Another win for religious liberty was achieved this week when the US Department of Defense canceled its requirement for coronavirus vaccines for the US military. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) forced the choice last month when the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the yearly defense policy measure, was enacted.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin wrote in a memo on Tuesday that he has rescinded the vaccine mandate for the U.S. Military and the National Guard. No individuals currently serving in the Armed Forces shall be separated solely on the basis of their refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination if they sought an accommodation on religious, administrative, or medical grounds, as per the memo.
The Military Departments shall revise such individuals’ records to delete any adverse actions primarily linked with the denial of such petitions, such as letters of reprimand.
McCarthy, who was House Minority Leader at the time, forced an end to the vaccination requirement by warning that the NDAA would “not move” until the mandate was eliminated.
“The end of President Biden’s military COVID vaccine mandate is a victory for our military and for common sense,” McCarthy said in a statement last month. “Last week, I told the president directly: it’s time to end the COVID vaccine mandate and rehire our service members.”
McCarthy also demanded that the administration “correct service records and not stand in the way of re-enlisting any service member discharged simply for not taking the COVID vaccine.”
The decision to repeal the mandate is a significant victory for religious liberty and freedom of choice. The liberty to practice one’s religion or none at all is a key aspect of our Constitution and other sources of Federal legislation. It is a right that everyone should respect and uphold.
It’s also worth noting that the mandate has already had a severe impact on our military, with the Army and Navy falling thousands of service members short of their 2022 recruiting targets. As a result, it is vital that the administration corrects service records and does not prevent any service member dismissed solely for failing to take the COVID vaccination from re-enlisting.