US Army slashes pay for 60,000 soldiers who refuse to be stung while Biden cracks down on the unvaccinated
- Around 40,000 National Guard soldiers and 22,000 reservists are still unvaccinated
- The deadline for vaccination of all guards was June 30th
- They are no longer allowed to participate in government-funded exercises
- 13 percent of the guards and 12 percent of the reservists have still not been shot
- There were 30,000 requests for religious and medical exemptions from the requirement, but none were granted
- The announcement comes as most “weekend warriors” gear up for summer drills
More than 60,000 unvaccinated Army National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers will be suspended from performing their military duties and have their salaries and benefits cut because they refuse to get their shots, officials said Friday.
“Soldiers who refuse the vaccination order without an approved or pending exemption request will face adverse administrative action, including flags, bans from service and official reprimands,” the army said in a statement.
There are about 40,000 National Guard soldiers and 22,000 Reserve soldiers who have not been vaccinated.
Maryland Army National Guards line up to fill out their medical records for vaccination
New York National Guard soldiers shown here administering and receiving a Covid-19 vaccination
The announcement to bar unvaccinated soldiers from drills comes as most Guardsmen and reservists prepare to take part in summer drills
The announcement comes as many of the so-called “weekend warriors” would be taking time off to conduct their mandatory two-week training drills for their units.
The military branch has upped the ante for anti-vaccination soldiers, promising to go one step further and fire their personnel if they continue to resist vaccination.
“In the future, soldiers who continue to refuse the vaccination order without exception may face additional adverse administrative measures, including segregation,” an Army official said.
Across the military, Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps have fired up to 4,000 active duty personnel for refusing the vaccine
The ultimatum comes a week after the June 30 deadline set by the Army National Guard for all their soldiers to receive their jabs.
As of the beginning of the month, 13 percent of the guards and 12 percent of the reservists are still unvaccinated.
“We will give every soldier every opportunity to get vaccinated and continue their military career,” Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, director of the Army Guard, told Military.com. “We don’t give up on anyone until the separation paperwork is signed and completed.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has drawn a hard line on vaccinating soldiers
The hard line taken by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on unvaccinated soldiers could backfire on the military branch.
The Army recently announced they would no longer need a high school diploma to enlist as they fell 60 percent short of their recruiting targets.
There have been 30,000 requests for medical and religious exemptions from Guardsmen and Reservists, but the Department of Defense has not approved any of them.
Soldiers must be vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella and nearly a dozen other diseases.
Although Guardsmen serve under state authority and are accountable to their respective governors, the federal government funds much of military service and under DOD restrictions, unvaccinated soldiers are not allowed to participate.
Republican governors from Wyoming, Alaska, Iowa, Mississippi and Nebraska asked the military in late 2021 to exempt their soldiers from vaccination, but the DOD declined.
1,148 active duty soldiers were fired for refusing to vaccinate.