Correction: A previous version of this article stated that over 60,000 unvaccinated National Guard and Reserve soldiers were discharged due to their vaccination status. At this time, the soldiers have only been barred from training and federally funded drills, not discharged.
More than 60,000 soldiers might eventually be discharged for vaccine refusal, even as U.S. armed forces struggle to recruit new personnel.
Approximately 40,000 National Guard and 22,000 Reserve soldiers are no longer allowed to participate in military training and federally funded drills, according to Military.com. They will also not receive pay or retirement credit. Guard and Reserve component soldiers were given nearly 7 months beyond the December 15 deadline, afforded to the active-duty military, to get vaccinated. (RELATED: US Army Will Discharge Unvaccinated Soldiers)
An Army soldier from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, helps give COVID-19 vaccinations at the Miami Dade College North Campus on March 09, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
As of March 3, 2022, only 85% of the Army Reserve had been vaccinated, compared to 96% Active Army.
The Senate Armed Services Committee recently said that 2022 is “arguably the most challenging recruiting year” during a Senate hearing in May. Every branch of the military is currently struggling to meet its fiscal 2022 recruiting goals, with only 23% of Americans ages 17-24 qualified to serve without a waiver, according to last week’s report by NBC News.
Republican Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana has criticized the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, highlighting the impact of shrinking forces.
“I think the largest headwind is inescapably the reaction that DOD took to COVID,” he said. “So, what’s changed over the last 24 months? It’s the department’s COVID vaccine mandate. And there’s just no way around it.”