The White House opposes a provision that Republicans added to a defense bill which would require honorable discharges for troops who refuse to get the Covid-19 vaccination. (See story here.)
A dishonorable discharge elevates vaccine refusal to the status of a crime. It does more than disqualify a person for veteran’s benefits in the future. It means being barred from many civilian jobs, not being able to get a security clearance, or, in Washington state, a gun permit. And it’s a black mark on the person’s reputation that endures for life.
The administration’s rationale is that refusing to get vaccinated is insubordination and refusal to obey a lawful order. Biden has ordered all military personnel to get vaccinated, and as commander-in-chief, that’s within his power. It also makes sense, because the military has a legitimate interest in maintaining a healthy fighting force, and military personnel live and work in close proximity with each other. One infected spreader could render an entire unit ineffective.
In addition, all military personnel get numerous vaccinations. It’s required. And part of what you volunteer for when you enlist. It’s also a condition of serving. So they shouldn’t object to getting this shot, too. Especially considering they agreed to get shot if the conditions of service expose them to that risk.
But I think imposing dishonorable discharges on those who, for whatever reason, don’t want to be vaccinated against Covid-19 is going too far. Fire them from the service, yes, but don’t brand them as criminals. This isn’t a crime, and it’s a stretch to turn it into one by calling it mutiny. This is more like an employer firing an employee for not following instructions. Treat it that way. Make them leave, but let them resign honorably, if their service was honorable otherwise.
In any case, you know what will happen with this, if Biden gets his way. There’s a Pentagon board that reviews discharges and has authority to upgrade dishonorable discharges to general or honorable. Every single one of these dishonorable discharges will be appealed. And even if it takes years for them to work their way through the system, you know for sure that some future board, acting in calmer and less impassioned times, will upgrade them all. So why not avoid burdening the system, and save the Pentagon all the needless work and paper-pushing, by not making this mistake in the first place?
This time, I agree with the Republicans, and disagree with Biden.
Related story: For more details about military Covid-19 vaccination policies, go here.