Mandatory COVID vaccines again puts Pentagon in cultural crosshairs
(Worthy News) – The Pentagon‘s looming COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all troops threatens to push the military into the middle of yet another divisive culture battle, this time over personal health choices versus the collective responsibility to prevent deadly outbreaks in the ranks.
At the direction of President Biden, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is moving “expeditiously” to determine how quickly the military could carry out vaccination and testing requirements. The dramatic step will surely prove unpopular in some corners of the armed forces, but legal scholars say it is virtually certain to hold up in court. The necessity also underscores the difficulty the Pentagon has encountered in its vaccination drive.
Substantial numbers of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines aren’t fully vaccinated despite an aggressive push by Mr. Austin and top commanders across each military service. Defense Department officials are recalibrating their response to the surge of the deadlier, more contagious delta variation of the coronavirus, just as their civilian counterparts have to do. [ Source: Washington Times (Read More…) ]