The U.S. Navy has purged 23 active-duty sailors for refusing to get experimental COVID shots, making it the first time the service discharged active-duty men and women over the mandated inoculation.
The discharges came as the Navy released an updated COVID-19 guidance that requires all deployed sailors and air crew to be vaccinated.
Per the text, the vaccinations are described as “the foundation of our success in fighting COVID-19.” Those tools are also said to be essential to the Navy’s “readiness” capabilities.
According to an Associated Press report, Navy leaders say that “all operational units — meaning those involved in deployments out to sea — must be 100% vaccinated.”
The sailors with approved medical or administrative exemptions are not allowed to serve in the sea, and will be shifted to shore duty. The report specifies that “a significant majority of the Navy’s force is in operational units, and the requirement rules out the use of any unvaccinated sailor — such as a Navy SEAL — on a deployed ship, even if they have an approved exemption or are in the process of seeking an exemption.”
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Vice Admiral William Merz, the Navy’s deputy chief of operations, signaled that the Navy is attempting to eliminate COVID completely, according to a Military.com report. “We’re in the camp that once you declared it endemic, you’ve kind of surrendered,” he said, “I think there’s still much too much compelling evidence that you can manage this thing and you can live without it.”
That goal is unlikely to be achieved, since the vaccines are proven to be ineffective at stopping either infection or transmission of COVID. “Regarding the genetic COVID vaccines, the science is settled: They are not working…. Even if every man, woman and child in the United States were vaccinated, these products cannot achieve herd immunity and stop COVID,” said Dr. Robert Malone, internationally recognized as the chief architect of mRNA vaccine technology.
The Defense Department mandated in August 2021 that all men and women in uniform — with limited exceptions — must get COVID shots. The order came a day after the FDA granted full approval for Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine.
Active-duty Navy personnel and Marines were ordered to be fully vaccinated by November 28, 2021, while reservists had it until December 28.
According to the latest data, 5,035 active and 2,960 reserve servicemembers remain unvaccinated. The Navy only granted 10 permanent medical exemptions, 266 temporary medical exemptions, and 83 other exemptions. None of the nearly 4,000 religious exemption requests were approved.
While in November the Navy made it clear that it was ready to boot all sailors who fail to comply with the mandate in a timely manner, it later signaled that it would be willing to work even with those sailors who miss the vaccination deadline as long as they get a shot.
Data published by The Washington Post last month suggests that about 40,000 active-duty personnel in all branches have so far refused to be jabbed.
Of that number, 14,000 Army personnel have not been vaccinated, with another 25,000 members of the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps who have sought exemptions from the vaccine. An additional 10,700 members of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard remained unvaccinated past their December 2 deadline, per the report.
Earlier this month, the Navy booted 20 unvaccinated sailors. As of last week, the military has discharged 334 Marines and 100 airmen for refusing the vaccine. The Army has not issued any discharges, but signaled that it would begin processing them this month.
The Department of Defense continues to punish unvaccinated servicemen for refusing the vaccines.
Merz himself confirmed there have been COVID outbreaks on “a handful of ships.” Merz called them “statistically insignificant,” and said that they had no impact on naval operations.
In late December, such an outbreak happened on the U.S.S. Milwaukee, whose crew was 100-percent vaccinated. As a result, the combat ship has delayed its deployment to South America.
Earlier this month, triple-vaccinated DOD Chief Lloyd Austin, along with triple-vaccinated chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, tested positive for COVID. Both men said they experienced mild symptoms.
The military is “strongly encouraging” all eligible servicemen to receive the booster shots. The third dose is not a part of the mandated vaccine regimen yet, but it likely will be required “in the near future,” per Merz. That echoed Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby’s statement that the department is “actively discussing” the possible update.
The military’s own data, however, suggests that the COVID vaccines undermine U.S. military readiness much more than COVID itself.
During Monday Senate hearings organized by Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, attorney Thomas Renz presented DOD medical billing data from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED) that showed a significant uptick in several serious illnesses and disorders.
Per Renz, since the jabs’ rollout last year, the military saw a 300-percent increase in cancers, 300-percent increase in miscarriages, and a 1,000-percent increase in neurological issues over the five-year average for American servicemen.
