The House Armed Services Committee is attempting to find reprieve for service members who were discharged for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. On Wednesday, a draft of provisions was approved aimed at overturning the penalties for the troops, allowing them back into active duty.
The committee’s actions come after a 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (DNAA) repealed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for military personnel, which “opened up a host of complications for members awaiting exemptions or discharges who had negative marks entered into their personnel records and did nothing to reinstate those already discharged” reports The Daily Caller News Foundation.
“The House Armed Services Committee, debating its markup of the NDAA for fiscal year 2024, took an initial stab at addressing those problems following a year of confusion and GOP dissatisfaction with the Pentagon over how it handled the vaccine repeal” the publication adds.
Our military is struggling: including low recruitment #s.
If that’s the case, why are service members being punished for choosing NOT to take the COVID vax? This will NOT help with recruiting!
It makes ZERO sense!
👇Watch here to learn more about this proposed NDAA amendment. pic.twitter.com/WD6Oxt1Hzp
— Ronny Jackson (@RepRonnyJackson) June 21, 2023
Chairman of the Military Personnel subcommittee, Representative Jim Banks (R-IN) who introduced an amendment, stated “This provides a fair, equitable, and honorable option for our wrongly separated service members — many who filed legitimate religious exemptions and were ignored — to return to the ranks without any detriments to their career progression,”
Banks’ amendments prevents the Department of Defense (DOD) from adding adverse actions to a servicemember’s personnel record solely on the basis of refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. Top officials from each of the services previously told Congress no servicemember would be punished just for refusing the vaccine, but “aggravating factors” could lead to adverse marks permanently entered in their files.
The bill also asks the secretary to reinstate willing members with no changes to their rank or paygrade, rather than requiring them to reenlist and work their way back up to the position they held at time of separation.
Banks also expressed that incentives to reentry for the 8,400 troops who were booted for refusing to get vaccinated are also important. The Military Times reported
Most servicemembers — roughly 70% — who found themselves involuntarily separated from the military solely for refusing the vaccine received a “general” discharge rather than “honorable,”. Soldiers, sailors and airmen who have already been discharged have the opportunity petition their service branch to change the characterization of their discharge to honorable, according to guidance issued by each service.
