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WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — The Pentagon ordered all U.S. service members to submit to the COVID-19 vaccination as quickly as possible.
In a memorandum released today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin directed the secretaries of all military departments to “immediately begin full vaccination of all members of the Armed Forces,” and “impose ambitious timelines for implementation.”
“With the support of the President, I have determined that mandatory vaccination against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is necessary to protect the Force and defend the American people,” he asserted.
Notice of the order came just two days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The mandate failed to mention the unknown effects of the shots on recipients and thousands of adverse reactions to a vaccine that continues to be experimental until clinical trials end in 2023.
The Pentagon had previously said that it expected to mandate the vaccine no later than September 15. An official deadline for full vaccination has not been announced.
Vaccine resistance in the military remains strong
Austin averred in his memorandum that “Our vaccination of the Force will save lives,” yet many troops remain uncertain about the safety of a vaccine that has been approved for just a little over 48 hours.
With more than 800,000 troops who have yet to take the COVID-19 jab, “Vaccine resistance in the military remains strong,” blared a recent Washington Post headline.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby noted in a press conference today that there is a wide discrepancy among the branches of the military concerning their members’ vaccination status:
- Navy: 73% fully vaccinated;
- Air Force (including Space Force): 57% fully vaccinated;
- Marine Corps: 53% fully vaccinated;
- Army: 40% fully vaccinated.
The Pentagon’s mandate is “a lawful order and we fully anticipate that our troops are going to follow lawful orders,” insisted Kirby.
“It might be [a] lawful order, but when so many refuse to take a questionable treatment, how do you punish them effectively?” asked Aspals Legal, a web resource for military lawyers.
“A law that violates rights is unworkable,” noted Aspals Legal.
Vaccine resistance in the US military remains strong, a dilemma for Pentagon as mandate looms – it might be lawful order, but when so many refuse to take a questionable treatment, how do you punish them effectively? A law that violates rights is unworkable https://t.co/K41go5yf3h
— aspals legal (@aspals) August 21, 2021
Draconian measures: Marines risk losing pensions and benefits
Marines who decline the vaccine risk losing their pensions and other benefits, as well as forced separation or court martial, although court proceedings for thousands or tens of thousands of individual service members would likely overload the military’s disciplinary system.
“What I would expect is [that commanders turn to] nonjudicial punishments, duty restrictions, measures that make life inconvenient until someone relents,” Kristofer Goldsmith —an Army veteran and CEO of Sparverius, an organization that deals with what it views as disinformation campaigns and domestic extremism— told The Washington Post.
“Marines will lose their pensions, tuition assistance, and access to the G.I. bill, along with other military benefits, if they refuse the COVID-19 vaccination,” reported the Washington Free Beacon on Monday.
The Beacon described the threats to Marines as “draconian measures” that aim to “make life as an unvaccinated troop as difficult as possible.”
Why would a service member decline the COVID-19 vaccine?
LifeSiteNews’ Celeste McGovern has offered 10 reasons why anyone, including service members, might resist the COVID-19 vaccine, despite now being approved by the FDA:
- It’s still experimental – Pfizer’s clinical trials don’t end until May 2023
- The COVID jab mandates violate fundamental human rights
- There’s a history of medical disasters to consider
- There has been no external review of the Pfizer jab
- All we have is six months of incomplete data
- There are no control groups in this global experiment
- The immunity the jabs may have provided appears to be waning
- Pfizer never publicized troubling results from animal trials
- Wave of vaccine mandates issued in response to FDA announcement
- Pfizer is a career criminal with a rising tide of victims
“The whole FDA stamp of approval is merely a facilitator for forcing shots on unwilling Americans,” wrote McGovern. “The fallout was seen immediately with a wave of vaccine mandates from companies, universities and organizations who were waiting for the final FDA authorization that would assuage any nigglings of conscience or fears of legal reprisal.
“This FDA stamp gives them the full green light to impose their will on others and to abuse medical freedom of conscience and the universal principle of informed consent,” she added.