US Army pulls six commanders from active duty for refusing COVID vaccine: Nearly 3,000 reprimands issued to soldiers for refusing the shot as virus forces Army to increase recruitment bonus to $50,000
The United States Army reprimanded six active-duty commanders for refusing to comply with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all military ranks.
The punishments come as the Army has increased its bonus to join the force to $50,000 because the virus has made it more difficult to recruit in schools and at public events, and the competition for quality workers has intensified as young people weigh their options.
The Army did not specify the rank of the punished officers, though two battalion commanders were among those who were relieved of their duties.
In addition, 2,994 soldiers received written reprimands for refusing the vaccine out of the 3,611 troops who have yet to get the jab.
The Army has yet to initiate separations for soldiers refusing the vaccine as it expects further guidance this month.
Over 96 percent of of the roughly 481,000 active-duty soldiers in the largest military branch have been fully vaccinated and more than 97 percent are partially vaccinated. The Army Reserves remain at about 73 percent fully vaccinated.
There are about 57,000 officers serving at the level of captain or above in the US Army, meaning around 0.01 percent of commanding officers were punished for not getting the jab.
The Army has reprimanded 2,994 soldiers for refusing the vaccine to date out of 3,611 refusals
The military remains well ahead of the general population in terms of vaccinations.
As of January, boosters are not required to be considered 'fully vaccinated' in order to comply with the COVID-19 rule, though the Pentagon is said to be considering a booster mandate.
Austin's mandate left the deadline for full vaccination up to each branch of the military. The Army chose December 15.
The Army has yet to grant any of the 2,128 religious exemption it received, rejected 162 so far.
It has granted five permanent medical exemptions for vaccination out of 653 requests to date.
The other main branches of the military - the Navy, Air Force and Marines - have also not granted any requests for religious exemptions.
The Navy currently has 5,209 active-duty soldiers unvaccinated, as they have begun separation of soldiers for refusals.
The Army National Guard remains the only branch of the Army that still has time to take the shot, with a June 30 deadline.
This comes as the Army, for the first time, is offering a maximum enlistment bonus of $50,000 to highly skilled recruits who join for six years, as the service struggles to lure soldiers into certain critical jobs during the continuing pandemic.
Maj. Gen. Kevin Vereen, head of Army Recruiting Command, told AP that shuttered schools and the competitive job market over the past year have posed significant challenges for recruiters. So heading into the most difficult months of the year for recruiting, the Army is hoping that some extra cash and a few other changes will entice qualified young people to sign up.
'We are still living the implications of 2020 and the onset of COVID, when the school systems basically shut down,' said Vereen. 'We lost a full class of young men and women that we didn't have contact with, face-to-face.'
The annual recruiting goal fluctuates as currently serving soldiers decide whether to reenlist or leave. In the last two years, as the pandemic raged, many decided to stay in, lessening the pressure on recruiting to help keep the Army at its full strength of 485,000. Last year's recruiting goal was 57,500, and Vereen said it will be about the same this year.
To entice recruits, those who sign up for a six-year enlistment in one of several high-demand career fields can get bonuses that total as much as $50,000. Given the high standards, it will be difficult for many to qualify for the top bonus.
The final figure depends on when they agree to ship out for training, if they already have critical skills and if they choose airborne or ranger posts. Certain careers — such as missile defense crew, special forces, signals intelligence and fire control specialists who coordinate battlefield weapons operations — can often come with the maximum bonuses. But other key jobs include infantry, intelligence analyst, combat medic specialist, military police, combat engineer and several others. And those may change every month, based on available spots in the training pipeline and other service needs.
Until now, the Army has offered a maximum bonus of $40,000.
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