Army Tries to Bring Back Soldiers Booted for Refusing the COVID Vaccine

[Vambram]

Army Tries to Bring Back Soldiers Booted for Refusing the COVID Vaccine.

Army Tries to Bring Back Soldiers Booted for Refusing the COVID Vaccine

This month, news broke that the Army has sent letters to many of the troops who were ousted due to their refusal to receive the COVID vaccine, which explains th

washingtonstand.com

In August of 2021, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the COVID vaccination shot a requirement for all U.S. servicemembers. President Joe Biden released a statement revealing his strong support before it went into effect. As a result, Politico reported that over “8,400 troops were kicked out of the military for refusing the vaccine.” About a year later, Biden signed a defense bill that repealed the vaccine mandate.

This month, news broke that the Army has sent letters to many of the troops who were ousted, which explains that soldiers can correct their records and reenter the service. The reversal has been met with tremendous backlash.

Retired Army Major Chase Spears wrote about the mistreatment servicemembers faced while the vaccine mandate was in effect. He shared, “The Army requires several immunizations and checkups throughout the year to maintain one’s medical readiness. Not one of those came with the coercive force of the COVID mandate. … It became the primary marker of human worth.” For Spears, the Army officials who heavily enforced the mandate seem to have no remorse for their actions. He added, “Hearkening back to biblical language, you were clean or unclean based on your shot status.”

Spears described the policy reversal as “a step toward sanity,” but concluded “it is far from enough.” “The question is whether those who made such un-American policy decisions can be trusted going forward.” He believes they cannot. Those affected by the military’s course of action have insisted this is a matter of trust and warn the military is about to get a wake-up call from the soldiers who no longer have confidence in the current leadership.

Many of the soldiers affected by the vaccine mandate were deprived of pay and benefits. According to Breitbart, retired attorney Dale Saran and attorneys Andy Meyer and Brandon Johnson are representing former troops who were kicked out “in three separate lawsuits they plan to turn into a class action lawsuit.” Saran estimated roughly “80,000 to 100,000 service members — both active-duty and reservists — who were impacted by the mandate.”

Mike Berry, vice president of External Affairs, director of Military Affairs, and senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, commented to The Washington Stand, “The only way an all-volunteer military works is with trust. But these past few years, the Pentagon has done nothing but shatter the trust of our servicemembers and veterans with lies, broken promises, and incompetence.” He explained that when First Liberty first “sued the Navy over its COVID vaccine mandate,” they warned them that the “unlawful manner in which the DOD was enforcing the mandate would result in a recruiting crisis.”

On Tuesday’s episode of “Washington Watch,” Berry unpacked the mandate’s rollback more. As far as he’s concerned, the problem with the letter is that it “doesn’t say anything about accountability.” He added, “It’s not about accomplishing the mission. And in this case, it’s not about protecting religious freedom, which is one of the things that our military exists to do.” He concluded, “They know what this is all about. This is all about just trying to save face, trying to make sure that on paper, our military is meeting its recruiting and retention numbers.”

Travis Weber, vice president for Policy and Government Affairs at Family Research Council and a Navy veteran, also commented to TWS, “The military never should have coerced its servicemembers to get the vaccine to begin with.” For Weber and all those witnessing the unfolding of the military’s actions, we “are dealing with the fallout as they try to woo back the thousands that they kicked out for refusing to violate their consciences and get the vaccine.”

Weber shared that it’s not surprising that servicemembers would be hesitant to return “to an institution that so easily thrust them aside in the face of public pressure” during COVID, which “the military bowed to along with much of the rest of society.” He concluded, “May this sad episode never be repeated, and may our nation’s military and civilian leadership be on guard to ensure they actually lead and not simply follow the blowing winds of public sentiment.”

 

[JustOneWay]

They knew what they were in for signing up. Soldiers are required to receive all vaccinations.

Service Members Must Be Vaccinated or Face Consequences, DOD Official Says​

Service Members Must Be Vaccinated or Face Consequences, DOD Official Says

Defense Department officials are making it excruciatingly clear that no matter the status, if you wear the cloth of the military, you must get vaccinated.

www.defense.gov

"It is a lawful order," Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said today. "It is a valid military requirement to get the vaccine. And it does apply, as we've said before, to members of the National Guard."

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

Army Tries to Bring Back Soldiers Booted for Refusing the COVID Vaccine.

Army Tries to Bring Back Soldiers Booted for Refusing the COVID Vaccine

This month, news broke that the Army has sent letters to many of the troops who were ousted due to their refusal to receive the COVID vaccine, which explains th

washingtonstand.com

In August of 2021, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the COVID vaccination shot a requirement for all U.S. servicemembers. President Joe Biden released a statement revealing his strong support before it went into effect. As a result, Politico reported that over “8,400 troops were kicked out of the military for refusing the vaccine.” About a year later, Biden signed a defense bill that repealed the vaccine mandate.

This month, news broke that the Army has sent letters to many of the troops who were ousted, which explains that soldiers can correct their records and reenter the service. The reversal has been met with tremendous backlash.

Retired Army Major Chase Spears wrote about the mistreatment servicemembers faced while the vaccine mandate was in effect. He shared, “The Army requires several immunizations and checkups throughout the year to maintain one’s medical readiness. Not one of those came with the coercive force of the COVID mandate. … It became the primary marker of human worth.” For Spears, the Army officials who heavily enforced the mandate seem to have no remorse for their actions. He added, “Hearkening back to biblical language, you were clean or unclean based on your shot status.”

Spears described the policy reversal as “a step toward sanity,” but concluded “it is far from enough.” “The question is whether those who made such un-American policy decisions can be trusted going forward.” He believes they cannot. Those affected by the military’s course of action have insisted this is a matter of trust and warn the military is about to get a wake-up call from the soldiers who no longer have confidence in the current leadership.

Many of the soldiers affected by the vaccine mandate were deprived of pay and benefits. According to Breitbart, retired attorney Dale Saran and attorneys Andy Meyer and Brandon Johnson are representing former troops who were kicked out “in three separate lawsuits they plan to turn into a class action lawsuit.” Saran estimated roughly “80,000 to 100,000 service members — both active-duty and reservists — who were impacted by the mandate.”

Mike Berry, vice president of External Affairs, director of Military Affairs, and senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, commented to The Washington Stand, “The only way an all-volunteer military works is with trust. But these past few years, the Pentagon has done nothing but shatter the trust of our servicemembers and veterans with lies, broken promises, and incompetence.” He explained that when First Liberty first “sued the Navy over its COVID vaccine mandate,” they warned them that the “unlawful manner in which the DOD was enforcing the mandate would result in a recruiting crisis.”

On Tuesday’s episode of “Washington Watch,” Berry unpacked the mandate’s rollback more. As far as he’s concerned, the problem with the letter is that it “doesn’t say anything about accountability.” He added, “It’s not about accomplishing the mission. And in this case, it’s not about protecting religious freedom, which is one of the things that our military exists to do.” He concluded, “They know what this is all about. This is all about just trying to save face, trying to make sure that on paper, our military is meeting its recruiting and retention numbers.”

Travis Weber, vice president for Policy and Government Affairs at Family Research Council and a Navy veteran, also commented to TWS, “The military never should have coerced its servicemembers to get the vaccine to begin with.” For Weber and all those witnessing the unfolding of the military’s actions, we “are dealing with the fallout as they try to woo back the thousands that they kicked out for refusing to violate their consciences and get the vaccine.”

Weber shared that it’s not surprising that servicemembers would be hesitant to return “to an institution that so easily thrust them aside in the face of public pressure” during COVID, which “the military bowed to along with much of the rest of society.” He concluded, “May this sad episode never be repeated, and may our nation’s military and civilian leadership be on guard to ensure they actually lead and not simply follow the blowing winds of public sentiment.”

What a debacle. At a time when Iran and others are attacking our soldiers, and China is not restrained.

Coercion to take a brand new drug with zero long term data was a new low point. Not to mention that everyone who already had it was immune, something only admitted this year, when everyone knew it almost 3 years ago, from the first responders, who contracted it, recovered, and went back to work. The only people ever at any serious risk were the elderly and those with multiple co-morbidities, and those people should have distanced, while everyone else went about his life.

Now we have ....this.

 

[NxNW]

Coercion to take a brand new drug with zero long term data was a new low point. Not to mention that everyone who already had it was immune, something only admitted this year, when everyone knew it almost 3 years ago, from the first responders, who contracted it, recovered, and went back to work. The only people ever at any serious risk were the elderly and those with multiple co-morbidities, and those people should have distanced, while everyone else went about his life.

Of course, none of the above is true.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Coercion to take a brand new drug with zero long term data was a new low point.

For the US military?

 

[NxNW]

I think the McCaffrey Massacre in the Gulf War is higher on the (too long) list of low points.

 

[probinson]

They knew what they were in for signing up. Soldiers are required to receive all vaccinations.

Service Members Must Be Vaccinated or Face Consequences, DOD Official Says​

Service Members Must Be Vaccinated or Face Consequences, DOD Official Says

Defense Department officials are making it excruciatingly clear that no matter the status, if you wear the cloth of the military, you must get vaccinated.

www.defense.gov

"It is a lawful order," Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said today. "It is a valid military requirement to get the vaccine. And it does apply, as we've said before, to members of the National Guard."

Except now with recruitment numbers so low, they have to eat crow and go back to these people that "faced the consequences" and ask them to consider coming back.

Oops.

Sounds like the military is facing the consequences of their ill-advised mandate.

 

[Mayzoo]

They knew what they were in for signing up. Soldiers are required to receive all vaccinations.

Service Members Must Be Vaccinated or Face Consequences, DOD Official Says​

Service Members Must Be Vaccinated or Face Consequences, DOD Official Says

Defense Department officials are making it excruciatingly clear that no matter the status, if you wear the cloth of the military, you must get vaccinated.

www.defense.gov

"It is a lawful order," Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said today. "It is a valid military requirement to get the vaccine. And it does apply, as we've said before, to members of the National Guard."

They never asked hubby if he "wanted" or was "willing" to accept any vaccines, and he was not even told what vaccines he received. Pretty much all he was told was roll up your sleeve. They may have told him if he put up a stink, but anyone in the military knows that is not the best course of action. He received so many (and several multiples), he has no idea how many they gave him at each episode.

 

[Vambram]

What a debacle. At a time when Iran and others are attacking our soldiers, and China is not restrained.

Coercion to take a brand new drug with zero long term data was a new low point. Not to mention that everyone who already had it was immune, something only admitted this year, when everyone knew it almost 3 years ago, from the first responders, who contracted it, recovered, and went back to work. The only people ever at any serious risk were the elderly and those with multiple co-morbidities, and those people should have distanced, while everyone else went about his life.

Now we have ....this.

I completely agree.

 

[SimplyMe]

They never asked hubby if he "wanted" or was "willing" to accept any vaccines, and he was not even told what vaccines he received. Pretty much all he was told was roll up your sleeve. They may have told him if he put up a stink, but anyone in the military knows that is not the best course of action. He received so many (and several multiples), he has no idea how many they gave him at each episode.

This. If you have ever been in the military you know this is true, including often getting "experimental" versions of vaccines so they can test them. I think they are now better at informing the military members of what vaccines they are getting (though not if they are experimental), it has never been an option to refuse a vaccine.

 

[Vambram]

This. If you have ever been in the military you know this is true, including often getting "experimental" versions of vaccines so they can test them. I think they are now better at informing the military members of what vaccines they are getting (though not if they are experimental), it has never been an option to refuse a vaccine.

I am not okay with the government forcing experimental vaccines on Servicemembers.

 

[Gene2memE]

US service member exemption rates from COVID-19 vaccinations were under 2% within 120 days of vaccine roll out.

US Navy vaccination rate was just over 99% at the start of 2023, US Army was 98.3% among active service members, while the Marines reported a 97.9% rate and the US Air Force a 97.4% rate. While there were plenty of medical and administrative exemptions granted, "religious" exemptions were generally not approved. Something like 1 in 1100 applications for religious exemption were granted prior to the roll back of the mandate.

If you're worried about Iran and China and US military readiness, think about the risk of COVID-19 (or any other communicable disease) running wild in soldiers barracks, ships and military installations.

Also, both of those countries mandated COVID-19 vaccines for their armed forces. And, China did use it's own military personnel as guinea pigs for experimental vaccines.

 

[probinson]

If you're worried about Iran and China and US military readiness, think about the risk of COVID-19 (or any other communicable disease) running wild in soldiers barracks, ships and military installations.

This logic baffles me. That people would rather have soldiers expelled for refusing a vaccine that is known to not prevent infection and disease transmission when enrollment numbers are already at historic lows and then to say it is because they are concerned about "military readiness" is mind-boggling.

With or without COVID vaccines, COVID-19 was going to be "running wild" in soldiers barracks, and they knew this. But you know what else affects military readiness? Not having enough soldiers because you instituted an ill-advised vaccine mandate that reduced your already sparse ranks even further. And now the military is going back to that small percentage that refused the vaccine and asking them to come back because they're so short-handed. I have no idea why anyone would take them up on that offer. After the military tossed aside dedicated soldiers for refusing a novel vaccine, why in the world would any of them go back?

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

Of course, none of the above is true.

In reality, every single word I stated is true.

Perhaps you missed it: Past Covid infection as protective as vaccination against severe illness and death, study finds

"Immunity-acquired from a Covid infection provides strong, lasting protection against the most severe outcomes of the illness, according to research published Thursday in The Lancet — protection, experts say, that’s on par with what’s provided through two doses of an mRNA vaccine."

We knew it, of course, as everyone we knew who had the virus was immune. They weren't getting sick repeatedly....unless they took unwise advice.

 

[Tuur]

How was mandatory COVID-19 vaccination any different than mandatory anthrax vaccinations after 9/11? Were the COVID-19 vaccines experimental, available only through emergency approval? Yep. Did healthy young people have a lower mortality rate than older people and those with some preexisting medical conditions? Yep. Both are beside the point: a military can mandate pretty much what it pleases to its members. Just ask any recruit to had to have wisdom teeth extracted. When I first heard about troops refusing to take the vaccine, I thought "They can refuse a vaccine in the military now?" It didn't match family's stories of military service.

 

[probinson]

Both are beside the point: a military can mandate pretty much what it pleases to its members.

True enough. That's probably the reason enlistment numbers are at historic lows.

 

[RestoreTheJoy]

How was mandatory COVID-19 vaccination any different than mandatory anthrax vaccinations after 9/11? Were the COVID-19 vaccines experimental, available only through emergency approval? Yep. Did healthy young people have a lower mortality rate than older people and those with some preexisting medical conditions? Yep. Both are beside the point: a military can mandate pretty much what it pleases to its members. Just ask any recruit to had to have wisdom teeth extracted. When I first heard about troops refusing to take the vaccine, I thought "They can refuse a vaccine in the military now?" It didn't match family's stories of military service.

Well, it's different because not only has it has been in use for 30+ years - unlike this brand new EUA experimental mrna jab- it is no longer mandatory, except for the very highest risk.

We still have no long term data on the current still EUA vaccine- it remains EUA to protect pharma from liability, something that should never ever happen. If you will not stand behind your product you've assured everyone repeatedly is "safe and effective", no one should be forced to take it.

They also treated the Anthrax refusers badly:
"During the first eight years that the Pentagon ran the anthrax vaccination program, hundreds of troops refused the vaccine due to perceived health risks or religious concerns — and many of them paid dearly for that decision.

The penalties ranged widely. Some kept on working, others received nonjudicial punishment, lost rank and pay, saw their careers ended or even faced brig time and dishonorable discharges." (Different standards, again).

"Years ago, official Pentagon statements indicated that an estimated 350 servicemembers had refused the vaccine between 1998 to 2000. At least three dozen of them were court-martialed and hundreds left the service to avoid the vaccine, according to Pentagon statements in 2005. Also, at least another 149 troops were forced out of the service for vaccine refusal from 2000 to 2004. Those numbers did not include troops who refused but were allowed to leave the service without punishment or simply allowed to not receive the shot and suffered no repercussions".

Veterans have sought records corrections through their respective boards from the early 2000s through at least the early 2010s, according to court records. Once those were denied, some of those veterans then appealed to the federal civil courts.

In 2004, a court injunction halted the military’s mandatory vaccination program, declaring the previous six years of vaccine administration to be illegal.

Anthrax in humans is so rare that fewer than 10 cases are reported in the United States each year.

"Most people who receive the anthrax vaccine do not experience any serious side effects. However, in rare cases, people have reported severe reactions.

As a result, several lawsuitsTrusted were filed against the government over side effects allegedly caused by the anthrax vaccine."

Troops who refused anthrax vaccine paid a high price

An unknown fraction of service members who were punished for refusing the anthrax vaccine in the late 1990s and early 2000s have sought to have their records corrected, but only a few have had success.

www.militarytimes.com

 

[DaisyDay]

What a debacle. At a time when Iran and others are attacking our soldiers, and China is not restrained.

Coercion to take a brand new drug with zero long term data was a new low point. Not to mention that everyone who already had it was immune, something only admitted this year, when everyone knew it almost 3 years ago, from the first responders, who contracted it, recovered, and went back to work. The only people ever at any serious risk were the elderly and those with multiple co-morbidities, and those people should have distanced, while everyone else went about his life.

Now we have ....this.

U.S. law enforcement deaths 1786-2023, by cause | Statista

Since the 1780s, over 25,000 United States law enforcement officers have died while on active duty, or due to injuries and illnesses obtained while on duty.

www.statista.com

The red line starting at 2020 represents covid deaths. I don't think you understand how bad it was.

 

[probinson]

U.S. law enforcement deaths 1786-2023, by cause | Statista

Since the 1780s, over 25,000 United States law enforcement officers have died while on active duty, or due to injuries and illnesses obtained while on duty.

www.statista.com

The red line starting at 2020 represents covid deaths. I don't think you understand how bad it was.


View attachment 340091

I don't have a Statista account so I can't see the source data, but those COVID-19 data points seems entirely out of whack. The chart shows 284 COVID deaths in 2020, 493 COVID deaths in 2021 (when there was a vaccine and mandates), and just 2 COVID-19 deaths in 2023. Those are some wild swings that merit further scrutiny.

Can anyone post the original source of this data?

 

[KCfromNC]

This logic baffles me. That people would rather have soldiers expelled for refusing a vaccine that is known to not prevent infection and disease transmission

Nothing is 100% effective, but covid vaccines do reduce the spread of the disease :

Vaccine effectiveness against transmission of alpha, delta and omicron SARS-COV-2-infection, Belgian contact tracing, 2021–2022

Vaccine effectiveness against transmission (VET) of SARS-CoV-2-infection can be estimated from secondary attack rates observed during contact tracing. We estimated VET, the vaccine-effect on infectiousness of the index case and susceptibility of the high-risk ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections and reinfections during the Omicron wave - Nature Medicine

Analysis of data from California prisons shows that both COVID-19 vaccination and prior SARS-CoV-2 infection reduces the risk of virus transmission to close contacts.

www.nature.com

Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccination on Transmission: A Systematic Review

Vaccination against infectious disease affords direct protection from vaccine-induced immunity and additional indirect protection for unvaccinated persons. A systematic review was conducted to estimate the indirect effect of COVID-19 vaccination. From PubMed and Embase, 31 studies were included...

www.mdpi.com

And so on, and so forth.