Vaccine mandate may cripple National Guard, data show
The National Guard is facing a significant personnel shortage as tomorrow June 30th marks the deadline for all Guardsmen and Army Reservists to get vaccinated by COVID-19 or be dismissed.
As pointed out by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), the National Guard and Army Reserves are unlike other sectors in that their servicemen only serve part-time and typically have other sources of income. Therefore, the threat of dismissal may not hold the gravitas necessary to force members to get the injections.
An estimated 13% of the National Guard remains unvaccinated, along with 10% of the Reserve. This is in addition to the 24,250 active soldiers reported to also be facing expulsion for not getting the shots. In some states, the unvaccinated make up 25% of the National Guard.
If the National Guard loses a large chunk of its workforce, it may not be able to supplement those numbers. Over 40% of men 18-24 – the Army’s target demographic – are reported to be vaccine-free, leaving the Army and National Guard severely limited in their recruitment efforts.
This may explain why the Army has hit just 40% of its recruitment quota for 2022 despite having already dropped the high school diploma requirement.
The Army has also been increasing its sign-on bonuses. In April, the Army offered new recruits $10K, which increased to $25K in June, which then increased to $35K last week.
But still, the Army must turn away unvaccinated potential recruits. It doesn't help that Southern men, who make up nearly half of enlistments, have lower vaccination rates.
“The Biden Administration is destroying the readiness of our Armed Forces by creating an unnecessary recruiting and retention shortfall, and trying to make up the difference by lowering other crucial education and fitness standards,” tweeted Rep. Johnson.
“All of this over an illness that is very, very, very, unlikely to have any significant effect on the young men and women of our military, and a vaccine that lacks long-term data on safety and efficacy for this cohort.”
“There is simply no other way around it: Until [the Secretary of Defense] withdraws, delays, or modifies the vax mandate, or begins rapidly granting more exemptions, our military will have to continue lowering recruitment standards—degrading the readiness and professionalism of our Armed Forces,” he concluded.
As reported by America’s Frontline News, the U.S. Army has also released recruitment videos emphasizing the importance of same-sex attraction while omitting any visuals of weaponry. Recruitment ads from other countries – particularly Russia and China – show the United States Army at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to virility and raw power.
