Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services (STARRS) has announced its call for President Trump to grant full and unconditional pardons to service members penalized under COVID-19 and anthrax vaccine mandates. This announcement was made through an article.
According to Restoration News, STARRS is a nonprofit organization founded in 2020 by retired senior military officers. The group aims to counter politicized ideologies within the armed forces, including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) mandates and forced vaccinations. The organization praised President Trump’s pardon of Lt. Mark Bashaw and called for broader pardons for other service members affected by similar mandates. STARRS argues that these policies have harmed military careers, violated constitutional rights, and set damaging precedents in military policy.
Lt. Mark Bashaw was court-martialed in 2022 for refusing COVID-19 protocols at Aberdeen Proving Ground and subsequently discharged in 2023. In May 2025, President Trump issued a full pardon, removing his military conviction, as confirmed by The Washington Post and Military.com. STARRS lauded this action and emphasized that hundreds more service members faced similar consequences under the same mandates and deserve equal relief. The organization argues that Secretary Hegseth’s declaration deeming the COVID vaccine mandate unlawful necessitates immediate systematic pardons.
As detailed in the Department of Defense’s review and supported by court rulings such as Doe v. Rumsfeld, the anthrax vaccine immunization program from 1998–2003 was deemed “unlawful as implemented.” This resulted in court-martials and discharges of conscientious objectors, according to Wikipedia and federal sources. STARRS asserts that many service members who refused the vaccine were penalized without administrative redress despite legal frameworks now recognizing prior mandates as illegitimate. The group has initiated a tip line to help affected personnel pursue corrective action through Military Department Review Boards.
STARRS is a veteran-led nonprofit established by high-ranking retired military officers advocating against ideological imposition within the armed forces. The organization campaigns for service members disciplined under COVID-19 and anthrax vaccine mandates while exposing DEI and progressive policies it argues erode military cohesion. STARRS offers legal support, public advocacy, and operates a tip line to assist individuals seeking pardons or record corrections.
