According to the latest data released by the U.S. Department of Defense, more than 260,000 U.S. soldiers have not completed the full course of vaccination with the new crown vaccine . Among them, 13% of active-duty members of the Army National Guard (nearly 44,000 people) have not been fully vaccinated. In August last year, U.S. Defense Secretary Austin ordered that U.S. military personnel be fully vaccinated against the new coronavirus. If they do not comply with the regulations, they may face the risk of being fired.
On July 1, local time, as the final vaccination deadline for Army National Guard and reservists has passed, the U.S. Army announced that it will no longer pay wages to soldiers who have not been vaccinated against the new coronavirus, and will no longer allow such soldiers to be vaccinated. Participate in federally funded training.
For soldiers who refuse to be vaccinated, the U.S. Army said they "may be subject to additional adverse administrative measures, including removal from duty."
6,400 soldiers who refused to be vaccinated have been dismissed
Data released by the Pentagon official website shows that as of July On the 13th, more than 268,000 people in the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force had only completed "partial vaccinations", while more than 50,000 civilian employees also had not completed the full vaccination process. Since the Pentagon does not release the number of soldiers who are completely unvaccinated, the actual number facing force discipline is likely to be much higher.
↑In August last year, the U.S. military required that U.S. military personnel be fully vaccinated against the new coronavirus
When the mandatory vaccination regulations were announced, the deadline set by the U.S. Department of Defense for Army active duty soldiers was December 15 last year, and the Army National Guard and The deadline for vaccination of reservists is June 30 this year.
Since last week, the U.S. Army has begun tightening administrative measures for soldiers who are partially or completely unvaccinated. The force said that starting in July, soldiers who do not meet vaccination requirements will no longer receive pay and will not be able to participate in federally funded exercises and training. The Army warned in a statement that soldiers who refuse to be vaccinated may be subject to "additional adverse administrative actions, including separation."
So far, 6,400 soldiers in the United States have been dismissed for refusing to be vaccinated, most of them Marines.
Although the U.S. military allows soldiers to apply for exemptions on medical or religious grounds, soldiers who refuse to be vaccinated without approval or waiting for an exemption will still face administrative measures. According to U.S. Army data, more than 7,000 Army personnel were still seeking exemptions at the deadline.
According to reports, when asked about the potential impact of tens of thousands of unvaccinated soldiers or being fired, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said in an interview: "(The troops) refuse to be vaccinated. The number is very small." Milley also emphasized that the problem was "controllable" and urged soldiers to "continue to be vaccinated."
The U.S. military is facing the most serious shortage of troops in the past 50 years.
According to reports, while a large number of soldiers may be laid off, the U.S. military is also encountering difficulties in recruiting new recruits this year. Pentagon officials said late last month that the Army had completed only 40% of its fiscal year 2022 recruitment plan as of June, while the Air Force had recruited 4,000 fewer recruits as of June than the previous year. Some defense officials said that the US military is currently facing the most serious shortage of troops in the past 50 years.
Some analysts said that this problem should be blamed on the "outdated" conscription system and the recruitment advertisements that triggered "ridicule" on social media. Although the U.S. Army is increasing financial incentives for recruiting new recruits, a Pentagon survey found that only 9% of citizens aged 17 to 24 who are eligible for military service have the intention to join the military, which is the lowest number since 2007. .
According to the survey results, the top three reasons why respondents refused to join the military were fear of injury or death, psychological trauma, and the possibility of sexual harassment or assault. Among them, about 32% of the respondents mentioned the third reason. According to 2021 statistics, nearly a quarter of American female soldiers reported experiencing sexual assault in the military.
Red Star News reporter Hu Yiling
editor Zhang Xun
(Download Red Star News and get prizes for reporting!)
