Half a million American STEM grads can’t get jobs. Meanwhile, 240,000 OPT visa holders just took theirs — with zero FICA tax.

It’s not about talent. It’s about incentives. Tax code. Loopholes. Corporate offshoring. And a system built to say “there’s a shortage” while the pipeline sits full.

On this episode of The Pulse Wave, we break down the numbers and expose the mechanics behind America’s most under-discussed workforce failure.

👉 Vince Virga (SkillStorm)
👉 Rob Murtha (Adjective)
👉 Tommy Weinert (Mount Indy)

We cover:

The real impact of H1B, OPT, and F1 visas

The revolving door of offshore recruiting firms

How universities cashed in while kids got wrecked

What it’ll take to fix this

Watch it. Then show your HR director.

China isn’t just in our supply chain — they’re in our ports, our power grids, and our policies.

In this week’s Pulse Wave, we open with a monologue that calls out the obvious: China is built deep into America’s critical infrastructure — from cranes and transformers to solar inverters and comms gear stamped Made in China.

I sat down with Tom Weinert, Rob Murtha, and Nick Frazier to break it all down:

• How 80% of U.S. ports rely on Chinese cranes, and what that means for logistics and national security.
• The cyber threat from Volt Typhoon and why it’s been ignored for years.
• How North Korean laptop farms and fake recruiting pipelines are penetrating cleared industries.
• Why HR and program managers are now a front line of national defense.
• And whether America has gone too soft — arguing about pronouns while Beijing embeds itself in our backbone.

This is about more than cyber policy — it’s about grit, standards, and the price of comfort.

🎥 Clip here: [insert video link]

#NationalSecurity #China #CriticalInfrastructure #DefenseTech #SupplyChain #PulseWave #Cybersecurity

Fat Troops, Beards & Broken Standards: Is the Military Shedding their Soft Now?”

Description:
The government is shut down, the military is under fire, and the Secretary of War says we’ve gone soft — literally.
In Episode 10 of The Pulse Wave, we dive into the immigration-fueled healthcare debate that’s freezing budgets and the physical standards debate that’s finally heating up.
From asylees in the ACA exchange to beards in uniform, we break down what matters, what’s politics, and what’s just plain weak.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Monologue: Dysfunction & Shutdowns
02:00 – Intros: Compliance Clause, Hall of Fame Recruiter & the Tactical Tactician
05:00 – The Truth About ACA, Immigrants & Subsidies
12:00 – Public confusion, real policy, and fake outrage
16:00 – Standards in Uniform: Fat, Bearded, and Unfit?
22:00 – War is not a safe space
29:00 – Why standards actually widen the base
31:30 – Closing: Uniforms, Unity & the Yankees

What if America's defense acquisition system isn't broken—just Roman? In this firecracker episode of Pulse Wave, we break down how hyper-bureaucracy, compliance theater, and box-check culture are slowly rotting out the core of national security. Featuring the explosive John Ferry (yes, that LinkedIn post), infrastructure tactician Rob Murtha, and recruiting sniper Tommy Weinert.

We talk toxic government-industry "relationships," sole-source CSOs, why CMMC might nuke SMEs, and the true cost of performative compliance. Also: should we be productizing services like we productize software?

🔧 Topics include:

The toxic GovCon partnership analogy

Is CMMC Level 2 the final nail for SMEs?

Why OTAs & CSOs are the new power lanes

Productized services: fad or future?

Why Rome fell — and why we might too

Pulse Wave is brought to you by Metronome — mission-critical tech, built for Earth, ready for orbit.

👍 Like. 💬 Comment. 🔔 Subscribe.

Welcome to The Pulse Wave— where we build mission-critical tech to harden America’s land, sea, and skies. Built for Earth. Ready for orbit. 🌎🚀

In this episode, Virgil sits down with Michelle Lucas, former NASA flight controller and founder of Higher Orbits, and co-host Tommy Weinert (Mount Indy) to talk about the new frontier of space conflict and exploration.

We break down:

Russia’s tumbling anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon and what it means for global security.

China’s crewed lunar lander test and the risks of losing the moon race.

Japan’s wooden satellite experiment and the future of space sustainability.

Space junk re-entry (including a Kenyan village incident!) and why more orbital debris is inevitable.

The blurred lines between NASA’s civil mission and Space Force’s defense posture.

Is space still the final frontier — or the newest battlefield?
Let’s get into it. ⚡️

👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more defense, AI, and preparedness talk each week.

Adulthood’s biggest scam? Giving up the kid energy that made us electric.

In this episode of The Pulse Wave, we unpack what it really takes to build trust, lead authentically, and not turn into a bureaucratic zombie. We’re starting with The Rizzler — yes, a literal third-grader — and ending with the AI bots screening your resume and your ambition. This is the show for leaders who don’t flinch when things get weird — they lean in.

S2:E6 Segments:

0:00 – Cold Open: Why weird is a leadership skill
4:30 – Segment 1: Rizzler Rules: Relate First, Lead Second
11:00 – Segment 2: Laugh Lines, Not Bottom Lines
20:40 – Segment 3: AI Recruiters in a Shrinking Room
30:25 – Segment 4: Hug Your Job, Smother Your Future

Topics this episode:
→ Building trust without the LinkedIn mask
→ Humor as a leadership advantage
→ When AI becomes your new boss
→ Job-hugging, fear-based stability, and the cost of staying put

Guests:
Tommy Weinert (Mount Indie), Rob Murtha (Adjective), Ross O’Rourke (special guest seat)

—

📢 Pulse Wave is produced by Metronome — tech built for Earth, ready for orbit.

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Subscribe for weekly episodes on defense tech, AI, gov innovation, and calling out BS.

#PulseWave #Leadership #AI #GovTech #DefenseTech #Culture #Authenticity #Podcast

This week on The Pulse Wave, we’re going inside the world of cleared recruiting—with one of the best in the game.

🎙️ Stephanie Holman joins Virgil Virga, Tommy Weinert, and Rob Murtha to break down:

What it really takes to build a personal brand that gets you hired

How AI and deepfakes are changing the recruiting game

Why veterans still get overlooked—and how to fix it

And… what your reaction to a missing sock says about your mindset 😅

Whether you're in defense tech, cleared recruiting, or trying to land your next mission-driven role—this one’s got something for you.

📎 Full transcript and more at: [insert link if available]
🧠 Want to be a guest? Reach out on LinkedIn @Virgil Virga

Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:45 – Brand Like a Boss
12:10 – Reckon with the Robots
23:42 – Cow-patibility Break
26:00 – Link or Blink: LinkedIn Growth Hacks
36:15 – Vets, Not Vetos
42:50 – Sock It to 'Em!
45:20 – Wrap-up & next week’s teaser

Pulse Wave | S2 E3 | Dirty Hands Clean Money | Michael Henry, Tommy Weinert & Rob Murtha

Description:
Welcome back to The Pulse Wave, brought to you by Metronome — your source for sharp defense tech and AI commentary.
In this episode, we dig into the $6 billion virtual wall contract with Andral Industries and the hard truth behind “vaporware” vs. real edge computing products for tactical defense.
Our guest Michael Henry, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Studies and Analysis and Chief Information Technology Officer, joins host Virgil Virga with co-hosts Tommy Weinert and Rob Murtha for a no-holds-barred discussion about testing, evaluation, government procurement, and the real work behind mission-critical tech.
We talk about AI-driven defense tech, procurement pitfalls, and how to sniff out real innovation from flashy PowerPoint illusions.

Watch to learn:

Why edge computing tech needs to work in the wild, not just in the lab.

How Andral Industries is making a difference — and why some critics call it vaporware.

The role of real engineers in government versus just bureaucracy.

What it takes to truly test and vet new tech in defense.

The impact of bad procurement and what can be done better.

Guest:
Michael Henry — Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Studies and Analysis & Chief Information Technology Officer
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelehenry/

Co-hosts:
Tommy Weinert — Co-founder & President of Mount Indy
Rob Murtha — CEO & Founder of Adjective