Only 43 of 8,000 Service Members Discharged over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Sought to Rejoin
Just 43 service members of the more than 8,000 who were discharged from the military for refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine have sought to rejoin 8 months following the official repeal of the vaccine mandate.
CNN reported that just 19 service members have rejoined the Army, 12 have rejoined the Marine Corps, two have rejoined the Navy, and one has rejoined the Air Force since the vaccine mandate was rescinded earlier this year as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
At the time, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the mandate would “leave a lasting legacy in the many lives we saved, the world-class force we have been able to field, and the high level of readiness we have maintained, amidst difficult public health conditions.”
Before the mandate was lifted, TPUSA reported that 9,062 Air Force members requested religious exemptions, however, leadership denied 6,343, granted just 83, and left the remaining 2,636 pending or “otherwise unacknowledged.” Additionally, 60,000 Army soldiers also lost pay and benefits or received reprimands due to their refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 3,000 religious exemptions requested by National Guard and Reserve members were denied.
“Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin intended to initiate a mandate in September of 2021 — with or without full FDA approval. The looming mandate has been accused of pressuring the FDA into compliance, causing the FDA to grant Pfizer and Moderna full approval in August of 2021,” TPUSA reported.
Several former service members expressed feelings of betrayal by the institution that not only denied their religious and health accommodations, but would threaten their livelihood for the foreseeable future with a dishonorable or other-than-honorable discharge for vaccine refusal.
The low return rate for members eligible to rejoin does raise some concerns, following a yearlong recruitment drought that was exacerbated by the discharge of more than 8,000 qualified service members. To curb the downfall, the Pentagon has done everything in its power to engage with Gen Z, from celebrating Pride Month, to hiring drag queens to promote enlistment — unsurprisingly, none of these tactics have seemed to work. Public opinion polls also suggests that confidence in the U.S. military has reached the lowest level seen in decades, which only reaffirms former members’ decision to remain out of the service.
