The U.S. Army’s largest service branch has announced an extensive timetable for troops to be vaccinated against Covid-19, and what they can expect to happen if they don’t.
Army officials said Tuesday that all units in active duty are expected to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 15 and members of the Reserve and National Guard by June 30. , according to the guidelines.
“While soldiers who reject the vaccine will first be advised by their chain of command and their medical providers,” the army guidelines say, “continued non-compliance could result in administrative or non-judicial punishment: including the ‘release from office or termination of service’. ”
Since the Pentagon ordered coronavirus vaccines last month, the percentage of all members of the military with at least one shot has risen from 83 percent to 83 percent, according to Department of Defense data. In comparison, in the general American population only 63% have received at least one shot and 54% are completely vaccinated, according to a New York Times database.
The possible consequences of not complying with the military vary slightly depending on the role. Army commanders, senior command sergeants, first sergeants and officers on future command missions who refuse to be vaccinated and are not exempted from suspension and exemption from service. Soldiers in all ranks who are not in command positions may receive a general recrimination order, which can be removed from their file when they are transferred or placed in their permanent file, affecting future assignments and promotions.
The military is the latest branch of the military to issue guidelines after the Pentagon announced last month that vaccination of active military personnel would be required.
The Navy and Marines have already reported their basic grade that the clock is ticking on vaccines.
All active-duty Air Force troops must be fully vaccinated by November 2 and members of the National Air Guard and Air Force Reserve by December 2. The directive has had an immediate impact on the Air Force: 74.5% of them had at least one vaccine, up 65.2% last month.
Active-duty sailors and marines must be fully vaccinated within 90 days of August 30, while members of the Reserve Navy service have 120 days to comply. Refusal without an approved exemption may result in administrative action, according to the Navy plan.
All Navy coronavirus deaths have been among troops who were not fully immunized; one was partially vaccinated.
Vaccination rates in the military already exceed much of the rest of the country, but commanders seek to comply with them almost entirely, as do the military with many other vaccines, for fear that inoculation of all would endanger its preparation.
“This is literally a matter of life and death for our soldiers, their families and the communities in which we live,” Lieutenant General R. Scott Dingle, Army Surgeon General, said in a press release. “The count of cases and deaths continue to be worrisome as the Delta variant spreads, making protection of force through compulsory vaccination a health and preparedness priority for the entire army.”