According to AP, up to 40,000 Army Guard troops are still unvaccinated and some are at risk of being dismissed after refusing to take the experimental shot, as the deadline for shots looms.
“Up to 40,000 Army National Guard soldiers across the country — or about 13% of the force — have not yet gotten the mandated COVID-19 vaccine, and as the deadline for shots looms, at least 14,000 of them have flatly refused and could be forced out of the service,” the news outlet reported.
“According to data obtained by The Associated Press, between 20% to 30% of the Guard soldiers in six states are not vaccinated, and more than 10% in 43 other states still need shots.”
Below are the data from AP:
Around 7,000 national guards have requested exemptions which are almost all for religious reasons.
In an interview with AP, the director of the Army National Guard Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen said, “We’re going to give every soldier every opportunity to get vaccinated and continue their military career. Every soldier that is pending an exemption, we will continue to support them through their process.”
“We’re not giving up on anybody until the separation paperwork is signed and completed. There’s still time,” Jensen added.
Last year, the Oklahoma National Guard announced that they will not impose Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate.
Army Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino wrote in a memo that “no negative administrative or legal action will be taken” against anyone who doesn’t get the vaccine.