US Army grants its first religious waiver for coronavirus vaccine exemption

The U.S. Military has granted a soldier a everlasting religion-based exemption from getting the obligatory COVID-19 vaccine. 

New service knowledge printed on Friday confirmed the Military’s up to date COVID-19 vaccination statistics and exemption requests as of March 10, 2022, together with 536 disapproved religion-based exemptions and three,760 requests. 

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There have been 2,791 refusals and three,183 official reprimands, in accordance with the exemption chart, and 7 everlasting medical exemptions have been accepted. 

“So far, Military commanders have relieved a complete of six Common Military leaders, together with two battalion commanders, and issued 3,183 common officer written reprimands to Common Military Troopers for refusing the vaccination order,” the Military’s public affairs workplace wrote in a launch.

As of March 3, the Military has not involuntarily separated any troopers solely for refusing the authorized order to obtain the vaccine. 

“As beforehand introduced, Military officers have issued steering for the obligatory initiation of separation for troopers who refuse this lawful order,” the workplace famous. 

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The brand new waiver comes three months following the Military’s deadline for lively troops to develop into absolutely vaccinated towards the virus. 

In response to Stars and Stripes, the Military is the Pentagon’s solely service that has but to take away vaccine refusers – even after Military Secretary Christine Wormuth ordered service commanders to start the method to involuntarily separate these people “as expeditiously as attainable.”

“Military readiness is dependent upon Troopers who’re ready to coach, deploy, combat and win our nation’s wars,” she stated then. “Unvaccinated Troopers current threat to the power and jeopardize readiness. We are going to start involuntary separation proceedings for Troopers who refuse the vaccine order and are usually not pending a last choice on an exemption.”

In response to the January order, these denied exemptions to the Military’s vaccine mandate have seven calendar days to both begin a COVID-19 vaccination routine or file an attraction to the ultimate attraction authority. In the event that they fail to take action, they are going to face separation proceedings. 

The Military stated its commanders have relieved a complete of six Common Military leaders, together with two battalion commanders.

The service stated Friday that 96% of the Military’s active-duty troopers have been absolutely vaccinated and one other 1% had been partially inoculated.