19,000 Marines And Navy Miss Deadline To Get Chinese Coronavirus Vaccine

What will you do now, Navy and Marines? What will you do now, Joint Chiefs?

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

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.

It is a small percentage, but, trained manpower counts, especially in many specialties. And, it could effect recruitment, which is already problematic with all the Woke being pushed by high level commanders

The Marine Corps is the Defense Department’s least-vaccinated service. Marines who were not fully vaccinated by Sunday or did not have a pending exemption request soon will face administrative separation, Wood said. Commanders could punish but still retain some based on personal circumstances, such as a Marine who missed the deadline but now is on a path to becoming fully vaccinated.

Marines and sailors separated for vaccine refusal will receive general discharges under honorable conditions, barring other circumstances, according to official guidance. That status forbids access to some veterans benefits like the GI Bill, leaving lasting consequences for troops who decide to exit the service over the mandate.

They did their duty, voluntarily joined, and will now not get the benefits they earned for refusing to take an experimental shot (meanwhile, other government workers who’ve retired demand a raise in their retirement pay at taxpayer expense)

Austin on Tuesday outlined updated vaccine regulations specifically for National Guard members, including the loss of pay, training opportunities and eventually their military careers if they do not comply.

How many NG members will take their experience and simply leave/retire? How many will just refuse to join, taking a wellspring of experience away? If people want to take the chance and not be vaccinated, that’s on them.

It’d be nice if our federal government would be as tough on China for starting this whole thing as they are on our military members.