More than 100 Arizona Army National Guardsmen Face Forced Discharge as Big Army COVID-19 Vax Deadline Looms
June 29, 2022 | Arizona
The Arizona Army National Guard stands with roughly 84 percent of its military personnel complying with Big Army’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate as the Army’s June 30 deadline for 100 percent compliance approaches.
“Out of approximately 5,000 Soldiers, the Arizona Army National Guard has 119 COVID-19 vaccination refusals,” said Maj. Kyle Key, the communications director for the Arizona National Guard.
“No separation boards for refusals have been scheduled at this time,” Key said.
The major said the information is not up-to-the-minute correct but has not changed much since the last survey of the force.
A spokesman for the National Guard Bureau in Washington told The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network that the entire Army National Guard force of approximately 440,000 guardsmen was 86 percent compliant with the vaccine mandate as of June 27.
Key said his state’s guard is also processing requests for dispensation from the vax mandate.
“We currently have 310 religious accommodation requests and four medical exemption requests,” he said.
“Soldiers who have applied for either religious accommodations or medical exemptions may continue to serve and train while their requests are being adjudicated even after the June 30 deadline,” he said. “Each request will be reviewed individually as we ensure their rights for a fair and exhaustive exemption process.”… (Excerpt from The Arizona Sun Star)
