Austin to Guardsmen: Get the Shot or Lose Your Pay; Judge Halts Contractor Mandate in Three States

December 1, 2021

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin doubled down Tuesday in forcing Guard members and reservists to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Those who don’t comply will be ineligible to participate in training, drills and other activities, Austin said in a Tuesday memo to service secretaries and DOD leadership, according to the Military Times, which published a copy of the memo.

“No Department of Defense funding may be allocated for payment” to Guard members who refuse to get the vaccine or who do not obtain a religious or medical exemption, he said.

Austin earlier this week rejected a request from Oklahoma to exempt its Guard members and reservists because it violates their privacy, as On Base reported.

Also Tuesday, a federal judge put a hold on the vaccine mandate for federal contractors unless the requirement is written into government contracts. The decision applies only in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee, Federal News Network noted.

DOD photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Brittany A. Chase

December 1, 2021

Recent News

Snap of the Week

Snap of the Week

Naval Academy plebes climb the Herndon Monument, a tradition symbolizing the successful completion of the midshipmen’s freshman year. The class of 2027 completed the climb in 2 hours, 19 minutes and 11 seconds. Navy photo by Stacy Godfrey

In Our Communities

In Our Communities

More than 74,000 residents of Whidbey Island, Washington could suffer long-term health impacts from the noise of jets stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, according to a University of Washington study, The Seattle Times reported. Researchers said the impact...

$2 Billion Aid Package Will Help Ukraine Build Its Own Weapons

$2 Billion Aid Package Will Help Ukraine Build Its Own Weapons

A new $2 billion aid package the State Department announced Thursday will help build a Ukraine Defense Enterprise Program, according to Defense News. The fund will help Ukraine buy weapons from other countries while “investing in Ukraine’s defense industrial base,...

NDAA Draft Asks for DOD Study on Privatizing Barracks

NDAA Draft Asks for DOD Study on Privatizing Barracks

The House Armed Services Committee’s draft National Defense Authorization Act indicates lawmakers may not be ready to privatize more barracks, as Military.com reported. “Members aren’t completely bought into privatizing all housing,” a senior Republican committee aide...

PAST STORIES