Army Begins Discharging Vaccine Refusers

Feb. 2, 2022

The U.S. Army introduced Wednesday that it has began discharging troopers who don’t adjust to its COVID-19 vaccination coverage.

“Army readiness depends on soldiers who are prepared to train, deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars,” Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth mentioned in a information launch.

“Unvaccinated Soldiers present risk to the force and jeopardize readiness. We will begin involuntary separation proceedings for soldiers who refuse the vaccine order and are not pending a final decision on an exemption.”

The announcement is a crucial step within the navy’s marketing campaign in opposition to COVID-19 as a result of the Army is the most important department and the final to start vaccine discharges.

Soldiers who request an exemption could have seven days after denial of the request to start the COVID routine or file an attraction. The order covers Regular Army troopers, reserve-component troopers serving on Title 10 active-duty, and cadets.

As of Jan. 26, the Army had relieved six Army leaders, together with two battalion commanders, and issued about 3,000 written reprimands to troopers who refused the vaccine, however had not initiated involuntary separation motion in opposition to any soldier, the Army mentioned in a separate information launch.

The Army mentioned 96% of the common Army and 79% of Army reserves have been absolutely vaccinated. Six medical exemptions and no non secular exemptions had been granted as of Jan. 26.

The Navy introduced final week that it had discharged 23 active-duty sailors for refusing to get vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19. The Marine Corps has discharged 335 Marines, whereas the Air Force has discharged 111 airmen.

Discharged troopers will face monetary repercussions. They received’t be eligible for involuntary separation pay and “may be subject to recoupment of any unearned special or incentive pays,” the Army mentioned. However, troopers who full separation or retirement earlier than July 1, 2022, might be granted a short lived exemption.

President Biden introduced in August that he was mandating the COVID vaccine for the navy.