Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Military Vaccination Mandate

Military Vaccination Mandate - "Currently there are no restrictions on the COVID-19 vaccine for serving or deploying Marines," Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Ryan Bruce told Military Network. "Marines Delay Combatant Command Policy Regarding Deployment." The Coast Guard issued directives Monday to remove all administrative records related to the COVID-19 vaccination order from reserve and active duty records.

These records must be deleted by March 31, according to the guidelines. The dissenting justices were Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch. Alito wrote on behalf of himself and Gorsuch: "By granting the government's motion ... the Court is committing a grave injustice."

Military Vaccination Mandate

The Military Has Lifted Its Vaccine Mandate, But Won't Automatically  Reinstate Troops Who Defied It | TprSource: npr.brightspotcdn.com

They say the Navy treated the SEALs "poorly" by not providing broader protections to those who have religious objections to vaccinations. Because the case is being tried as an emergency appeal in a so-called "shadow case," seals challenging the vaccine's claims could ask judges to reconsider at a later stage of the trial, but Friday's action reduces their chances.

Success. According to the memo, no adverse action will be taken against servicemembers who request a vaccination exemption, and any servicemember who receives a letter of reprimand or other "unfavorable conduct" will be removed from their records.

Another lawsuit, first filed by soldiers stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, led to temporary protections for about 10,000 active duty, active-duty reserves, Air Force and Aerospace Reserves and National Guard members who applied for religious exemptions.

Only those who refuse the COVID vaccine exemption will be subject to immediate action. There are a few notable caveats. The policy allows commanders to "take health protection measures whenever or wherever deemed necessary to support operational safety and effectiveness."

Army Announces Implementation Of Mandatory Vaccines For Soldiers | Article  | The United States ArmySource: api.army.mil

It also allows the movement of seafarers to be restricted "in order to comply with the quarantine regulations of the host country". Those who refuse vaccination and receive a general discharge can apply for reconsideration to the Board of Corrections of Military Records, although the memo does not specify how the record can be amended or whether dischargeees can join the military.

The ruling, issued last November by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, upheld a previous victory last year by attorneys representing service members and took aim at the Air Force's approval process for the nuns' waivers.

The decision sets the stage for a future trial or possibly the case's development to the Supreme Court. So far, the Navy has granted just one religious exemption out of 4,000 requests for a COVID-19 vaccine, and that member was not on active duty.

Presumably, the same employees who called for a religious exemption for the Covid-19 vaccine did not oppose other Department of Defense vaccination requirements. As for those who have already been fired for refusing vaccinations, which is a violation of due process, Austin said in the memo, DOD said that DOD "will be exempted by law for less honorable (than honorable) conditions."

) Discharges A general discharge is a step down from an honorable discharge and is usually reserved for soldiers who have performed satisfactory service but have committed misconduct. Pfizer and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine does not require fetal cells for development or production, but it does.

Us Military Braces For Impact Of Covid Vaccine Mandate Repeal | Cnn PoliticsSource: media.cnn.com

Tested in the 1970s on cloned embryos from aborted fetuses, only the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was made from embryos to ensure efficacy. , Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral William K. Lescher said in an affidavit cited in the government's complaint.

He added that if a member of a small SEAL team becomes ill with COVID-19, a mission could be disrupted. "The department's work to vaccinate against Covid-19 will leave a lasting legacy in the many lives we saved, the global force we were able to deploy and the high level of preparedness we provided, in dire circumstances."

At the end of Austin. “Our efforts are largely thanks to the strength and dedication of our employees. The Louisiana-based Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld O'Connor's order and denied the government's request to stay the appeal.

Now the Supreme Court has sided with the Biden administration. But the victory was somewhat limited. The Navy SEALs claim that getting the COVID-19 vaccine violates their faith, and they claim that the Navy's religious exemption review process is fraudulent and violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

They argued that the law requires the Navy to consider each religious accommodation on a case-by-case basis, based on the role of service members. Instead, they proposed that the Navy automatically reject each applicant as a whole.

Pentagon Has Its Own Long Covid Problem Over Dropped Vaccine Mandate ...Source: www.news.today.3ch9.com

The Air Force Department, which leads the aerospace division, said it would rescind any warning, advisory or reprimand letters. Personal Counsel Record Nonjudicial Punishment; Forced deportation proceedings related to vaccine refusal. On the same day the Pentagon set the deadline for the service, several departments, including the Army and Air Force, began issuing their own guidance, stating that they would delete or correct adverse events in their records related to vaccine refusal.

Attorneys in the largest lawsuit brought against the service said that after the change in the Navy's deployment policy, they are "still evaluating the policy's impact on our Navy SEAL customers and the group's more than 4,000 members."

. "Section 525 of the NDAA for fiscal year 2023 would require me to rescind the order to inoculate members of the armed forces against Covid-19 issued in my August 24, 2021, memo," Austin said in the memo.

Tuesday night. According to Austin's records, no active duty service member is currently leaving the military pending approval of a religious or medical exemption. Austin also ordered the services to update individuals' military records and remove from their records "any adverse conduct associated with the denial of a request."

More importantly, the Department of Defense has argued that it has the authority under the Constitution and federal law to determine what constitutes physical and medical fitness for deployment to the "most sensitive and challenging missions."

U.s. Military Is Discharging Service Members Who Refuse To Get Vaccinated :  Coronavirus Updates : NprSource: media.npr.org

The unsigned court order was only one paragraph. But in the concurring opinion, Judge Brett Kavanaugh said, "I see no reason in this case to use the judiciary in a way that military commanders believe will harm the American military, which is ``protecting the American people.''

In a memo Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the official end of the request, but said commanders would continue to "promote and encourage" the vaccine against COVID-19. The annual defense budget bill signed into law in December called for the vaccine to be phased out.

Although Pentagon officials insist there is no evidence to support the claim, it has long been seen as a victory for conservative lawmakers who have argued that it is impeding military recruitment efforts. The Army also announced in a press release Friday that it will remove or publish COVID vaccine waiver requests, records of Soldiers requesting a COVID vaccine waiver, pre-deployment programs for members with vaccine requests or warrants, and travel restrictions based solely on the COVID vaccine.

Changed. After news of the mandate's imminent cancellation, questions have been raised about the impact on the military's ability to deploy or rotate host nations, some of which have a need for vaccines. The Covid-19 vaccine is one of dozens requested by the Department of Defense, and the Austin memo makes clear that other "standing DOD policies, vaccination processes and procedures remain in effect."

Thomas Bruns, a Cincinnati-based attorney with Bruns, Connell, Vollmar & Armstrong, which represents the service members, told Military Network on Monday that the service members in the case will be fully indemnified for any damages caused by the order.

Congress Set To Rescind Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate For Military MembersSource: images.foxtv.com

"This includes the ability for commanders to consider personnel's individual vaccination status when necessary in personnel deployment, deployment and other operational decisions, including when vaccination is required for travel or overseas entry," Austin said. . Several lawsuits have been filed by sailors who oppose the order and challenge the way the Navy reviews requests for religious exemptions.

The Supreme Court ruled in March 2022 that the Navy is authorized to reassign sailors who have applied for waivers to decommissioned and inactive commands. Compulsory vaccination has a rich history, dating back to 1777 when George Washington ordered the army to be inoculated with small doses of the vaccine.

The military currently requires service members to get nine other vaccines, none of which are controversial. The Department of Defense asked the Supreme Court to set aside only the portion of the lower court's order barring the Navy from reassigning unvaccinated servicemen.

In short, until now, the Department of Defense could reassign those who refused to be vaccinated for religious reasons, but it could not fire them. Yet he could ultimately deny religious pardons to many who requested them.

Moreover, in practice, even temporary appointments are not very attractive to those opposed to retaining the service. The case was brought by 25 service members, including 26 SEALs, who were released in August 2021 after the FDA fully approved several vaccines.

Texas federal judge Judge Reed O'Connor has barred the Navy from firing unvaccinated service members and prohibited the military from taking adverse action against them, including enlisting them as unfit. The Pentagon launched in August 2021 after the Pfizer vaccine was officially cleared by the Food and Drug Administration.

More than 2 million service members, or 96 percent of military, active and reserve members, have received the COVID-19 vaccine. As lawmakers debate the latest NDAA, Republicans have pushed to repeal the vaccine mandate, a move the Pentagon and White House have made clear they do not support.

But as CNN previously reported, Democrats ultimately decided behind the scenes that they would have to let Republicans leave the job in order to push the legislation through.