Just The News: The Pentagon’s military-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate faces an uncertain future amid a series of successful legal challenges to the sweeping order mounted by religious objectors in federal courts and military disciplinary proceedings.
On Thursday, a district court judge in Ohio granted a temporary injunction against the COVID vaccine mandate being enforced on Air Force members seeking religious exemptions. This followed a ruling in March by a district court judge in Texas who granted a preliminary injunction against the Navy for the same reason.
In May, a Navy administrative separation board voted unanimously to retain an officer who refused to comply with the mandate because of his religious beliefs. The board was unconvinced the mandate was lawful and did not view the officer’s refusal as misconduct.
The panel agreed with the officer’s lawyer, R. Davis Younts, who argued at the board hearing that the mandate for the experimental COVID vaccines was not a lawful order since the military has not made fully FDA-approved versions of the vaccines available to military members.
In June, the Air Force backed away from a court-martial to try a Christian officer who refused the vaccine.
The officer, Master Sergeant Vincent White, was served an “Article 15” non-judicial punishment in April, which is an allegation of violation of a lawful order. When White declined to accept the punishment and requested a trial by court-martial instead, the Air Force rescinded the punishment, but still intends to take his case to an administrative separation board. more
“…the Air Force backed away from a court-martial to try a Christian officer who refused the vaccine.
The officer, Master Sergeant Vincent White….”
Sure, he is a NON-COMMISSIONED officer, but NCOs are not considered officers.