The Defense Department has removed some of its first service members for refusing to be vaccinated for COVID-19. The Air Force announced Monday that it has discharged 27 unvaccinated people, Politico reports. Air Force personnel had a Nov. 2 deadline. The branch's most recent figures show that more than 1,000 airmen have refused the shot and that more than 4,700 have applied for a religious exemption. A spokeswoman said none of the 27 had asked for a medical, administrative or religious exemption from the vaccine requirement.
The official charge was failure to obey an order, a common infraction, per the AP. The spokeswoman said about 1,800 airmen were discharged for failure to follow orders in the first three quarters of this year. The Air Force discharged 23 airmen undergoing basic training in October for refusing to be vaccinated, plus another 17 who were in specialized training, per the Wall Street Journal. The vaccination deadline for Army active-duty soldiers is Wednesday. The final deadline is June 30, for members of the Army National Guard and Reserves. (More vaccine mandate stories.)
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