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WASHINGTON (AP) – With deadlines running out for military and defense civilians to receive mandatory COVID-19 vaccines, senior executives must now grapple with the fate of those who flatly refuse the shots or request exemptions, and how they do so can ensure that they are treated fairly and equally.
The vast majority of the active military have received at least one shot, but tens of thousands have not. For some, it can be a retirement decision. Others could face transfers, travel restrictions, wagering restrictions, and bonus repayment requirements.
Exceptional decisions for medical, religious and administrative reasons are made by unit commanders around the world, which, according to the Pentagon, will be “on a case-by-case basis.” This poses an annoying problem for military leaders who are pushing a vaccine mandate seen as critical to maintaining a healthy force but want to avoid an arbitrary, inconsistent approach with those who refuse.
Brig. General Darrin Cox, surgeon general with Army Forces Command, said commanders wanted to make sure they were following the rules.
“Because of some of the sensitivities of this particular vaccine, I think we were just trying to make sure we were consistent and fair” when imposing a punishment that would be “a consequence of continued rejection of a valid order.”
Military vaccination rates are higher than the general population in the United States, and the grounds for objections – often based on misinformation – are similar to those across the country. But unlike most civilians, military personnel must routinely receive up to 17 vaccines and face penalties if they refuse.
The military reports that between 1% and 7% remain unvaccinated. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has called for sympathy in dealing with these troops, which number close to 60,000 active duty according to data last week. Officials say the numbers change daily and include those who may have received or requested an exemption. They refused to say how many troops are still applying for an exemption, or they refused the vaccine.
When asked about possible variations in treatment for those requesting exemptions or refusing the vaccine, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said it was up to the services. “Each case is treated specifically and individually as it should be,” he said.
Kirby said Monday the secretary does not want to tell commanders how to resolve the punitive measures and instead trusts that they will do what is best for their units.
“So can we promise you that there will be absolute uniformity in all areas? No. And we don’t want to promise that either, because that’s how we don’t deal with violations of regulations when it comes to other offenses, ”says Kirby.
It is unclear to what extent religious exemptions are granted. Under military rules, commanders can consider the potential impact on a unit’s mission and refuse a religious exception if it jeopardizes performance.
Commanders can also transfer service members to another job, deny them overseas deployment, or restrict access to units if they receive an exception or while a request is being examined. These steps may be more common with smaller units such as special forces, which are typically deployed in small numbers.
The Navy has warned that Sailors who refuse to shoot and are not given a waiver may be required to reimburse bonuses and other financial payments based on existing military justice procedures for failing to comply with a lawful order. The other services are expected to follow similar procedures.
Unvaccinated troops will also undergo routine testing, distance guidelines, and possibly travel restrictions.
The Air Force can be the test case in some cases because it is the first to meet a deadline. The more than 335,000 Airmen and Guards of the Space Force must be fully vaccinated by Tuesday, the Air Guard and the Reserve by December 2nd. According to the Air Force, as of the end of last week, 12,000 active Airmen and Guards were still unvaccinated. Some have requested or received exceptions, others have refused completely. You have until Monday to request exceptions.
Air Force Col. Robert Corby, commander of the 28th Medical Group at Ellsworth Air Force Base, said the base hospital vaccination schedule doubled after the vaccine became mandatory in late August. He said the troops had a number of questions and concerns, and commanders, chaplains and medical personnel would provide information.
“I think you also have a segment of the population that probably doesn’t really feel at risk for COVID-19,” he added.
Air Force Capt. Molly Lawlor, chaplain of the 28th Bomb Wing, said a “very small percentage” are seeking religious exception at the base. “People are just trying to figure out how this new requirement fits into their belief system and the decisions they want to make,” she said.
The Defense Department’s more than 765,000 civilians will stand close behind the Air Force, with a mandatory vaccination date of November 22nd. Managers are struggling with the complex task of checking and recording the vaccination status of their workers and determining who will be last. Release of arbitrator.
Civilians have until November 8 to apply for a waiver, and by last week less than half had presented proof of vaccination. Anyone who rejects the vaccine and does not receive an exemption will receive five days of advice. If they still refuse, they will be suspended for up to 14 days without pay and could then be released.
Vaccination rates fluctuate among the military, while the National Guard and Reserve have a significant drop in vaccination rates.
Just over half of the Army National Guard got at least one shot, while the Air Guard scores 87%. Air Guard members must be fully vaccinated by early December, while the Army Guard, which is much larger and scattered across the country, has until June.
The most successful service has been the Navy, which says that as of last week only 1% of the armed forces are unvaccinated – or about 3,500 sailors. In second place were the Air Force and Space Force with 3.6% unvaccinated, followed by the Army and the Marine Corps with about 7%.
Admiral Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, told The Associated Press that some warships were recording vaccination rates of 98% to 99% before the gunshots were ordered.
“We feel like we are leaders in the services,” he said. “We’ve been promoting the vaccines since we started vaccinating last December, in the January period.” For those who do not want the vaccine, “we will address these challenges individually,” he said.
Marine Col. Speros Koumparakis, commandant of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, said the number of Marines who have requested exemptions from the base is less than two dozen, and most of them are demanding religious exemptions.
He said that chaplains and pastors have been made available to discuss the religious issues and he is doing the initial review of every request. But ultimately, decisions can be made by personnel managers at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
The nearly 350,000 Marines and 179,000 Marines must be fully vaccinated by November 28th and the reserves by December 28th. The Army, the military’s largest service at nearly 490,000, had given active duty soldiers by December 15 to be fully vaccinated. The Army National Guard and Reserve have until June 30, 2022. In total there are almost 800,000 guards and reserve soldiers, of which more than 520,000 are in the army.
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