Military members must be vaccinated

Military members are now being required to be vaccinated.

They have been given a deadline.

This is nothing new for the military.

SELLING CRUMBLING HOUSES.THE COVID-19 VACCINE WILLSOON BE MANDATORY... FOR ALLMILITARY MEMBERS!THE "PENTAGON" ANNOUNCINGPLANS TODAY ... TO REQUIRE ALLSERVICE MEMBERS TO GET THECOVID-19 VACCINE... BYSEPTEMBER 15-TH...OR THEY COULD FACEDISCIPLINE.THANKS FOR JOINING US.I’M TODD QUINONES.AND...I’M TRICIA KEAN.13 ACTION NEWS ANCHOR....ROSS DI-MATTEI.... JOINS US INSTUDIO NOW.... TO BREAK DOWN....THIS NEW MANDATE.FIRST OF ALL ROSS...CAN THE MILITARY....*LEGALLY* REQUIRE.... SERVICEMEMBERS... TO GET VACCINATED?THEY CERTAINLY CAN.EARLIER TODAY I REACHEDOUT TO OUR OLD FRIEND --RETIREDBRIGADIER GENERAL ROBERT NOVOTNY-- AND HE SAID NOT ONLY CAN THEMILITARY REQUIRE VACCINES --BUT THEY HAVE BEEN DOINGSO FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS GOINGALL THE WAY BACK TO THEREVOLUTIONARY WAR.GEORGE WASHINGTON ORDEREDTHE ENTIRE CONTINENTAL ARMY TOGET VACCINATED AGAINST SMALLPOX-- AFTER HALF HIS SOLDIERS GOTSICK WITH THE DISEASE.FAST FORWARD TO THE LATE1990’S --BRIGDIAER GENERAL NOVOTNYREMEMBERS GETTING EIGHT SEPERATESHOTS AS PART OF THE ANTHRAXVACCINE IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM."The Anthrax vaccine was a toughvaccine.

It was a very localizedreaction, normally.

Some folksdidn’t have any problems, likeanything else.

And others hadquite a bit of soreness, quite alump under your arm and you’dfeel under the weather for a dayor two.

And we were aware thatthere would be consequences ifyou didn’t get the vaccinations.There were people that facedUniform Code of Military JusticeDiscipline and some wereactually dismseisd from theservice for failing to getvaccinated."DEFENSE SECRETARY LLOYDAUSTIN SAYS HE’S SEEKING THEPRESIDENT’S APPROVAL TO MAKE THECOVID-19 VACCINE MANDATORY FORALL MILITARY MEMBERS BYSEPTEMBER 15 OR AS SOON AS ITGETS FULL APPROVAL FROM THEF-D-A --WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.THIS PLAN HAS REPORTEDLYBEEN ENDORSED BY PRESIDENTIDBEN.WHAT KIND OF PUNISHMENTCOULD SERVICE MEMBERS FACE...IF THEY REFUSE TO GET THE SHOT?THAT ANSWER IS A LITTLELESS CLEAR.SOME MILITARY OFFICIALSTOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THATONCE THE VACCINE IS MANDATED --REFUSING TO GET IT COULD BECONSIDERED FAILURE TO OBEY ANORDER --AND MAY BE PUNISHABLEUNDER THE UNIFORM CODE OFMILITARY JUSTICE.BRIGADIER GENERAL NOVOTNYAGREES THAT THERE WILL PROBABLYBE SOME PUSHBACK.HE SAYS SERVICE MEMBERSARE NOT IMMUNE TO SOCIAL MEDIA-- AND THUS THEY ARE MUCH MOREINFORMED OR MISINFORMED ABOUTVACCINES THAN THEY USED TO BE.HE THINKS THE LARGEMAJORITY OF MILITARY PERSONNELWILL COMPLY WITH THE MANDATE --BUT HE IMAGINES MORE THAN A FEWWILL REFUSE TO GET THE SHOTS.IN THAT CASE --THEY COULD BE PUNISHED --BUT HE DOESN’T SEE IT GETTINGTHAT POINT."I imagine that Pfizer willprobably get some kind ofapproval nationally in the nextfew weeks, which will make thisall pretty moot.

And then thesecretary of defense won’t evenneed the president’s approval.They’ll just add it to the list,like a flu shot, and theneveryone will just have to getit."SERVICE MEMBERS CAN SEEKEXEMPTION FROM ANY VACCINE FOR AVARIETY OF REASONS --INCLUDINGHEALTH ISSUES OR RELIGIOUSBELIEFS.NO WORD YET ON HOW THATWILL FACTOR INTO THE COVID-19VACCINE MANDATE.THE MILITARY SAYS....IT’S REQUIRING ITSMEMBERS.... TO GET THE COVID-19VACCINE TOAI MNTAIN.... MILITARYREADINESS.DO WE KNOW..... WHERE THEBRANCHES CURRENTLY STAND....WITH VACCINATIONS?AND.... CLOSER TO HOME...WHAT ABOUT.... NELLIS AIRFORCE BASE?THOSE NUMBERS ARE BECOMINGA LOT CLEARER --ACCORDING TO THE PENTAGON-- MORE THAN A MILLION SERVICEMEMBERS ARE FULLY VACCINATED --BUT THE VACCINATION RATES VARY ALOT BY BRANCH.THE NAVY SAYS THAT MORETHAN 74 PERCENT OF ITS ACTIVEDUTY AND RESERVE SAILORS HAVERECEIVED AT LEAST ONE SHOT.THE AIR FORCE SAYS MORETHAN 65 PERCENT OF ITS ACTIVEDUTY MEMBERS ARE AT LEASTPARTIALLY VACCINATED.THE ARMY, WHICH IS BY FARTHE LARGEST MILITARY BRANCH --SAYS ONLY 50 PERCENT OF ITSACTIVE DUTY MEMBERS HAVERECEIVED A COVID-19 SHOT AT THISPOINT.THERE WAS NO MENTION OFTHE VACCINATION RATE AMONG THEMARINES.BRIGADIER GENERAL NOVOTNYSAYS UNVACCINATED SERVICEMEMBERS CAN PRESENT CHALLENGESIN A MILITARY BASE SETTING."You live very close together,the maintenance personnel, thefighter pilots, everybody’s inclose proximity together.

And soif it’s a highly infectiousdisease that could potentiallycripple your unit for a shortamount of time, then you’re notwar ready and that’s a seriousimplication to your ability togo fight."I DID REACH OUT TO NELLISAIR FORCE BASE --THEY SENT US A STATEMENTSAYING THEY’RE AWARE OF APOTENTIAL COVID-19 VACCINEMANDATE -- BUT RIGHT NOW THEY’REVOLUNTARY AND HIGHLY ENCOURAGEDFOR SERVICE MEMBERS.TO PROTECT OPERATIONALSECURITY -- THEY WILL NOT BERELEASING VACCINATION RATES ATTHE BASE TO THE PUBLIC.LIVE IN THE STUDIO, ROSS