Stephen Simmons

[thenominator]

Nominee's Key Links: 

Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-b-simmons/

Resume or CV: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-b-simmons/

Writing or Publications: 

Website: 

Video: https://securefreedomradio.podbean.com/e/with-marine-corps-officer-paul/

Socials: 

 

Agency or agencies for which nominator feels nominee is best suited:

Department of Defense

Department of The Air Force

Department of The Army

Department of The Navy

Department of Veterans Affairs

Central Intelligence Agency

Organization name(s) and position(s) for which nominator feels nominee is best suited:

Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Integration

 

Policies which the nominator knows the nominee supports or in which they have expertise:

Reserve integration
Officer Appointments (Scrolls)
Total Force Manpower Planning
Military Personnel Policy
Civil Military Affairs
Military Talent Management
Military Operations

 

Nominator's thoughts on what would make this nominee a valuable member of a future Trump Unity Government

Has Integrity: With over 17 years of service, Stephen Simmons walked away from a retirement valued over $2.5 million dollars rather than compromise his morals and the oath he took to defend the constitution in the face of the purge of military personnel perpetrated by the Biden Administration.

Is Competent: Stephen Simmons has proven expertise in HR, manpower, and reserve affairs within the U.S. Marine Corps, consistently delivering results in complex, high-stakes environments. His leadership in retention efforts retained hundreds of key personnel, saving $133 million and preserving operational strength across the force. He demonstrated deep competence in workforce management as he spearheaded the Career Management Team, successfully improving the utilization of 96,000 reserve Marines. During his tenure with Manpower and Reserve Affairs, he adapted HR policies to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring compliance while maintaining operational continuity across the organization. As an Operations Officer, he led a reserve unit to outpace active-duty counterparts, earning recognition as the Marine Corps Large Logistics Unit of the Year. Most notably, Stephen led the Officer Appointments Section for the Marine Corps Reserve Component, making him one of the only Officers in the DOD to understand this unique process that manages the services nomination process to the President to appoint qualified officers for service, making him integral to any initiative to enhance the quality of the Officer Corps.
Stephen’s record exemplifies subject matter expertise and a comprehensive understanding of the Marine Corps’ unique workforce challenges and strategic goals.

Has Courage: Stephen Simmons is a walking model of moral courage. Through his challenging of the unlawful military vaccine mandate that compromised the trust and values of the military community. As a Congressional Whistleblower, Stephen worked with congressional leaders early on to coordinate a media response to the unlawful vaccine mandate, while organizing service members across the DOD to resist unlawful orders while upholding their oath to the Constitution. Working from within the system under the pseudonym of Paul Lewis, he has publicly addressed issues regarding the COVID-19 vaccine mandate’s impact on morale and fairness, including concerns over the handling of religious exemptions, as noted in articles from The Federalist, American Family News, Epoch Times, The Daily Caller, and Fox News Digital. Stephen coined the phrase generational impact to describe the damage the vaccine mandate has had on military recruitment and retention. His willingness to speak out and stand by his convictions—even when challenging institutional policies—demonstrates his commitment to transparency, fairness, and ethical leadership. Simmons’s actions reflect a readiness to uphold standards and confront practices that may undermine public trust in military leadership.

Has a Proven Record: Stephen Simmons has consistently achieved positive, measurable results for those he serves, both in corporate and military settings. At Amazon, he increased case handling capacity by 280% and improved quality control standards, directly enhancing service for delivery associates and stakeholders. His efforts in logistics network optimization generated $1.5 billion in economic impact, benefitting Amazon customers and contributing to faster delivery times. In the U.S. Marine Corps, he led programs that improved operational readiness and retention, saving $133 million and retaining top talent. Stephens leadership style is marked by data-driven decision-making, innovation, and a commitment to quality, ensuring that every team he leads operates efficiently and effectively. His track record reflects a dedication to serving and uplifting his teams, aligning them with the organizational mission and exceeding expectations.

[Simmons]

Hello everyone,
First off would like to thank you for the nomination. I am humbled beyond measure and only hope I can help support the incoming administration and the American people.

A quick about me, I grew up in West Texas and come from a long line of patriots who have served this nation. I served 17 years in the Marine Corps and was forced to leave due to my defense of religious liberty. Faced with the prospect of financial ruin, I took a job within Amazon corporate, where I excelled and acquired many of the skills the private sector values that our government sorely is in need of.

I am committed to working with the administration to 1) restore public trust in our military by reintegrating the 60k+ personnel who were unlawfully forced out of the military due to the vaccine mandate, 2) improve the readiness of our Reserve forces who make up most of the DOD, and 3) restoring public trust in the military through openness, transparency, and ultimately effectiveness.

I will be happy to answer any questions and look forward to getting to know all of you.

Thank You,

Stephen Simmons

[Cgrum]

I look forward to restoring faith in our military by accountability for those who forced the vaccine on people and fir those who denied religious accomodations. You seem like the man for the job

[Simmons]

Thanks @Cgrum for the kind words! Please let me know if you have any thoughts or questions!

[Daniel9]

Stephen’s priorities are sorely needed to restore the DoD and rebuilding bridges made with faithful veterans who were forced out for the vaccine along with making sure the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle never happens again.

Just curious to hear your take on why reserve integration is important and what opportunities do you see in better integrating the reserve component into the active military? Happy Veterans Day, appreciate your service.

[Simmons]

@Daniel9 thanks for the support! Regarding your question about Reserve Integration, there are a lot of reasons, but the bottom line is numbers (or end-strength). There are approx 1.4 Million Active duty Service Members and another ~1.7 Million in the Reserves and National Guard. While often overlooked, Reserves make up a majority of our nations armed forces. Consequently, any policy decisions impacting the reserves and national guard need to be in line with the administration.

Further, when we consider the number of vaccine refusers the service forced out, most of them were quietly released by refusal to extend Re-enlistments, resulting in most of the disaffected population falling into the Inactive Ready Reserve or the Inactive Reserve (sub sections of the Reserve). Any effort to repatriate these service-members would require proactive support from the reserve leadership.

There are plenty of opportunities to better integrate the Reserve Component into our national defense strategy. This is the single best way to quickly and cost effectively reconstitute our military as we face a destabilized global security environment. Consider this:

1. The average ground unit in the reserves costs 7 cents for every dollar it costs to maintain an active unit. Increasing funding to reserves makes fiscal sense and will increase readiness while the active component reconstitutes.
2. The reserve component holds most of the experienced personnel who have fought and deployed over the past two decades, better leveraging that experience will put us at a decisive advantage over our adversaries.
3. The reserves make an ideal and cost effective location to nest capabilities that may not be able to be sustained by the active component. Cyber, tech innovation, A-10s, and skilled personnel are only some of the opportunities that come to mind.

Finally, we need reserve leadership that will in one hand embrace the “fight tonight” mantra that will allow the reserve component to react in stride with the active component. In the other we need our reserves to take on the role of the strategic “break glass in case of emergency” that eroded at the end of the Cold War. The national defense strategy relies on an antiquated model of reserve mobilization timelines in excess of 90 days. The next great war will be decided in less than 90 days and the country that can bring its reserves to bear soonest will have a distinct advantage. I will make sure it is the United States.

[Cactus]

I think Stephen would be very effective in rebuilding trust between service members whose personal sacrifices for love of corps and country have cost them so much. It appears to me that he has an impressive record regarding efficiency in coordinating different components into a unified whole. I’m impressed by his determination to not compromise his beliefs in the face of stiff opposition.

[Harwodcd]

Stephen, I enjoyed reading your back story and was impressed by you taking a stand for what you believe in. Not many people today would risk so much to carry out a conviction they have felt. I have a couple of questions for you:

• If you are selected, how are you going to contribute to getting those who refused the covid shot back?

• How are you going to help restore faith in the military in the wake of the afghan withdrawal?

Nick

[Kub0001]

Stephen, this is an amazing opportunity for you to serve our country, and I am so glad you were nominated. You are the right person for the job! I have known you as an upstanding leader, not only for our country but also for your family. I have seen how your integrity, perseverance, and resilience have positively impacted those around you. You have my vote!

If chosen, how would you primarily aim to restore trust in the military by promoting transparency?

[Simmons]

• If you are selected, how are you going to contribute to getting those who refused the covid shot back?

Nick, thanks for the support!

So I get asked this question all the time about how to get those impacted by the covid shot
back in uniform. What happened to these service members is unconscionable and there really is no simple answer that will just make it right.

We have to refine our approach in this to not only restore the service member but also their family and community. We want to repair the generational damage that is done so even if the service member is unwilling to return, this loss of trust does not adversely impact recruitment among family and communities. As we know, military service is generational and most new

That said we have some things we can and should do that are possible to do immediately via executive order and more long term via legislation. I actually drafted and socialized proposed NDAA language that would make these corrections, with the model being to

1. Backpay to current date
2. Use established precedent of force shaping to provide impacted service members either seps pay, retirement, or immediate reinstatement.
3. Directive to Service Components to back promote and ensure reintegration of service members to duties commensurate with their peers as if they had never left the service.
4. Directive to services to monitor and track affected population as a protected class (similar tactic used to enforce DEI standards elsewhere) and prevent any loss of opportunity as a result of these service members decision.
5. Codify protections for service members against medical and religious discrimination that comes with criminal penalties for officials who violate.

I will see if I can find a copy and will post it up here, as it is my hope to eventually see this legislation pushed forward. In the meantime, the executive branch can direct reinstatement and backpay/retirement - but we should codify this via legislation so it will never happen again.

Finally, I will do whatever I can to make sure this is corrected. My first effort will be to ensure an accurate count and identification of every affected service member in a DOD audit. Once identified, it will be imperative that these service members are contacted, issued formal apologies, and we work to make them whole via the above outlined process. Lastly, I think it is important that we identify and hold those leaders accountable who blindly followed orders and ignored their oath. This was perhaps the single test of dedication to the constitution many officers ever faced, and most failed miserably. I will do everything in my capacity to prevent that from happening again.

[Simmons]

@Harwodcd

How are you going to help restore faith in the military in the wake of the afghan withdrawal?

Nick,
For this question, we all watched with horror as 20 years of American Blood spilled that resulted in what can only be described as ending in a military embarrassment and at the end of the day, we left Afghanistan in the hands of the same people we were fighting. In my opinion, this happened due to incompetence.

Restoration of faith in the military starts with accountability. America expects her military to win, and does not tolerate losers. To date, the only individual who faced any discipline over the entire matter was a Marine LtCol who asked for accountability on social media. Regardless of whatever role I find myself in, I will demand accountability and expect our career officers to always raise the bar on performance. I personally will push for tying financial incentive to performance and high importance billets, to incentivize the best and brightest to stay around and take challenging jobs that at this point no one wants because they all pay the same. Finally I will look for ways to transform our military culture away from a jobs program and back to that of a war fighting institution that is purpose built to win conflict. The DOD it it’s current form excels at managing conflict, to the detriment of the American taxpayer and the rank and file Service-members.

Lastly, I will urge the administration to take control of the officer appointments process and instead of awarding mediocrity and conformity, develop measures to both block mediocre candidates from advancement while committing to a merit based promotion system that abandons the current system of “wait your turn” to ensure the most competitive and qualified candidates promote quicker.

[Simmons]

@Kub0001

If chosen, how would you primarily aim to restore trust in the military by promoting transparency?

Thanks for your support @Kub0001 and great question!

So we have seen trust in our institutions erode over the years, and this is in my opinion due to outright lies and obfuscation being passed off as truths by our institutions. We let our institutions, particularly the DOD, become politicized as opposed to the apolitical stance the DOD and other government agencies traditionally took.

For example, in 2023 while conducting analysis of manpower numbers, irregularities were noted and I found that the Marine Corps was slowly reducing its recruitment goal by several hundred spaces per month. Instead of reporting a shortfall, in the interest of political expediency the Marine Corps reported to Congress that they had met their recruiting goal for the year. We have a fundamental and inherent duty to the truth and can only make ourselves better if we tell that truth.

To fix this, I would do the job appointed officials are supposed to do and that is tell the truth and ensure truthful reporting within the agencies they are assigned to. Secondly, I would encourage Congress to do its job and demand accurate reporting. Government bureaucracy has run amok in the absence of strong leadership in the executive branch and lack of oversight from the legislative branch. Proactively reporting information to the legislative branch ensures transparency and accountability.

Finally, to restore trust, a key tenet of the private sector is to listen to the customer. In this case, the government needs to listen to its customer. I will make sure we are meeting those expectations and prioritize efforts that serve the American people with an effort to improve exposure to the military in local communities - especially in times of crisis.

[bdm08a]

Let’s get it Sir. The character this man possesses far exceeds the qualification. Not much has to be said about the man. I’ll raise a glass and smile with joy as he and his family achieves the goal set forth and they Cadillac into the sunset. Behind y’all 100% all day, everyday!

[Hirk22]

Stephen Simmons is an amazing family man who defines the word integrity and courage with his actions. He is the type of leader that this country needs. I have personally seen him and his family fight extremely hard for the sake of our country, especially standing up against the COVID 19 mandates! You will not regret choosing Stephen Simmons!

[KristyHirko]

As an Army Wife, watching my Chaplain husband lose his career over the unlawful injection…& discrimination over one’s religious freedoms- that experience completely changed me, for the rest of my life. I was terrified. I still am terrified & honestly, today, I struggle with PTSD for what we were put through. Today, I want my husband to leave our Military & I do not want my children to serve. At the present time of this writing, we are an active duty family-living overseas- praying about whether or not to stay in.

But, Stephen Simmons will make a way.

How do I know (& admire, love, & fully trust & support) Stephen Simmons? It was Dec. of 2021-& I couldn’t sleep. At that time, we were station at Fort Campbell & My husband decided to submit a ReligiousAccommodation against the Injection. At that time, his Unit deplpyed without him. & because of his Religious Convictions-He was labled “a threat to the force” & unable to deploy with his troops meant embrassment, a low OER, loss of advancement for professional development & denial of a special training school that he desperately wanted to go to. My husband was placed on Rear-D as we fought “the fight of a lifetime”. It was devasting. And Consequently, I suffered PTSD and later, Developed Bells Palsey from the whole ordeal.

Looking back, as my husband was facing Involuntarily Seperation or being Court Martialed ( to be thrown away in Military Prison). We were alone. I knew no one else going through this. Most of my family turned their backs on me. We were not invited over to the family reunion because wevwere told we might kill grandma. When we did go to a family members home, we were told to sit outside-6 feet apart-in a circle. Many Friends stopped talking to us, I lost followers on my Instagram, our children were separated from friend groups, while on Post or at work events-my husband was forced to wear a black mask- while others walked freely. He even completed a difficult course called “Air Assault School” & while the majority of the troops were running around in the Kentucky heat face-free (temperatures over 100 degrees, with humidity)-my husband was forced to run, jump, ruck, rappel out of the back of a Helicopter while wearing a thick black mask. His breathing was tremendously labored but he still graduated! We stuck out like sore thumbs & were ostracized & seperated from many. Including the Chaplain Corp-my husband was removed from Preaching on Post. Out of 72 Chaplains, only 2 Chaplains-submitted R.A.'s. My husband is a white male Chaplain but oddly the other Chaplain (a dear beautiful friend)-her Accommodation was approved. Her race is African American. I love all people & I do not judge, but as we compared our submissions-neither one of us could understand.

So we were alone at Fort Campbell. As my husband was a flagged officer and as we waited for his Religious Accommodation to be reviewed…the trial ultimately lasted 599 days. Like 99.9999999999% of all submissions-our R.A. eventually-also came back denied & later our Appeal was also denied. But, looking back…that sad awful night in Dec. In 2021- I cried out to God. I couldn’t sleep…I was on my couch as my 3 kids, 2 dogs & beloved husband all slept upstairs but, I couldn’t sleep. I knew no other Military Spouse going through my situation. I felt so isolated. I kelt thinking “there’s got to be someone else who knows how this feels?”

I really don’t know what compled me to google something about the Military not taking it or something-similar, but out of the blue a link appeared that said “Military Spouse Fights Back”. I clicked on the link and it brought me to the Heidi St. John Podcast & there I listened to Stephen’s Wife,Berkley describe her experience with undergoing a similar Religious Accommodation and how they too were being treated… I couldn’t belive what I was hearing. I listened to her speak and felt encouraged, understood, empathized with & edifyed.

So, I listened to the podcast again. And, When morning broke, I shared the podcast with my husband & he too felt encouraged. I started having thoughts…Where was this couple located? Although, this couple is serving in the Marine Corp-would they like to discuss this unique situation with an Army couple? What will this family do for a living upon separation? What is the due process? Does this family happen to know other Military families going through the same horrifying situation? Does thos family know how to pray about what we are going through?

I didn’t know how to contact Berkley, but I did a simple search on Instagram & found her. I sent her a private message & the rest is history. We set up the first of many calls. Our husband’s began to encourage, pray, support one another. Her husband gave my husband hope. I couldn’t believe some of the things I was hearing & shockingly-they knew of a few other families that were walking through the same ordeal. Berkley set up a video chat so I could meet other spouses -going through the same horrible thing. Most of the other Military Spouses said, this was the worst thing the Military had ever put them through. Our husband’s began to find more and more Military in need of help. And, They worked hard to serve them. Both men would go to their everyday jobs & then as soon as they got home they began returning phone calls, messages, e-mails, to Servicemembers…the need became great…

it started like this, My husband got a call from a 1 Srgt who said, “Hey, Chaplain I took it, but my buddy I fought with back in Afghanistan-doesn’t want it. So, he doesn’t know how to submit a Religious Accommodation & his Chaplain won’t return his messages. He is stressed out & needs help, will you help him?” So my husband started calling & counseling soldiers that were not even stationed in our time zone! The same thing happened to Stephen. He started receiving pleas for help & direction.

The need among Servicemembers kept growing. My husband & I said, why don’t we host a pot luck dinner in our home so we can get to know these spouses & children. We decided that regardless of ones Religion, anyone who submitted a Medical Exemption Request or a Religious Request-would be welcome. That 1st dinner in my home, my husband called Stephen & Berkeley & Stephen did a video chat with our troops. Stephen breathed life into the room that night. For the 1st time, in a long time, soldiers started to exhale again. Helicopter Pilots, Special Foces, Jag officers, Enlisted & Officers-all started to lean into Stephen’s Wisdom & direction.

In the beginning, The number of people was 30. The next meeting grew & then grew some more, and Stephen offered to drive and meet with the troops in-person. So, we said yes! The way Stephen spoke-in a calm, professional, encouraging way-not only encouraged our family but countless troops. Eventually, the number grew to 817.

As God’s Sovereignty prevailed, upon Stephen being Seperated from the Marine Corp -he was able to find a job, nearby at Fort Campbell. My husband & I couldn’t believe it! Our group of Soldier kept growing so much that we began to rotate and hold monthly gatherings going from homes to parks & even a local horse barn-and Stephen & his family came to all of them. My husband & I would plan, invite, & gather & my husband would ask Stephen to lead. Stephen led the group of freedom fighters with extreme professionalism, class & authority. He remains true to his personal convictions, walks with integrity & is a devoted & loving father to two & husband to Berkley. The group today is partially serving with over 50% having left the Military to pursue other vocations. Many dreams & trust was completely stripped away.

So today, as I write…I can not think of anyone else that I would rather vote for, be suppotive of, or pray for than Stephen Simmons. I thank God that somehow-through a podcast on a sleepless Dec. Night-that we met them.

After what we endured, we are wounded for life but also renewed. I could of never made it without Stephen Simmons blazing the trail towards Constitutional Freedoms for Military Families.

Select, Vote, Approve, Advance, Promote Stephen Simmons, immediately. Perhaps, maybe we will kerp going if proper changes are made.

God Bless the troops.
God Bless America.
Pro deo et Patria

[berkeleyksimmons]

Kristy, Hirko Family, our Brave Babes, and every other person we locked arms with - prayed with - cried with - THIS IS FOR YOU!

The trauma we endured has forever changed us. It has stripped us of innocence and there is no going back. HOWEVER we can and we will
Go forward. We faithfully march forward under God’s mighty hand trying to do what is good, right, honorable, and just. We shine His light in the darkness and expose truth! We do this for you - for your children - your grandchildren -
And every single person regardless of race or
Creed! And we do this so that one glorious day-we with all the saints who have gone before- can hear “well done good and faithful servant.”

Forever my ride or die! LOVE YOU!!!

[NCS2000]

I have known Stephen for several years and wholeheartedly endorse him for a position. Stephen is a courageous patriot and is exactly the type of leader we need serving us in government. I have come to know Stephen and his family very well, as we attend the same church and have spent time with one another engaging in meaningful discussions about the state of our nation. Stephen is a principled family man, conservative, and Marine who possesses unimpeachable character, integrity, and Christian values. I have the deepest respect for him, and I admire his morally courageous stand to abide by his convictions and stand up for religious freedom. As he has always done, Stephen will continue to preserve and defend the Constitution of the United States and put America first in all he does.

[Led0321]

I personally served with Steven for two years at II MEF. He is one of the most brilliant logistics and and problem solvers I have ever served with. A genius mind and there isn’t a man with a better moral compass. He is exactly the kind of man we need serving this nation to bring about the President’s mandate.

[billvotes2024]

I served in the military during the Vietnam War era. I experienced firsthand the disdain and downright disrespect many citizens had for members serving in the military. Though I felt the sting of their utter disdain and disrespect, I nevertheless understood the reason behind it - frustration and anger over a war that killed tens of thousands of young Americans for no discernible purpose. However, even with that, I never had the sense that our government or military felt the same way toward those of us who were serving at the time. Fast forward nearly 50 years later. Everything seemed to be turned on its head. The military seemed to enjoy, perhaps somewhat naively, the general support of the public. But the government, through the political and military leadership that was in place, had broken faith with the members faithfully and diligently serving in the various military branches. The military leadership was literally eating their own. With that backdrop, what concrete steps do you think can be taken to restore faith with the members of the Armed Forces who were so callously cast aside during what is now known as the “scamdemic”? Will those former members have a path back to the military if they so choose? Best of luck on your nomination. I know your background - you are the right man, in the right place, at the right time.

[19mess]

You too are an amazing family man. I am honored to know you and your family. You all are always in my thoughts and prayers as you too have experienced the COVID 19 mandates.