Military Members Discharged For Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine Speak Out

Forward of the vote on the Nationwide Protection Authorization Act, army members who had been discharged for refusing to get vaccinated are talking out about their struggles since asking the army to honor their non secular objections to the mandate.

Lawmakers will vote Thursday on the 2023 NDAA, through which Republicans had been in a position to embody a provision that halts the Division of Protection from forcing service members to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

They may also vote on Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz’s and Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson’s modification that will reinstate and supply backpay to army members discharged for refusing the vaccine.

Many service members have objected to getting the vaccine on non secular grounds and have requested non secular exemptions to the vaccine: 9,068 members of the Army, 4,187 members of the Navy, 1,350 members of the Coast Guard, 3,740 members of the Marines, and 11,000 members of the Air Pressure requested non secular exemptions, The Day by day Sign has discovered.

The army granted only a few of those exemption requests: 123 to members of the Military, 51 to members of the Navy, 12 to members of the Coast Guard, 23 to members of Marines, and 200 to members of the Air Pressure.

In whole, 8,424 army members have been discharged, the Division of Protection confirmed to The Day by day Sign on Thursday: 1,841 within the Military, 3,717 within the Marines, 1,631 energetic within the Navy and 401 within the Navy Reserve, and 834 within the Air Pressure.

The Coast Guard, which falls below the Division of Homeland Safety, confirmed to The Day by day Sign that it has discharged 273 members.

These numbers have sparked heavy issues concerning the army’s readiness and the service members’ conscience rights, although others insist that the army has the proper to mandate vaccinations and {that a} service member’s refusal to comply with orders ought to lead to punishment.

Many alternative service members shared the hardships they’ve endured since requesting non secular exemptions or being discharged in testimony despatched to Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee.

Former Coast Guard service member Brett Schmitt stated he was “crushed” when he was discharged on September 5, 2022, after serving his nation for over 11 years. Schmitt, who requested a non secular exemption, believes faith trumps “authorities impingement” on his rights and that the vaccines can not legally be mandated.

Now Schmitt’s household is financially in “a nasty method,” he stated — and “the federal government is making an attempt to interrupt us much more.”

“Within the ensuing months my spouse and I welcomed child #6 to our household, born per week and a half after discharge, and we’ve but to recuperate financially from the break,” Schmitt shared. “We’re desperately poor at the moment and the federal government is making an attempt to recoup 4 years and three months of bonus (SRB) totaling over $13K after taking my closing paycheck and go away days to recoup much more.”

Logan Pittman, who served in america Navy, additionally shared with Lee that he refused to adjust to the army vaccine mandate and was formally separated on March 15, 2022, after requesting a non secular exemption instantly when he discovered concerning the mandate on August 28, 2021.

Pittman stated he left for deployment within the first week of October, throughout which period he obtained a denial of his exemption request, and was despatched house from his deployment on March 12, 2022, from Okinawa, Japan to complete his separation at Naval Air Station Jacksonville.

“Nobody needed to maintain a gun to my head for me to lift my proper hand to ‘Swear to guard these in opposition to enemies international and home…’ however after all I did it voluntarily,” he added. “For me to not get to meet that oath, won’t ever sit proper with me. It’s an unlucky chain of occasions, however who is aware of…. Possibly there’s nonetheless hope to make issues proper.”

A feminine service member who spoke with the Day by day Sign anonymously to guard her privateness stated she was discharged from the Coast Guard in November 2022 after 2 years and 10 months of service for refusing to get vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19.

“My bonus is being recouped on account of my discharge,” she stated in testimony shared with Lee’s workplace. “I sought non secular exemption in September 2021 across the time that the vaccine was mandated for us. My exemption was denied in January 2022.”

“I used to be deemed not match to sail for deployment in Feb-March of 2022,” she continued. “Later I used to be in a position to deploy once more for a lot of the summer time however was finally separated this November.”

The previous Coast Guard member stated she was pressured to isolate and given a “plethora of detrimental paperwork” all through 2021 and 2022, “uncared for and mistreated by my unit all through these quarantines and handled lower than in numerous conditions.”

As a result of she had refused to get vaccinated, she stated, she was denied medical therapy at her base medical facility, pressured to remain in “unsanitary quarters for isolation,” and sometimes denied meals when in isolation.

Air Pressure member Brian Saunders additionally objected to the vaccine on non secular grounds. He shared with The Day by day Sign that his non secular lodging was stalled for 12 months as he and his pregnant spouse grappled with uncertainties about their future — finally selecting to start their child at house resulting from fears about hospital vaccination necessities and masking.

Saunders stated he was barred from promotion to the rank of Captain and compelled to promote his house and transfer into his dad and mom’ home with no earnings from the Air Pressure whereas nonetheless awaiting discharge.  

“In abstract, we’re nonetheless being held hostage by the Air Pressure almost 2 years after I submitted my non secular lodging,” Saunders shared with Lee. “The overall monetary burden ensuing from our non secular lodging thus far is roughly $40,000.  That is devastating for our younger household, particularly since I can also lose my new job as a deputy as a result of Air Pressure’s failure to discharge me in a well timed method.”

“There’s one phrase that sums up what has been perpetrated in opposition to the great women and men who merely reserved their rights afforded to them by the Structure,” he informed The Day by day Sign. “Betrayal.”

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, in a now viral tweet, additionally known as on service members who had been discharged over their vaccine refusal to share their tales. The senator has been each day sharing these tales to attract consideration to the plight of the service members.

One active-duty Marine, Lieutenant Colonel Scott Duncan, shared in testimony with Paul that his request for a non secular exemption was denied twice. Duncan says he’s the daddy of six youngsters and he’s only some months away from retirement after serving within the army for nearly 20 years.

Earlier than the mandate, Duncan shared, he was slated to take command of an F-35B squadron. The Marine says he’s nonetheless on energetic obligation however unable to retire since america Marine Corps has positioned all officer’s careers on “maintain” as a result of preliminary injunction.

David Hamski, a former U.S. Military Captain and Airborne Firm Commander who served within the army for 9 years, shared with the senator that he was separated for refusing the vaccine and refusing to order his paratroopers to get vaccinated (Hamski additionally found he had a coronary heart situation after contracting COVID-19).

“I endured quite a few makes an attempt of coercion from my senior chain of command, together with a Main grabbing my shoulders, bodily shaking me and saying, ‘Simply get the shot! Don’t inform your spouse. This isn’t the hill to die on,’” Hamski shared.

He stated he was faraway from firm command on September 10, 2021, ordered to not work together along with his paratroopers, and finally separated from the Military in July 2022.

Many of those members stay hopeful that lawmakers will take steps to rectify their conditions — to not solely halt the mandate, however to get them reinstated, and with backpay.

“The Division of Protection COVID-19 vaccine mandate has ruined the livelihoods of women and men who’ve honorably served our nation,” senators wrote in November. “Whereas the Division of Protection definitely should make choices that can bolster army readiness, the results of the mandate are antithetical to readiness of our pressure, and the coverage have to be revoked.”

“The USA merely can not afford to discharge our courageous women and men in uniform and lose the investments we’ve made into each one in every of them due to a clumsy bureaucratic coverage,” they added. “We respectfully request that the Senate vote to treatment a coverage that adversely impacts our service members and our nationwide safety.”

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