The U.S. Army announced Wednesday it will start discharging soldiers who remain unvaccinated.
Those who do not have an approved exemption or who refuse to be vaccinated will be separated from the service immediately, the Army said, noting that these soldiers “will not be eligible for involuntary separation pay.”
According to figures released at the end of January, 96 percent of active soldiers have been fully vaccinated. Of the 709 medical exemption requests received, six were approved and 656 were rejected. Among the 2,910 religious exemptions submitted, none were approved and 266 were rejected. The Army has issued 5,870 temporary exemptions. More than 3,300 soldiers refused the vaccine.
After the Jan. 26 update, the Army said it would not release any more information about refusals and exemptions until the June 30, 2022 completion goal.
"Army readiness depends on Soldiers who are prepared to train, deploy, fight and win our nation's wars," said Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth. "Unvaccinated Soldiers present risk to the force and jeopardize readiness."
?????? BREAKING: U.S. Army to begin immediate discharge of soldiers who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine.
— Ian Haworth (@ighaworth) February 2, 2022
Seems sensible, given the war that might break out in Europe or Asia or both...
What could possibly go wrong? https://t.co/8elKcFHH2Z
— Nicole Saphier, MD (@NBSaphierMD) February 2, 2022
This insanity will not only remove thousands of our most experienced and promising soldiers today, but it will devastate military recruiting efforts for years to come. https://t.co/Jt6wvNUjoY
— Jake Bequette (@JakeBequette91) February 2, 2022