Army To Begin Forcing Out Soldiers Who Refuse To Get Jab

The U.S. Army is preparing to start banning soldiers who refuse to get COVID-19 shots from being promoted and even from reenlisting. Unvaccinated soldiers will also be barred from “favorable personnel actions.”

CNN reported that Army Secretary Christine Wormuth sent out a memo earlier this week saying that soldiers who refuse the vaccine would be “flagged,” which will prevent them from “reenlistment, reassignment, promotion, appearance before a semi-centralized promotion board, issuance of awards and decorations” as well as from other things.

This comes a month after the Navy and the Marine Corps issued similar guidance that opened the door for service members who refuse to receive a shot to be discharged.

December 15 is the Army’s deadline for all active-duty military members to get a Covid shot, while National Guard soldiers have until June 30, 2020 to get the jab. However, soldiers, including in the Guard and the Reserve, can be flagged for refusing to get the shot before this deadline.

“The Soldier will remain flagged until they are fully vaccinated, receive an approved medical or administrative exemption, or are separated from the Army,” Wormuth wrote.

Soldiers will reportedly be flagged on the date that they make the “final declination” to be immunized after meeting with a medical professional and receiving a second order from a commander to get the shot. Once flagged, a soldier will be ineligible for tuition assistance, attending military or civilian schools, and being paid their enlistment bonuses.

While the Air Force has yet to issue this type of guidance, Secretary Frank Kendall made it clear yesterday that airmen who refuse the vaccine will be discharged.

“The bottom line is that willfully disobeying a lawful order is incompatible with military service and to get a vaccination is a lawful order,” Kendall said when asked about vaccine mandates during an event.

Last month, the Navy was the first to say that it would pursue discharge for any sailors who refuse the jab without a pending or approved exemption.

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“Commands shall not allow Sailors refusing the vaccine to promote or advance, reenlist, or execute orders with the exception of separation orders,” the Navy said in a statement. The Marine Corps. followed shortly thereafter with a similar statement.

“A Marine who has not yet been fully vaccinated is not considered worldwide deployable and shall be assigned or reassigned, locally, to billets which account for health risks to the unvaccinated marine and those working in proximity to the Marine,” the Marines said.

Many would argue that forcing the brave men and women putting their lives on the line for our country every day to get the jab is taking things way too far.