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In a victory for proponents of medical freedom, the Pentagon has officially ended the Covid vaccine mandate. According to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s office, while the vaccine will still be encouraged and promoted, it will no longer be made mandatory.
“No individuals currently serving in the Armed Forces shall be separated solely on the basis of their refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination if they sought an accommodation on religious, administrative, or medical grounds,” a memorandum from the office stated.
Further, “The Military Departments will update the records of such individuals to remove any adverse actions solely associated with denials of such requests, including letters of reprimand.”
The move to rescind the mandate comes long after controversy and pushback surrounding the vaccine arose.
According to the Daily Wire, the mandate’s enforcement came to an end in December when then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said that the national defense bill would not move forward unless the mandate was dropped.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., responded to the news on Twitter, heralding the victory for those who support freedom of choice and calling for justice for members of the armed forces whose lives were damaged by the mandate.
“The Pentagon has RESCINDED their COVID vaccine mandate,” she wrote. “This is a HUGE victory. Now, it’s time to make it right for the people whose lives were destroyed by this disgraceful mandate!”
President Trump has previously spoken out about the injustice inflicted on American troops via the iron fist of the Covid vaccine mandate, calling for the rehiring of every service member who had been forced out of the military, along with back pay.
“…and on day one [of taking back Congress], we should force the Pentagon to rehire all the great service members Biden forced out of the military with his lawless vaccine mandates…with an apology and all back pay,” he told an energetic crowd in Florence, South Carolina, in 2022.