US Army to begin discharging soldiers who refuse to comply with mandatory COVID jab
"Unvaccinated soldiers pose a risk to the military and undermine preparedness," said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth in a statement.
FollowThe US Army said on Wednesday that soldiers who refuse to comply with a mandatory COVID-19 immunisation requirement will be discharged. "Unvaccinated soldiers pose a risk to the military and undermine preparedness," said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth in a statement. She said for soldiers who resist the vaccination order and are not awaiting a final determination on an exemption, the Army will initiate involuntary separation proceedings.
According to the statement, more than 3,000 troops might be released. At the end of 2021, the army had 482,000 active-duty troops. Six high-ranking officers, including two battalion commanders, have been relieved of their duties as of January 26 for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The army has given "reprimands" in writing to 3,073 troops who have likewise refused to be vaccinated.
In mid-October, the US Navy declared that anyone who refused COVID-19 inoculation would be discharged. It has been especially vulnerable to the pandemic due to the potential that a single COVID case may infect a whole ship or submarine at sea, rendering it inoperable. The navy claimed in a news release on Wednesday that around 8,000 active duty and reserve military members were still unvaccinated, and that 118 people had been discharged for refusing the vaccination.
The Marine Corps earlier stated that it had discharged over 300 people. According to the Pentagon, nearly 97 per cent of the approximately 1.4 million active-duty US military members have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.
Meanwhile, the US Air Force dismissed 27 military personnel for refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccination injection. The Pentagon's decision came months after it made the coronavirus immunisation obligatory for all military personnel. According to Ann Stefanek, a spokeswoman for the US Air Force, the servicemen were given the opportunity to explain why they refused to get vaccinated, but no exemptions were granted.
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