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Army is only service branch booting troops over COVID vaccine mandate in full force
By Michael Lee
Published December 07, 2022
The Army continues to be the only branch of the armed services that has not slowed or frozen its discharge of service members who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine, insisting it will continue separating soldiers even as Congress appears poised to soon do away with the mandate.
"We will not speculate on any potential legislative actions, and continue to follow the policy of the Department of Defense and the United States Army to achieve a fully vaccinated force," and Army spokesperson said of the policy, according to a report by Military.com Tuesday.
When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Army said "the current Army policy remains in effect" at this time.
HOUSE TO REPEAL MILITARY VACCINE MANDATE IN DEFENSE BILL DESPITE BIDEN OPPOSITION
While the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force have all paused or slowed separating service members as legal battles play out- especially those who have filed for religious exemptions - the Army has kicked out 1,841 active-duty soldiers even at the risk that a change in the law could open the door to the Army being forced to compensate troops it booted and/or let them back in the service.
Preventative Medicine Services Sergeant First Class Demetrius Roberson administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a soldier. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
The mandate has come under scrutiny by some lawmakers and military leaders in recent weeks, who argue it is another obstacle to enlisting new members amid the military's growing recruiting crisis.
According to a Fox News report Tuesday, lawmakers in the House have agreed to nix the mandate in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with the new bill expected to hit the House floor Wednesday.
Meanwhile, lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees are looking into tweaking the language of the NDAA that could mandate the Pentagon to study ways to compensate troops who were discharged for refusing the vaccine.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has said Republicans will hold up annual NDAA if it does not repeal military vaccine mandate. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File)
The move by Congress comes as the White House stood by its view that the mandate should stay in place, with White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby saying Monday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin opposes Congress removing it in the NDAA.
White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby offered kind words for Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
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"Secretary Austin's been very clear that he opposes the repeal of that vaccine mandate, and the president actually concurs with the secretary that we need to continue to believe that all Americans, including those in the armed forces, should be vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19," Kirby said Monday.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/army-remains-only-service-branch-booting-troops-congress-eyes-ending-covid-vaccine-mandate