Around 40,000 National Guardsmen and 22,000 Reservists will be barred from their duties, which would effectively cut their pay and benefits, for refusing to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, the US Army said on Friday pledging to keep encouraging service members to get the vaccine.
An Army spokesperson said in a statement that soldiers will be subject to adverse administrative actions, including flags, bars to service, and official reprimands if they refuse the vaccination order without an approved or pending exemption request.
The statement from the US Army comes one week after the deadline has passed for the Army National Guard soldiers to get vaccinated.
Back in November, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard’s members who refused to get vaccinated would be barred from participating in training and their pay would be blocked, stressing that the continued refusal to get the jab could result in separation or expulsion from the service.
As the service struggles with low recruitment, the margin of 13% of unvaccinated Army National Guard members and 12% of Army Reservists that remain unvaccinated could prove crippling to the ranks since they can’t join the upcoming annual summer training that helps them hone their military skills and ensure their preparedness should they need to be deployed.
Army officials emphasized that they’ll continue to work with soldiers to keep them in the service – informing them on the benefits of the jab or making sure they qualify for an exemption- though servicemen who refuse the vaccine will feel the repercussions of disobeying a directive.
Director of the Army Guard, Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, said in a statement that they’re not giving up on anybody until the separation paperwork is signed and completed and pointed out they’ll give every soldier every opportunity to get jabbed and continue their military career.
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