Washington (AP) —The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, authorities believe that they were the first military personnel to be dismissed for violating their firing obligations.
The Air Force sent troops to obtain vaccines until November 2, with thousands refusing or demanding tax exemptions. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said on Monday that these were the first Air Force soldiers to be administratively discharged for vaccine-related reasons.
She said they were younger and lower ranked personnel because they were all in their first enlistment period. The Air Force has not disclosed what kind of discharge military personnel will obtain, but legislation passing through Congress is a prestigious discharge to the military if the military refuses a vaccine or a general discharge under prestigious conditions. Is restricted to give.
Earlier this year, the Pentagon demanded vaccines from all members of the military, including active, National Guard, and reservists. Each service set its own deadline and procedure for the mission, and the Air Force set the earliest deadline. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said vaccines are important for maintaining military health and the ability to respond to the national security crisis.
None of the 27 Air Force soldiers, regardless of medical, administrative or religious, sought tax exemptions of any kind, according to Stefanek. Some officials at other services said they believed that so far only the Air Force had gone so far in the process and fired people because of the refusal of the vaccine.
As a result, they did not comply with the order and were officially removed from service. Stefanek said there could have been other violations of the record, but everyone had a vaccine refusal as one of the factors in their discharge.
It is not uncommon for members of the army to be expelled from the army because they did not obey orders — discipline is an important belief in the army. In comparison, Stefanek said that in the first three quarters of 2021, about 1,800 Air Force soldiers were discharged due to non-compliance with orders.
According to the latest Air Force data, more than 1,000 Air Force soldiers have refused to shoot and more than 4,700 have sought religious exemptions. As of last week, just over 97% of the active Air Force had at least one shot.
Members of the Navy and Marine Corps fired by 28 November, with reserves until 28 December. Active duty soldiers in the Army will be available until Wednesday, and members of the Army National Guard and reserves will be vaccinated by the June 30 deadline next year.
Throughout the military, the vaccine response reflects the response of society as a whole, with thousands seeking tax exemptions and refusing injections. But overall, the proportion of swiftly fired troops, especially active members, is higher than in the nation.
As of December 10, the Pentagon said that 96.4% of active personnel had been shot at least once. However, including guards and reserves, that number plummets to about 74%. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 72% of the US population over the age of 18 has been fired at least once.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has revealed that guards and reserves will also be on duty, warning that non-compliance will endanger continued members of the army. But it has proven to be controversial.
The Republican Governor and Attorney General of Oklahoma have already filed a federal proceeding against the military mission against the state guards. Governor Kevin Stitt, the first state leader to publicly challenge the mandate, claims that Austin is beyond his constitutional powers.
Stitt requested Austin to suspend the mission of the Oklahoma National Guard and instructed his new deputy general to assure members that he would not be punished for not being vaccinated.
Austin denied the request, saying that unvaccinated guards would be barred from federal-funded training and training needed to maintain their status.
Brigadier General, Brigadier General of Oklahoma. General Thomas Mancino posted a letter on the State Defense Forces website, but warned the military that those who refused the vaccine could end their military career.
“Anyone who decides not to take the vaccine must be aware that there is potential for a career to end federal action, except for favorable court decisions, legislative interventions, or policy changes. It won’t be, “writes Mancino.