Pentagon Drops COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate for Military Personnel
The Pentagon officially rescinded its COVID-19 vaccination requirement for military personnel on Tuesday, stating that troops no longer need the vaccine to enlist or serve. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin however, maintained in a memo obtained by AP, that commanders still have the ability to determine whether or not troops will be eligible for deployment based upon vaccination status.
The Pentagon was forced to drop the vaccine mandate after Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2023, after numerous elected representatives fought to end the COVID-19 tyranny which caused more than 8,000 military personnel to lose their jobs and nearly 60,000 who lost pay or benefits.
The CDC released guidelines in August of 2022, which focused on “individual decisions,” recommended the same guidance for vaccinated people as unvaccinated people, and essentially alleviated any concern that the virus was as deadly and dangerous as initially advertised.
Despite this, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was “unapologetic,” according to the AP. In his memo, Austin stated that the mandate “will 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.” Critics do not see lives saved, only livelihoods lost as a result of the mandate.
“In addition to ending efforts to discharge troops who refuse the vaccine, Austin’s memo says that those who sought exemptions and were denied will have their records updated and any letters of reprimand will be removed.”
AP News
“Austin’s memo says that anyone who was discharged can petition their military service to request a change in the ‘characterization of their discharge’ in their personnel records. It does not, however, say what possible corrections could be awarded.”
The memo only applies to the COVID-19 vaccine, and stipulates that all other required vaccines are still mandated for military personnel.
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.
Thousands of military members who dedicated years of their lives to serve their country were either backed into a corner, coerced to comply or risk losing their pay, home, or benefits, which include health insurance, funds for college or other forms of education, and more.
Members of Congress hope that the mandate’s revocation will raise recruitment numbers, which have fallen to abysmal levels in recent years — which doesn’t come as a surprise.
It has not yet been determined whether or not discharged service members will be eligible for reinstatement, but many Americans will continue to fight to correct the horrible transgression waged against U.S. military members.
