40,000 soldiers risk dismissal as vaccine deadline looms
WASHINGTON — Up to 40,000 Army National Guard soldiers across the country — or about 13 percent of the force — have not yet gotten the mandated COVID-19 vaccine, and as the deadline for shots looms, at least 14,000 of them have flatly refused and could be forced out of the service.
Guard soldiers have until Thursday to get the vaccine. According to data obtained by the Associated Press, between 20 percent to 30 percent of the Guard soldiers in six states are not vaccinated, and more than 10 percent in 43 other states still need shots.
Guard leaders say states are doing all they can to encourage soldiers to get vaccinated by the time limit. And they said they will work with the roughly 7,000 who have sought exemptions, which are almost all for religious reasons.
“We’re going to give every soldier every opportunity to get vaccinated and continue their military career. Every soldier that is pending an exemption, we will continue to support them through their process,” said Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, director of the Army National Guard. “We’re not giving up on anybody until the separation paperwork is signed and completed. There’s still time.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last year ordered all service members — active duty, National Guard and Reserves — to get the vaccine, saying it is critical to maintaining the health and readiness of the force. The military services had varying deadlines for their forces, and the Army National Guard was given the longest amount of time, mainly because it’s 330,000 soldiers are widely scattered around the country.
The Army Guard’s vaccine percentage is the lowest among the U.S. military — with all the active-duty Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps at 97 percent or greater and the Air
Guard at about 94 percent. The Army reported Friday that 90 percent of Army Reserve forces were partially or completely vaccinated.
The Pentagon has said after June 30, Guard members won’t be paid by the federal government
when they are activated on federal status. Guard troops mobilized on federal status and assigned to the southern border or on COVID-19 missions in various states also would have to be vaccinated or they would not be allowed to participate or be paid.
To make it more complicated, however, Guard soldiers on state activate duty may not have to be vaccinated — based on the requirements in their states. As long as they remain in state-duty status, they can be paid by the state and used for state missions.
At least seven governors formally asked Austin to reconsider or not enforce the vaccine mandate for National Guard members, and some filed or signed on to lawsuits. In letters to the governors, Austin declined, and said the coronavirus “takes our service members out of the fight, temporarily or permanently, and jeopardizes our ability to meet mission requirements.” He said Guard troops must either get the vaccine or lose their Guard status.
Overall, according to the data obtained by the AP, about 85 percent of all Army Guard soldiers are fully vaccinated. Officials said if those with one shot are counted, 87 percent are at least partially vaccinated.