{"id":27994,"date":"2021-08-19T19:41:26","date_gmt":"2021-08-19T19:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/08\/19\/what-discipline-could-you-face-for-refusing-the-covid-vaccine-when-it-becomes-mandatory\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:20:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:20:14","slug":"what-discipline-could-you-face-for-refusing-the-covid-vaccine-when-it-becomes-mandatory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/08\/19\/what-discipline-could-you-face-for-refusing-the-covid-vaccine-when-it-becomes-mandatory\/","title":{"rendered":"What discipline could you face for refusing the COVID vaccine when it becomes mandatory?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the Navy and Marine Corps get ready to join the rest of the U.S. military in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2021\/08\/09\/service-leaders-have-a-month-come-up-with-a-plan-to-vaccinate-all-troops-against-covid-19\/\" target=\"_blank\">mandating COVID-19 vaccines<\/a> potentially as soon as next month, the sea service\u2019s top medical officer said Thursday that he doesn\u2019t think those refusing the vaccines will need to be administratively disciplined or court-martialed for refusing the general order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking to reporters as part of a <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu\/tag\/defense-writers-group\/\" target=\"_blank\">Defense Writers Group<\/a> event, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/02\/19\/nearly-1-in-4-active-duty-sailors-have-gotten-the-covid-vaccine-officials-say\/\" target=\"_blank\">Navy Surgeon General Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham<\/a> said that more than 72 percent of sailors, and more than 50 percent of Marines, are already fully immunized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those still refusing the vaccine at this voluntary stage, Gillingham said he doesn\u2019t expect the disciplinary hammer to come down.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/06\/17\/troops-who-refused-anthrax-vaccine-paid-a-high-price\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Marines-inoculated-Okinawa_web.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Troops who refused anthrax vaccine paid a high price<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">An unknown fraction of service members who were punished for refusing the anthrax vaccine in the late 1990s and early 2000s have sought to have their records corrected, but only a few have had success.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ll go back to counseling,\u201d Gillingham said. \u201cWe\u2019ll sit down with the individual, understand the source of resistance and address that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gillingham added that he hoped nonjudicial punishment or legal proceedings \u201cwould be very late in that continuum.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/08\/09\/service-leaders-have-a-month-come-up-with-a-plan-to-vaccinate-all-troops-against-covid-19\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP21168647861223.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Service leaders have a month to come up with a plan to vaccinate all troops against COVID-19<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&#039;s memo calls for the services to develop mandatory vaccination plans.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen they realize that, yes, the secretary of defense has made the determination based on expert guidance that (mandatory vaccination) is required for mission readiness, I do believe that those who haven\u2019t gotten the vaccine will see the value and proceed with getting it,\u201d Gillingham said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to face significant resistance, frankly,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said the service will \u201ccertainly be attentive and responsive to medical exemptions\u201d involving immunocompromised individuals or those who had an allergic reaction to the first or second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this month, Gillingham framed COVID vaccines as a vital force-protection measure during a panel at the Sea Air Space symposium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe would not send our folks into combat without flak and Kevlar,\u201d he said. \u201cThe enemy this time is a virus, and we have a biological body armor for them to take and use to protect them \u2026 this is biologic body armor. Put it on, be protected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navy brass has noted over much of this year that troops should expect vaccines to become mandatory at some point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/06\/18\/cnp-covid-vaccines-likely-to-become-mandatory-soon\/\" target=\"_blank\">Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. John Nowell<\/a> told reporters in July that the path back to normal is vaccination.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/06\/18\/cnp-covid-vaccines-likely-to-become-mandatory-soon\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"215\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/navy-covid-vaccine.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">CNP: COVID vaccines likely to become mandatory soon<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Chief of Naval Personnel also reassured sailors that getting  or declining the COVID vaccine won&#039;t affect future VA benefits.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019d see senior leadership pushing (vaccination) if we did not think it was safe and if we didn\u2019t think it was an imperative,\u201d Nowell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/07\/29\/navy-expands-special-leave-accrual-for-all-sailors\/\" target=\"_blank\">Fleet Master Chief Wes Koshoffer<\/a> echoed similar sentiments, especially given the spread of the Delta variant of the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/06\/17\/the-shadow-of-anthrax-the-voluntary-covid-19-vaccination-effort-owes-much-to-past-failures\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/colin-powell_web.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The shadow of anthrax: The voluntary COVID-19 vaccination effort owes much to past failures<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The voluntary COVID-19 vaccine effort stands in stark contrast to the Pentagon\u2019s mandatory Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program, which began in 1998. Those who refused often faced harsh penalties.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNow, we\u2019ve got to push hard again for vaccination given that the Delta variant seems to be absolutely ripping through the unvaccinated right now and having significantly higher and more dangerous effects to those that are unvaccinated,\u201d Koshoffer told reporters. \u201cSo, we\u2019re back on it now, pushing as hard as ever, to try to get more folks vaccinated.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Navy&#8217;s top medical officer shared his thoughts on sailors and Marines&#8217; who might refuse the 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