Due to their non-compliance in vaccine mandates, more than 260,000 American service members could be dismissed
The Biden administration’s strict Covid-19 vaccination mandates place more than 13% of the US’ fighting forces at risk of discharge, according to Department of Defense data updated on Wednesday.
The Pentagon’s website shows 268,858 “Partially vaccinated” individuals across the Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force, plus another 50,710 civilian employees. However, the figures don’t include servicemembers who have had no shots at all, meaning the real number imperiled by the administration’s vaccine mandates could be significantly higher.
Marine Reservist Mike Berry said that unvaccinated soldiers with pending medical or religious exemption requests are exempted. But, he added that only individuals who are already in the military can be granted religious exemptions.
Breitbart has cited statistics that show 6,400 military personnel have been fired for not getting the shot. That’s despite the fact that a court injunction has barred the Navy from discharging any sailor seeking a religious exemption. While political pushback has stopped the Pentagon from labeling the departed with a dishonorable discharge, even a “Allgemein” discharge can mean a loss of benefits and a black mark on a soldier’s disciplinary record.
The Army began stepping up administrative proceedings against the partially- and un-vaccinated last week, explaining the noncompliant would no longer receive pay as of July or be allowed to participate in “Training and drills funded by the federal government.” A statement by the military branch warns those who refuse the mandatory vaccination order “Additional adverse administrative actions, including separation, may also be taken against you.”
The deadline for part-time Army Reservists and National Guardsmen to receive the vaccine passed last week, leaving 12% of reservists – about 22,740 people – not fully vaccinated. A spokesperson for Army Times stated that 13.1% of 44,000 Army National Guard soldiers are not yet fully vaccinated.
When confronted about the effect on the US’ military readiness of potentially discharging tens of thousands of unvaccinated soldiers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley downplayed the problem, insisting “The number of people refusing to get vaccinated is very small.,” calling the problem “Manageable” and arguing that soldiers should just shut up and take their shots.
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Pentagon struggling with recruitment – media
A recent Journal of the American Medical Association study found that servicemembers can experience serious, but rare, side effects of vaccines. This includes myocarditis.
US Military has been having difficulty recruiting soldiers and posted the lowest number of recruits in many decades. Last month, the Pentagon admitted it was 23% behind recruiting goals for the year, a problem that has been blamed on bad advertising – specifically the recent trend toward “Wake up” ads widely mocked on social media – and a sloppy, antiquated recruitment system that places too much responsibility in the hands of outside contractors.
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