Defense and Veterans Affairs officials have issued a warning to troops: refuse the vaccine, and you may be potentially blocked from receiving veterans benefits.
It has been left up to local commanders whether to give troops who refuse the vaccine other-than-honorable discharges. And officials said their cases won’t get any preferential evaluations for veterans’ benefits eligibility.
Republican lawmakers pushed for a less punishing approach, but it has been hung up in the chambers.
The Nov. 2 deadline to get the COVID vaccine was missed by 8,500 airmen, Air Force and Space Force officials announced. That equates to 3% of the force that chose to not get the vaccine by the deadline.
Deadlines for other services are coming up in the next few weeks.
Cisneros acknowledged concerns from a small portion of the active-duty force about the vaccines but said officials are steadfast in their belief the mandate is needed. As such, the department does not plan to put any special programs or dispensation in place for individuals dismissed for refusing the shots.
VA Deputy Secretary Donald Remy said that those cases will be evaluated by department benefits officials to weigh “mitigating or extenuating circumstances, performance and accomplishments during their service, the nature of the infraction and the character of their service at the time of their discharge.”
That’s standard operation for all veterans, and the department is not planning to handle vaccine refusals in a separate or different way.
Individuals with honorable discharges will be eligible for things like GI Bill benefits, VA home loans and transition assistance programs. Individuals with other-than-honorable discharges are still guaranteed mental health care services through VA, but may be blocked from most other benefits.
via Military Times
Back in September House lawmakers approved language in the defense authorization bill that would prevent troops who refuse the vaccine from being dishonorably discharged. They claimed that would be too severe of a punishment.
However, that language has not been signed into law, and it still needs to go through negotiations within the Senate later this year.
By that time, Republican lawmakers warned thousands of troops could be dismissed from the ranks already.
It’s time to act decisively in dealing with recalcitrant troops. Those who refuse the Chinese Wuhan Fauci man-made bio-weapon COVID-19 necessitated vaccine should immediately be arrested and sent to base brigs as seditious and possibly traitorous security risks. Then they should face general court-martials for not just disobeying orders, but also for sedition, if not worse, treason for believing in the Constitution. They should be sent to GITMO rather then Fort Leavenworth for at least 10 years and all benefits should be denied.
(Sarcasm folks)
You belong in jail as a commie low life rat to those stipulations on anyone.
We Americans have rights. And those rights were fought for and died for, so you can say what you impose on people as you just did. So others have the right to choose , refuse , and de- fuse commie low life’s like you.
You OBVIOUSY do not know what sarcasm is!
This is horrible! We are demanded and in violation of our 4th Amendment. I guess we our NOT AMERICANS! We do not have the right to say NO! We are robots and you know what robot means in Czech… WE ARE NOT FREE, WE ARE NOT FREE TO PRACTICE OUR RELIGIOUS RIGHTS. SO THIS IS THE BEGANING OF TYRANNY. I T WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF THIS mRNA, it was around since 1990. And there are some bad out comes of this mess. IF YOU CAN PROVE THAT THIS VACCINE CAN PREVENT COVID. THEN YES THEY WILL TAKE IT. BUT, WHEN YOU FORCE FOLKS TO TAKE THIS MESS, THEN YOU WILL HAVE A BACKLASH! IDOITS IN THE PENTAGON AND THE POLITICANS IN DC! WE ARE NOT TEST SUBJECTS!!
I have been retired for 33 years, but I remember yearly flu shots being mandatory. There was no option then. I think they said everyone had to be ready for World wide service.
Yes but the flu vaccine was DNA recombinant vaccine not MRNA big difference
(USA Veteran and Registered Nurse here)
I didn’t my. Shots at the VA. I got mine at a Safeway store near me. How is the VA going to know that I got ALL my shots?
When you sign up you waive your rights…makes sense, if you agree to put yourself in harm’s way…why would the government want to protect you. You are expendable…Oh, wait a minute…it’s called “Collateral Damage” Everyone who has served should study U.S. military history…citizen soldiers have always been lied to and mistreated in some way…Veterans protesting in Washington D.C. after WWI is a good place to start…That protest and the public outcry for fair treatment is the reason the Veterans Administration was created…Don’t believe me check it out for yourself…