear, and silence. From ra...

"The truth is not for sale, and my integrity is never will be." These powerful words from Dr. Rick Adante capture the essence of this eye-opening conversation about the covert continuation of DEI and Critical Race Theory in American universities despite official bans. As a former tenured neuroscience professor with 25 years in academia, Dr. Adante reveals shocking undercover footage of u...

STARRS Town Hall meeting unveils the dangerous reality behind DEI ideology as resource extraction through "virtuous victimhood" that divides society into oppressors and victims based solely on race. • Dr. Stanley Ridgley explains how DEI bureaucracies in universities operate as indoctrination mechanisms using cultic teaching methods • DEI bureaucrats employ psychological techniques to in...

Alexander Markovsky, a Soviet immigrant who grew up as the son of a high-ranking Communist Party member, brings his rare and valuable perspective to this episode of STARRS & Stripes podcast hosted by retired Navy Commander Al Palmer. Markovsky offers listeners an insider's view of Marxist ideology and its modern manifestation in American institutions. Drawing from his degrees in economics...

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. - 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 i...

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 d...

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 natio...

On this episode of STARRS & Stripes, host Al Palmer talks with Judge Bruce Tucker Smith, a 21-year veteran JAG officer and former administrative law judge, who reveals how military legal services were compromised by diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies that prioritized ideology over combat readiness and the Constitution. Topics they discuss: • Most JAG officers (70%) enter service d...

STARRS & Stripes podcast host Al Palmer and guest Ron Olds, two veteran F-4 Phantom pilots during the Vietnam War, discuss how political ideologies infiltrated military academies and threatened the warrior ethos that once defined service to country, and how the STARRS organization is fighting to restore military readiness as the primary focus. Ron Olds is a 1969 graduate of the US Air Force Ac...

STARRS & Stripes host CDR Al Palmer, USN ret, interviews STARRS Board of Directors member Rodney McKinley, who served as the 15th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. McKinley shares his journey on how a childhood visit to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB ignited a spark that led to a lifelong commitment to service from enlisted airman to the highest-ranking enlisted person in t...

STARRS & Stripes host Commander Al Palmer, USN ret, leads a thought-provoking discussion that challenges current narrative views on military diversity and readiness, featuring key insights from three retired Navy veterans LCDR Bruce Davey (a Blue Angel), Capt. Guy Higgins, and Capt. Brent Ramsey. All are members of the Calvert Task Group, an organization concerned with restoring the US Naval A...

In this episode of STARRS & Stripes, host CDR Al Palmer, USN ret, talks with retired Air Force Brigadier General Christopher S. Walker, call sign "Mookie" (USAFA '88). Gen. Walker grew up in Jamaica, Queens in New York City and describes how his journey of wanting to be a pilot led him to the US Air Force Academy and a career in the Air Force. Palmer and Walker have a great, wid...

This important episode of STARRS & Stripes looks at the radical and dangerous left-wing ideological influences and indoctrination reshaping both the military and academic world and those in it. Host Al Palmer interviews Dr. Stanley Ridgley, a professor, former military intelligence officer and author of, "Brutal Minds: The Dark World of Left-Wing Brainwashing in Our Universities". Jo...

In this episode of STARRS & Stripes, prepare to engage with a riveting conversation on the intricate landscape of justice and military integrity with our esteemed guest, Michael T. Rose. His journey from rural Kentucky to a distinguished career as an attorney, state senator, and now Executive Vice President of STARRS reveals a passion for upholding the American values of justice, ethics and in...

STARRS & Stripes Host CDR Al Palmer, USN ret, was joined by the presidents of three veterans organizations who are working towards eliminating CRT/DEI ideology from the military and restoring a focus on high standards and merit. They include from STARRS Colonel Ron Scott, USAF ret, USAFA '73; from the MacArthur Society Colonel Bill Prince, USA ret, USMA '70; and from the Calvert Task...

Matt Lohmeier, Executive Vice President of STARRS, author of the book "Irresistible Revolution" and a public speaker, gave the keynote talk at STARRS Rally for Our Republic in September 2024 in Arizona. His presentation starts with a video introduction of his story, an early preview of his upcoming documentary. Former US Air Force/US Space Force Lieutenant Colonel Matt Lohmeier (also a 2...

Security Educator and Public Speaker Ray Semko: The D*I*C*E Man, who served as the STARRS Rally for Our Republic emcee, also gave a talk at the event held in September 2024 in Arizona. Reflecting on the profound themes of patriotism and sacrifice, he takes you on a journey through personal stories of being drafted and serving in Vietnam. These experiences illuminate the emotional resonance of icon...

Whistleblower Ann Atkinson, a staunch defender of free speech, gave a talk at the STARRS Rally for Our Republic in September 2024 in Arizona. She was introduced by rally emcee Ray Semko, the D*I*C*E Man. Advocating for free speech in academia can be a path fraught with peril. Ann Atkinson, former executive director of the TW Lewis Center for Personal Development at Arizona State University, courag...

Timothy Sandefur of the Goldwater Institute gave a talk at STARRS Rally for Our Republic in September 2024 in Arizona. Rally emcee Ray Semko, the D*I*C*E Man introduced Timothy. Description: Frederick Douglass—the escaped slave who became an internationally famous spokesman for liberty and one of America’s most celebrated intellectuals—declared in the 1850s that the U.S. Constitution was “a glorio...