Vaccine holdouts in Navy, Marines hit 19,000 as deadline passes to comply with mandate

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

As many as 19,000 active-duty Marines and Navy sailors chose not to get vaccinated against the coronavirus by their shared Nov. 28 deadline, a dilemma for military leaders who have threatened to expel personnel refusing to comply with the Biden administration’s mandate.

In both services, the number of holdouts is around 9,500, according to official counts. And while the Marines’ margin of 5 percent unvaccinated had been anticipated, it was an unexpected outcome for the Navy, which in announcing its final tally this week acknowledged that officials had uncovered last-minute “discrepancies” with its data-tracking system that revealed a larger pool of unvaccinated sailors than had been projected. As recently as last week, official data showed that 99.8 percent of sailors had at least one shot by last Sunday’s deadline. The true number is just over 97 percent.

These personnel now join more than 8,000 in the Air Force who declined to get vaccinated. In all three services, many are awaiting decisions on exemption requests, though officials have emphasized the number of permanent waivers granted was likely to be nominal. Army data shows four percent of its active force — about 19,000 soldiers — have not received any vaccine dose, with the compliance deadline of Dec. 15 now less than two weeks away.

While, overall, the vast majority of service members have complied with the Pentagon’s vaccination mandate, even a few percent of the military’s 2.1 million troops translates to tens of thousands of people. Officials have said that those who are unvaccinated are not deployable, underscoring the challenge ahead not only for unit-level commanders facing workforce challenges, but for senior officials in Washington and beyond responsible for setting the U.S. military’s priorities and maintaining an adequate presence across the world.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/vaccine-holdouts-in-navy-marines-hit-19000-as-deadline-passes-to-comply-with-mandate/ar-AARq8Z2

[Bettie]

1. OK, I thought that in the military the idea was that

people are supposed to follow orders...apparently, this is no longer a thing?

They are now allowed to follow orders if they want to? Does this mean that they can refuse other vaccines because they don't want to have them?

[grumpyduck]

2. Well, there are repercussions.

Article 15s, for one. And up from there.

[BlueJac]

3. Termination should be what is next!

You follow orders not go against them. All for one, one for all! Military people don't choose the battles they fight!

[lame54]

8. KP duty and NO access to guns

[Freddie]

4. We need to cut the military budget

Fewer soldiers and sailors would be a good start.

[Hekate]

5. Bye, guys. Don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

I am quite sure there are repercussions coming.

[NCjack]

6. It will be interesting to see the Pentagon dump the refuseniks.

[JT45242]

7. Pretty simple remedy

Dishonorable discharge. Forfeiture of all post military benefits. No VA, no pension, no GI bill money for college, etc.

I doubt military prisons could fit them all. But would love to see them rot in a cell until their current contracts expire. Walk out if prison with a dishonorable discharge.

They weren't drafted. So, screw them all.

[Delphinus]

10. I think it has

to be this.

[crickets]

9. Bye bye! nt

[BlueIdaho]

11. Dishonorable discharges are in order.

I’m betting these clowns have their “I Love Trump” underwear on most days. The nation would be better off if they were pulling lumber on a green chain rather than having access to lethal military weapons.

[struggle4progress]

12. List of vaccines mandated by the US military

BY KHALEDA RAHMAN ON 10/21/21 AT 12:10 PM EDT

... These are the mandatory vaccinations that all service members are required to receive before initial entry or basic training:

Adenovirus
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Influenza
Measles, mumps, rubella
Meningococcal
Poliovirus
Tetanus-Diphtheria
Varicella

Other vaccines administered depending on risk and occupation:

Anthrax
Haemophilus influenzae type B
Japanese encephalitis
Pneumococcal
Rabies
Smallpox
Typhoid fever
Yellow fever

Service members can request to opt out of a mandatory vaccination on health, administrative or religious grounds. These exemptions can be temporary or permanent ...

https://www.newsweek.com/list-vaccines-mandated-us-military-covid-1641228

[Rhiannon12866]

15. Vaccines have always been mandatory both to enter school and certainly for our military

The only difference for this one - which is essential to curb a once-in-a-lifetime lethal global pandemic - is Trump.

[dsc]

13. I am old enough to remember when we cashiered a huge percentage of our Arabic translators

while we were at war with Iraq, due to them being gay. I fail to see why, if we were able to recover from that, we shouldn't be able to recover from losing those people.

[Jacson6]

14. Shrug! We can find replacements for them easily.