2,100 Sailors in Limbo as Pentagon Grapples With End of COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
By: Heather Mongilio
January 5, 2023 5:51 PM
The Navy separated 25 active duty sailors between Nov. 28 and Dec. 28 due to their failure to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the service told USNI News. Those sailors are likely the last sea service members to receive approved separations over COVID-19 vaccine refusal under the Pentagon’s prior vaccination mandate.
A provision in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, signed by President Joe Biden on Dec. 23, removed the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for active-duty service members.
Of the 25 active-duty sailors, one was an officer, while the other 24 were enlisted, Lt. Rachel Maul, a Navy spokesperson with the Chief of Naval Personnel, told USNI News. Approximately 2,100 sailors received approved separations in the year that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate was active.
It is unclear how many sailors had left the service by the time the Biden signed the NDAA and if those with approved separations that had not yet left service will still need to do so.
https://news.usni.org/2023/01/05/2100-sailors-in-limbo-as-pentagon-grapples-with-end-of-covid-19-vaccine-mandate
