Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, reports from Washington about how states like Tennessee are dealing with Big Army’s June 30, 2022 deadline for National Guardsmen to be 100 percent compliant with President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s military COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
TRANSCRIPT
McCabe: Army Secretary Christine Warmuth set June 30th as Big Army’s deadline for 100 percent compliance with President Joe Biden’s military COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Now National Guards across the country, such as in Tennessee, are dealing with the constitutional, emotional, and readiness costs of the president’s decision.
The mandate was passed down the chain of command to state National Guards who are now responsible for chaptering out un-vaxxed guardsmen, not Big Army.
Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee is sending mixed signals as the Tennessee Army National Guard presses ahead with separation boards for unvaxxed guardsmen.
His campaign spokesman sent the following message to a senior Republican leader in the state: the COVID-19 vaccine mandate is a Department of Defense requirement, but Governor Lee has approved every personal and religious exemption brought forward by members of the Guard.
The governor has advocated to the DOD that personnel who sought an exemption should receive the same exemption federally, and is currently awaiting their response.
In the meantime, Governor Lee has no plans to terminate or dishonorably discharge personnel. John Goheen, the communications director of the National Guard Association of the United States, told The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network that guardsmen are struggling with the vax mandate.
Goheen: You have to make a decision, and there’s a lot of conflicting information out there, and I’ve spoken to some people that, based upon religious convictions or concerns, didn’t want to take the vaccine.
McCabe: Goheen said guardsmen are held to the same standards as active-duty but don’t have the same access to health care. Going into its big summer recruitment season, Big Army stands at roughly 40 percent of its recruitment goal for this fiscal year.
Goheen said guard leaders are watching to see what happens to readiness if Guards across the country, like Tennessee, separate up to 400 guardsmen one Guard at a time. Reporting for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network, Neil McCabe, Washington.
Between this issue and his support for illegal immigrants, I will no longer be voting for Gov Lee. ANYONE who supports forced vaccination is delusional. The whole Plandemic was just that…planned. Vaccinations do more harm than good (which is the intention), and the last people on earth that need to get vaccinated are healthy young Americans.
Ever since the democrats stole the election, common sense has ceased to exist. My guess is that Gov Lee is being coerced into following the government lies about the virus. It’s too bad he can’t grow some stones and tell his handlers to pound sand.
Absolutely true—-Lee needs find his backbone and we taxpayers need to help him.
CONTACT HIM !!
Politicians NEVER see the light until they feel the heat…
Lee is a worse’n useless RINO PUKE!!
Governor Lee since being elected as Governor I haven’t seen a lot of “ Front and Center “ Leadership!!
Seem a lot of follow Desantis or Abbot Leadership. We elected you to Govern our State with Strong Moral Conviction of doing what is Right. Not to be a parrot of other Governors and especially not of an illegitimate President who is purposefully Destroying our Constitutional Republic. So for once show you’ve got the BACKBONE and refuse, as Commander n Chief of our National Guard, to recognize his Authority to issue such Vaccine Mandate. Tell the Communist Dictator to pound sand. If he attempts to enforce this Illegal Mandate in your State, effective immediately all money collected in Tennessee for the Federal Government will be withheld until he permanently resends the Vaccine Mandate.
That dear sir would be Leadership worthy of my continued support and FUTURE VOTE for my Governor of this Great State of Tennessee.
The other Governors would be following Tennessee Governor’s “Front and Center”!!
With respect,
Robert C Batts
Kingsport, TN
Governor Lee, WE the People elected YOU!! It’s time to show you will NOT bend under this unjust “mandate”.
I have 3 grandsons. All three have shown interest in joining the military soon. None have had the COVID vaccines. So, they will not be joining. 3 good, smart, stay-out-of-trouble, healthy young men blocked from serving. And we are just one family…Bad decision on the part of the governor.
Governor Lee, we the people elected you. You were elected to protect and do the will of the people of Tennessee, not the bidding of Biden or whoever is running Washington. I hope you are brave enough for the office you were elected to uphold. We the people will be behind you if you do the right thing. The jab does nothing to protect people. Our body, our choice; that goes for the military also. We owe them that much.