The Army National Guard’s 40,000 members who have not been fully vaccinated against coronavirus by the deadline will be unable to take part in federal training and forfeit future pay.
Thursday was the deadline for the Army National Guard to get the vaccine. According to Guard officials, 14,000 of the Guard members who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 have indicated that they are not planning on ever receiving the vaccine.
Friday’s announcement by the Army stated that Guard members who refuse to vaccinate will be denied access to federally funded drill weekends. They also won’t receive any compensation. They can still get paychecks from their states if they are assigned a state governor-directed mission.
CBS News was told by guard officials that they hope the lack of a paycheck for drill weekends would change the minds and hearts of vaccine-rejectants. People who are not vaccinated could lose their paychecks, be unable to complete their missions, and even face being discharged.
The Army National Guard was the last service component to be vaccinated.
Lloyd Austin, Defense Secretary, required the vaccine for all military personnel last year. However, each branch could decide its own timeline. For active duty personnel, the deadline was December 15, 2021 for Army Reserve and National Guard.
According to Army figures, 89% of the Army National Guard had received one dose by June 30 and 87% have been fully vaccinated as of that date.
