The year is 2024, but till today, many aspects of the world are still dealing with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. It affected sectors like healthcare, education, and even the military; most are just recovering.
Just a few hours into the new year, over 200 active and retired service members signed an open letter. This letter calls for the government to hold U.S. military leaders accountable for enforcing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Although the vaccine is no longer a requirement for service, these members felt authorities treated them unjustly before.
In August 2021, the military enforced a mandate stating that every member must get the Pfizer vaccine as approved by the FDA. Therefore, most active-duty troops in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps got the vaccine. By December 2022, the Department of Defense reported that about 98% of active-duty troops had already received vaccinations.
However, not everyone wanted the vaccine. While the Pfizer vaccine is relatively safe, there were a lot of people who didn’t want it for various reasons. For some, it was a religious decision, while for some, it was a personal decision.
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For those who opposed the mandate, it forced them out of service. Over 8,400 troops declined to get the vaccine, and the military discharged them honorably. Earlier in 2023, the government formally dropped the vaccine mandate, making it optional for those in service.
However, many people already lost their jobs in the military when it was compulsory. So, some of these people feel like the authorities wronged them. One is Brad Miller, a former Army officer who organized the letter.
He posted the letter on X (formerly Twitter) for all to see and read. It stated that “while implementing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, military leaders broke the law, trampled constitutional rights, denied informed consent, permitted unwilling medical experimentation, and suppressed the free exercise of religion.”
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Therefore, these aggrieved signatories felt that authorities did not protect their rights, and they suffered for it. The letter continued, “These actions significantly harmed service members and families.
Their suffering continues to be felt financially, emotionally, and physically. Some service members became part of our ever-growing veteran homeless population, some developed debilitating vaccine injuries, and some even lost their lives.”
The letter also accused military leaders of “continuing to ignore our communications regarding these injuries and the laws” they broke. After the government lifted the mandate, they did not reinstate those who lost their jobs for not taking the vaccine.
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Therefore, they believe this is injustice and are fighting against it. Signatories include Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL, and Chris Coulombe, a veteran running in California’s 2nd congressional district.
On X, Hamilton wrote, “It was an easy decision to sign this. I am committed to defending liberty and ensuring accountability within our government.” He also said he was “proud” to be among the signatories. The other signatories also feel the same way.
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