As pundits transition from being experts on covid to being experts on military tactics, it might be a good time to look at the consequences of the Biden administration’s policies regarding covid on US military readiness.
To begin with, the US Navy cannot deploy a Norfolk, Va.-based warship after a federal judge ruled the service commanders are prohibited from acting against the ship’s captain for refusing the coronavirus vaccine.
The Navy commander, identified only by his rank in court papers, filed a lawsuit in the Middle District of Florida in October with several other service members seeking relief from the military’s coronavirus vaccine mandate on religious grounds.The commander later broke off from the class-action suit, refiling in January with an unnamed Marine lieutenant colonel to challenge the military’s vaccine mandate.Last month, District Judge Steven Merryday granted a preliminary injunction barring the Navy from requiring the commander or the lieutenant colonel to take the vaccine or issuing “any punitive or retaliatory measure against [them] pending a final judgment in the case.”The Navy on Feb. 28 asked Merryday for an emergency stay on the injunction, arguing the order prevents the service “from removing an officer from … commanding officer billets who the military has deemed unfit for command,” according to court documents.
Given the waning vaccine effectiveness over time, the fact that covid is at its most serious among elderly people or those with comorbidities, why is there a continued insistence on vaccinations? This is especially true in the wake of covid striking vaccinated and boosted luminaries (such as former President Bararck Obama).
While conflicts around the world abound, and enhancing the readiness of the US military should be a priority, Biden’s military leaders are opting to enforce an ineffective mandate that has just cost this country the service of 1,000 Marines.
The Marine Corps has now separated more than 1,000 Marines due to refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.The Marine Corps separated 165 Marines over the past week due to their refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19. At 1,038, the Marine Corps leads the military branches for the most separations.The Navy comes in second with a total of 469 separations, which includes 50 this past week. Of the separations this week, 24 had served for more than six years, while 26 served for less than six years. The highest rank was chief petty officer, said Lt. Travis Callaghan, spokesperson for chief of naval personnel, in an email.
The US Army is the only military branch that hasn’t booted out one of its service personnel because of the vaccine mandate. Lawsuits in play are preventing more of a purge.
The Air Force has separated 205 active-duty airmen, according to its weekly update. The Army has not yet separated a soldier.The Navy, as well as the other branches, potentially could have more sailors that it would separate for refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but there are currently lawsuits preventing punitive action against a handful of service members who have refused to get vaccinated due to religious objections.
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