The armed forces in the United States have already begun to apply disciplinary measures and casualties against soldiers who have refused to receive vaccines against the coronavirus. There are up to 20,000 soldiers at risk of being killed.
On Thursday, the Marine Corps reported that it has discharged 103 soldiers so far for refusing to receive the vaccine and the Army has reprimanded 2,700 and will begin the process of discharging them in January. The Air Force said this week that 27 of its members were discharged for failing to comply with the vaccination mandate. And the Navy detailed its new disciplinary procedure this week and has already relieved a sailor from his command post for refusing to submit to a test while requesting an exemption.
The military command has warned for months that soldiers would face consequences if they did not obey what is considered a legitimate order to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but only in the last week have they begun to carry out the threats.
It was not clear how many could be discharged, but according to the armed forces, at least 30,000 of their troops had not yet been vaccinated, although several thousand of them have temporarily or permanently approved medical or administrative exemptions. Of the rest – most likely 20,000 or more – thousands are in the waiver process or have refused to get vaccinated. That represents about 1.5% of the 1.3 million soldiers on active duty.
The figures reflect a calculated risk – that the number of soldiers who would be removed from service for refusing to be vaccinated poses less of a threat than the prospect of uncontrolled spread of the virus among troops.
More than 12,000 have applied for religious exemptions. And some 4,800 Army and Air Force personnel have stubbornly refused to be vaccinated, without requesting an exemption. The Navy and Marine Corps have not released the figures for those who have refused.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s main goal is to get as many soldiers as possible vaccinated.
“What he would say to those individuals if he had the opportunity to speak to them directly is get vaccinated, if they are medically eligible,” Kirby said. “Get vaccinated because it is the best way to protect yourself and your units. That is the concern, raising the vaccination rate as close to 100% as possible ”.
The Army is the last force to meet the deadline to require its soldiers to be vaccinated. On Thursday, the army said that 98% of its active duty soldiers had received at least one dose, but that more than 3,800 flatly refused to be vaccinated and could be discharged starting next month.
The Marines said 95% of their force had received at least one dose by Thursday. About 97.5% of the Air Force and Space Force have received at least one dose and more than 1,000 soldiers have refused. And 98.4% of the Navy is fully vaccinated. The Navy did not release the numbers for those with a single dose.
Asked about the impact on military readiness if soldiers continue to refuse vaccines are discharged, Kirby said soldiers still have time to do the appropriate thing. “Obviously we hope they will,” he said. “But if not, it is a legitimate order and it has to be obeyed because it is a valid medical requirement.”
Although each branch has developed its own process, they all follow existing rules for when a soldier disobeys a legitimate order. Being expelled from the military for refusing to be vaccinated has been rare, but soldiers can be discharged for disobeying orders.
According to data released on Thursday, the Army, the largest of the military services, reported the lowest number of troops requesting religious exemptions – just over 1,700 soldiers – compared to the other branches. More than 4,700 soldiers in the Air Force, 3,100 in the Marines and 2,700 in the Navy requested religious exemptions, according to data released by those services in the last week. None have been approved yet.
The Pentagon this year made coronavirus vaccination mandatory for all its members, including the National Guard and Reserve. Austin has repeatedly said that getting vaccinated is crucial to maintaining a healthy force ready to defend the nation. The Pentagon also made booster doses mandatory.
The 478,000 active Army soldiers had until Wednesday to get vaccinated. The Air Force required vaccinations for its active duty members by November 2, while the Navy and Marines have until June 2022.
“Vaccinating our soldiers against COVID-19 is primarily focused on Army readiness,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said in a statement. “To those who continue to reject the vaccine and are not awaiting a decision on a medical or administrative exemption, I call on you to get vaccinated. Otherwise, we will start the involuntary withdrawal processes ”.
In addition to the more than 2,700 army soldiers who received written reprimands for refusing to be vaccinated, six were relieved of command positions. West Point Military Academy cadets who refuse to be vaccinated and do not receive an exemption will not receive an officer rank.
The army said more than 6,200 soldiers have applied for temporary or permanent exemptions, including 1,746 for religious reasons. Almost 3,900 have received temporary medical or administrative exemptions and four have permanent medical exemptions
Temporary medical exemptions may include pregnancy or other reasons, and administrative exemptions may be for those who retire or are in remote locations without access to vaccines.
In the military, the reaction to vaccines has mirrored that of society at large, with thousands reluctant to receive them, but the percentage of soldiers – especially active duty – who were vaccinated quickly exceeds national averages. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 72% of the adult population in the United States over the age of 18 has received at least one dose. American soldiers are normally required to receive up to 17 vaccinations, depending on where in the world they are sent to.
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