Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon in November.
File photo by Alex Brandon / AP
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File photo by Alex Brandon / AP
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a media briefing at the Pentagon in November.
File photo by Alex Brandon / AP
WASHINGTON – The Air Force fired 27 people for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine, leading them to believe that the first serving members were removed for disobeying vaccination orders.
The Air Force gave its forces until November 2nd to vaccinate, and thousands have refused or sought exemptions. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek on Monday said these are the first pilots to be administratively discharged for vaccine-related reasons.
She said they are all in the first batch of enlistment, so they are all younger, lower ranks. And while the Air Force does not disclose what type of discharge a serving member is entitled to, legislation implemented by Congress in a way that passes Congress limits the military to allow the military in cases from Those who refuse to receive the vaccine may be discharged honorably or collectively under honorary conditions.
Pentagon earlier this year require vaccines for all members of the military, including active duty, National Guard and Reserve duties. Each service sets its own deadlines and procedures for the mission, and the Air Force sets the earliest deadlines. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the vaccine was critical to maintaining the health of the force and its ability to respond to a national security crisis.
None of the 27 pilots applied for medical, administrative or religious exemptions, Stefanek said. Several officials from other services said they believe only the Air Force has so far done this in the process and discharged those who have been denied vaccines.
Therefore, they were officially removed from the payroll for disobeying orders. It’s also possible that some had other violations of their records, Stefanek said, but all denied the vaccine as one of the factors that led to their discharge.
It is not uncommon for members of the military to be dismissed from service for disobeying orders; Discipline is the main tenet of the armed services. By comparison, Stefanek said in the first three quarters of 2021, about 1,800 pilots were discharged for disobeying orders.
According to the latest Air Force data, more than 1,000 pilots have denied the shooting and more than 4,700 are applying for religious exemptions. As of last week, more than 97 percent of active Air Force forces had been fired at least once.
Members of the Navy and Marine Corps have until November 28 to shoot, and their Reserve members have until December 28. Active-duty troops have until Wednesday. Wednesday, and members of the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve have the most time to get vaccinated, the deadline is June 30.
Across the military, the response to the vaccine has mirrored that of society as a whole, with thousands seeking exemptions or refusals to be injected. But overall, the proportion of the military – especially active-duty members – quickly exceeds the national figure.
As of December 10, the Pentagon said 96.4% of active-duty service members had been shot at least once. However, that number plummets to around 74%, when Guards and Reserves are included. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 72% of the U.S. population 18 years of age or older has had at least one shot.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has made it clear that the Guard and Reserve are also up to the task, warning that those who fail to comply risk continuing to be members of the military. But that has proven controversial.
Oklahoma’s Republican governor and state attorney general have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the military’s authorization of the state’s Guard. Governor Kevin Stitt – the first state leader to publicly challenge the mandate – argued that Austin was exceeding his constitutional authority.
Stitt asked Austin to suspend duty to the Oklahoma National Guard and directed his new adjutant general to assure members that they would not be punished for not being vaccinated.
Austin declined the request and said unvaccinated Guard members would be barred from participating in federally sponsored drills and training needed to maintain their Guard status.
Oklahoma’s adjutant general, Brig. However, General Thomas Mancino, posted a letter on the website of the State Guard, warning his military that those who refuse a vaccine could end their military careers.
“Anyone…who decides not to get a vaccine,” Mancino writes, “must recognize the career-ending potential of federal action, blocking a favorable court ruling, agency intervention. legislative or policy change.
