The US Department of Defense (DOD) announced Wednesday that service personnel who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19 may lose their eligibility for veterans' benefits.
The U.S. Troops Not To Receive Benefits If They Refuse To Get Vaccinated
In a recently published article in Newsweek, troops who reject the vaccination will not be afforded any particular safeguards when it comes to their expulsion from the service. The Navy stated on Thursday that it would begin isolating sailors who refuse to get vaccinated.
Refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is beginning to have repercussions for military personnel. The penalties vary from a reprimand to dismissal from the armed services and loss of benefits in the Navy's instance.
Those who are discharged will get a general discharge under honorable circumstances, according to the military, which might preclude them from receiving veterans' benefits.
Individual commanders of local stations will now have to decide whether or not to grant soldiers an other-than-honorable or dishonorable discharge. "Any favorable assessments for veterans' benefits eligibility" were not to be given by the commanders, according to a published report in The New York Times.
Lawmakers are Pushing for the Removal of the Benefits
Republicans in Congress have lately advocated for the withdrawal of benefits to make it easier for those who refuse to take the vaccination. In September, the House approved a bill prohibiting the military from granting dishonorable discharges to persons in that group while it is currently being debated in the Senate.
Gil Cisneros, Department of Defense undersecretary for personnel, testified to the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, saying, "We see the vaccine as a readiness issue. Any discharge decision is up to the individual service as to how they proceed with that," as per Air Force Times.
Furthermore, nearly 8,500 personnel of the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force missed the recent November 2 vaccination deadline. The other branches have deadlines for the shoot coming up in the coming weeks as well.
Additionally, VA Deputy Secretary Donald Remy stated that when determining benefits, military members discharged for vaccine refusal will be evaluated in the same way as all other discharges to see if there were "mitigating or extenuating circumstances, performance, and accomplishments during their service, the nature of the infraction, and the character of their service at the time of their discharge."
Commanders Ordered To Identify Those Who Refused To Get Vaccinated
Within 30 days, commanding officers must identify individuals who refused the immunization, provide medical advice, and report those who refuse. Senior leaders will get a notification from the Navy requiring them to begin the vaccination procedure within five days or seek an exemption, or they will be relieved.
In a published article in Federal News Network, unless exempted, commanders will not enable sailors who refuse the vaccination to progress, reenlist, or execute instructions. The Navy will also be able to strip unvaccinated sailors of their fighting credentials and other specializations.
