WASHINGTON (AP) – Three cadets from the US Air Force Academy who refused the vaccine against COVID-19 will not be assigned to the military, but will graduate with a bachelor’s degree, the academy announced on Saturday.
Academy spokesman Dean Miller said a fourth cadet who had refused the vaccine until about a week ago had decided to be vaccinated and would graduate and become an Air Force officer.
In a statement, Miller said that while the three are graduating, “they will not be enlisted in the United States Air Force as long as they remain unvaccinated.” He added that the decision on whether to require the three to reimburse the United States for education instead of service will be made by the Secretary of the Air Force.
As of Saturday, the Air Force is the only military academy so far where cadets are not recruited due to a refusal to vaccinate. All of the more than 1,000 Army cadets at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, graduated and were hired as officers earlier in the day, and all were vaccinated.
The Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, said Saturday that none of the senior navy or marines there have been prevented from entering service due to a refusal to vaccinate. This graduation is later this week, and the Air Force ceremony is on Wednesday in Colorado. Prior to the ceremony, the board of the US Air Force Academy conducted its standard review of whether this year’s class met all of Friday’s graduation requirements.
Defense Minister Lloyd Austin, a spokesman for the Air Force’s graduation, last year made COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for servicemen, including those in military academies, saying the vaccine was crucial to maintaining military readiness and health. .
Military leaders say troops have had to receive up to 17 vaccines for decades to maintain the health of forces, especially those stationed abroad. Students arriving at military academies receive a vaccination schedule on their first day – such as measles, mumps and rubella – if they have not yet been vaccinated. And they get vaccinated against the flu regularly in the fall.
Members of Congress, the military and the public questioned whether the reviews of the discharge were fair. Numerous lawsuits have been filed against the mandate, mainly focusing on the fact that very few servicemen have received religious exceptions to the shootings.
Until the COVID-19 vaccine, very few soldiers sought religious exemptions from all vaccines.
Lt. Col. Brian Maguire, a spokesman for the Air Force Academy, said a week ago that all four cadets had been informed of the potential consequences and had met with the academy’s chief. And then he noted that they still have time before graduation to change their minds – and one did.
Military academies have for years required students to pay tuition fees in certain circumstances if they leave during their junior or senior years. Often these cases involve students with disciplinary or similar problems. The cost can be up to $ 200,000 or more, with each final payment decision made by the service secretary.
The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps have released up to 4,000 members of the active vaccine waiver service. Those who flatly refuse the vaccine without seeking release are still released. But the courts stopped additional dismissals of servicemen who demanded religious exceptions.
According to the military, about 20,000 servicemen have asked for religious exceptions. Thousands have been turned down.
About 99% of the active navy and 98% of the air force, marines and the army received at least one shot.
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