AROTC Scholarship vaccine religious exemption question

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NickHarlan

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Joined
Oct 18, 2020
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18
My daughter is a freshman at a SMC on a 3 year AROTC scholarship. She has been told she needs to be vaccinated or seek an exemption by May of this year. She is 100% opposed to getting the vaccine and is seeking a religious exemption. I have some questions/requests:
1. If anyone has any insight in seeking religious exemption (from any branch) I would be most appreciative of any guidance.
2. Given changes that might happen with mandates would she be able to “keep” her scholarship even if she does not qualify come August? How long does she have to qualify before she loses scholarship?
3. It would be a hardship but we could pay her tuition and board and forego scholarship and hope the army lifts mandate before she graduates. For someone who very much wants to serve would this be a reasonable option?

Thank you
 
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Just a FYI: A recent article quoted statistics that only 15/16,000 requests for religious exemption have been approved. So just know it's an ice skating uphill battle.
 
NickHarlan said:
My daughter is a freshman at a SMC on a 3 year AROTC scholarship. She has been told she needs to be vaccinated or seek an exemption by May of this year. She is 100% opposed to getting the vaccine and is seeking a religious exemption. I have some questions/requests:
1. If anyone has any insight in seeking religious exemption (from any branch) I would be most appreciative of any guidance.
2. Given changes that might happen with mandates would she be able to “keep” her scholarship even if she does not qualify come August? How long does she have to qualify before she loses scholarship?
3. It would be a hardship but we could pay her tuition and board and forego scholarship and hope the army lifts mandate before she graduates. For someone who very much wants to serve would this be a reasonable option?

Thank yoi
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Please PM me once you have the required posts. I have some insight into the process.
 
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NickHarlan said:
My daughter is a freshman at a SMC on a 3 year AROTC scholarship. She has been told she needs to be vaccinated or seek an exemption by May of this year. She is 100% opposed to getting the vaccine and is seeking a religious exemption. I have some questions/requests:
1. If anyone has any insight in seeking religious exemption (from any branch) I would be most appreciative of any guidance.
2. Given changes that might happen with mandates would she be able to “keep” her scholarship even if she does not qualify come August? How long does she have to qualify before she loses scholarship?
3. It would be a hardship but we could pay her tuition and board and forego scholarship and hope the army lifts mandate before she graduates. For someone who very much wants to serve would this be a reasonable option?

Thank yoi
Click to expand...
She could also do “straight college” at her SMC, no AROTC, hope for change to occur, take her chances and apply to Army OCS her senior year of college. If the change does not occur, and she feels the same, she is no worse off if the vaccine mandate is still in place.

www.goarmy.com

OCS: Army Officer Candidate School

Officer Candidate School (OCS) trains Army Officers. At OCS, put your college degree to use, learn important leadership skills, and prepare for a career as an Army Officer.
www.goarmy.com www.goarmy.com

The military has many mandatory vaccinations; exemptions are few. Her research starts with her chain of command.

@MohawkArmyROTC or @Montana State Army ROTC may have insights as to how this process rolls out.
 
NickHarlan said:
My daughter is a freshman at a SMC on a 3 year AROTC scholarship. She has been told she needs to be vaccinated or seek an exemption by May of this year. She is 100% opposed to getting the vaccine and is seeking a religious exemption. I have some questions/requests:
1. If anyone has any insight in seeking religious exemption (from any branch) I would be most appreciative of any guidance.
2. Given changes that might happen with mandates would she be able to “keep” her scholarship even if she does not qualify come August? How long does she have to qualify before she loses scholarship?
3. It would be a hardship but we could pay her tuition and board and forego scholarship and hope the army lifts mandate before she graduates. For someone who very much wants to serve would this be a reasonable option?

Thank yoi
Click to expand...
I’m always interested in the train of thought around this. Once you are in you don’t have the luxury of saying “no, I don’t want that”regarding any vaccines that come along. Makes me think it’s a moment for introspection about personal autonomy and whether one is comfortable giving it up to a great degree. I’m just a parent so I don’t know much about this. I also have a brother who is sure that vaccines he got in the Army triggered his autoimmune disease. I’m not convinced that’s the case, but reality is you do what the Army tells you to do. Good luck with whatever your daughter decides.
 
Cmac154 said:
I’m always interested in the train of thought around this. Once you are in you don’t have the luxury of saying “no, I don’t want that”regarding any vaccines that come along. Makes me think it’s a moment for introspection about personal autonomy and whether one is comfortable giving it up to a great degree. I’m just a parent so I don’t know much about this. I also have a brother who is sure that vaccines he got in the Army triggered his autoimmune disease. I’m not convinced that’s the case, but reality is you do what the Army tells you to do. Good luck with whatever your daughter decides.
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She is well aware of what it means to serve given our personal family history. There is also a reason the our government only allows the military to mandate fully authorized vaccines which these vaccines are not.
 
NickHarlan said:
She is well aware of what it means to serve given our personal family history. There is also a reason the our government only allows the military to mandate fully authorized vaccines which these vaccines are not.
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The three major COVID vaccines are fully approved now.

www.google.com

COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Need to Know

Now that COVID-19 vaccines are authorized, here are the facts you need now.
www.google.com www.google.com
 
NJROTC-CC said:
The three major COVID vaccines are fully approved now.

www.google.com

COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Need to Know

Now that COVID-19 vaccines are authorized, here are the facts you need now.
www.google.com www.google.com
Click to expand...

In fact, SECDEF memorandum only began the vaccine mandate, specifically stating that, "The SECDEF memorandum mandates that servicemembers become “fully vaccinated against COVID19” and directs that only FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines be used for mandatory vaccination."
 
NJROTC-CC said:
The three major COVID vaccines are fully approved now.

www.google.com

COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Need to Know

Now that COVID-19 vaccines are authorized, here are the facts you need now.
www.google.com www.google.com
Click to expand...
This is false. The vaccines in use are all under EUA. The ones with full authority are in trials and will not be available for years if ever. The full authority was given in advance to give govt cover to mandate. It’s all there in black and white if you look for it.
 
Anonymous1211 said:
In fact, SECDEF memorandum only began the vaccine mandate, specifically stating that, "The SECDEF memorandum mandates that servicemembers become “fully vaccinated against COVID19” and directs that only FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines be used for mandatory vaccination."
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Well then SECDEF is being lied to as there is not a single dose of a FDA approved vaccine in existence in the USA. Just because someone said or wrote something or you found it on Google does not make it a fact
 
NickHarlan said:
Well then SECDEF is being lied to as there is not a single dose of a FDA approved vaccine in existence in the USA. Just because someone said or wrote something or you found it on Google does not make it a fact
Click to expand...

With all due respect, I am a licensed healthcare professional and Army Medical Service Corps officer. I can assure you the vaccines are fully FDA approved.

Reference FDA official link for Comirntay (Pfizer, BioNTech vaccine): here.

Reference FDA official link for Spikevax (Moderna vaccine): here.
 
I am sick of this personal rights BS - anyway Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are fully approved by FDA. (See below). Even if they were not - anyone signing a contract to commission in the US military should leave their political, religious and whatever other individual preferences, at the door when it comes to what is good for the unit and it’s mission. just do it. See: https://www.houstonmethodist.org/bl...of-the-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-means-for-you/
 
Anonymous1211 said:
With all due respect, I am a licensed healthcare professional and Army Medical Service Corps officer. I can assure you the vaccines are fully FDA approved.

Reference FDA official link for Comirntay (Pfizer, BioNTech vaccine): here.

Reference FDA official link for Spikevax (Moderna vaccine): here.
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You are 100% misinformed. Neither Comirntay nor Spikevax are available. Yes they are “approved”. But they don’t exist in real life.
 
glen said:
I am sick of this personal rights BS - anyway Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are fully approved by FDA. (See below). Even if they were not - anyone signing a contract to commission in the US military should leave their political, religious and whatever other individual preferences, at the door when it comes to what is good for the unit and it’s mission. just do it. See: https://www.houstonmethodist.org/bl...of-the-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-means-for-you/
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Again there is a reason congress specifically forbids the military from mandating non approved vaccines. It’s to avoid individual leaders from inserting their political or religious views on our service members.
The anger and intolerance in some of these replies is disheartening. Just asking for information on how to navigate the process. There is a 19 year old young lady who very much wants to serve being faced with a very serious decision and I had hoped to get some insight here to help her make HER decision.
 
I think you got your answer above. Of 16,000 religious exemption applicants in the Army, only 15 individuals have been approved. This is easily Googled. I would have to say, regardless of the process, I expect her chances of approval are very slim.

I doubt anyone above meant to be disrespectful. It's just that in the military individual beliefs are generally subsumed by the mission. Of course, if you think she has a solid religious reason for an exemption (I don't know what it might be, nor do I need to know) then she should reach out to her unit to discuss the process, deadlines and repercussions immediately, to help in making an informed decision.

As mentioned above a couple AROTC ROOs who might have definitive answers might chime in... but despite a flare being sent up, they haven't chimed in yet. Her unit's/ROO could help clarify this.
 
Not sure this will answer the mail for the OP as I believe he is absolutely un-persuadable that the vaccines are approved. But just in case there are others out there.....here is what I know. (And listed on the CDC website).

Two of the 3 main US vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna, have full FDA approval. I believe Pfizer was approved in August of 2021 and Moderna was approved in January of 2022. Now, one caveat here.....Pfizer is fully approved for ages 16 and older. Moderna is fully approved for ages 18 and older.

So, there is still an EUA for the younger age groups. In terms of Comernaty or Spikevax, those are "brand names" that the vaccines can be marketed under now that they have full approval. Companies do not have to change their labels but they can if they wish.

If you want to say the CDC is corrupt and full of liars, then it's time to move on since you basically state that you won't accept any answer that doesn't fit your narrative.

Moving past all of that, most universities have vaccine requirements. For NROTC, you have to meet university requirements to stay on scholarship, and that includes vaccines in many cases. There are a small number of religious exemptions being approved, but those have trended toward people on active duty.

All of this can turn on a single court decision so who knows where this will wind up. If people want to get themselves tied up in knots, knock yourself out. But I will wager those folks will find themselves not succeeding in general whichever service branch they choose.

I'll bow out of this now as quietly as I crept in. 😎
 
kinnem said:
I think you got your answer above. Of 16,000 religious exemption applicants in the Army, only 15 individuals have been approved. This is easily Googled. I would have to say, regardless of the process, I expect her chances of approval are very slim.

.
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And 11 of those 15 were Pastafarians. That could improve the odds.
 
I agree that once you are in the Army you have to do what Army tells you. There are all kinds of vaccines, etc you have to have. One of my LTs is a healthy kid whose had covid with little symptoms and wasn't real stoked about taking the vaccine. For her, it was a matter of holding out as long as possible hoping some study or some finding might change the mandate.

There were certainly instances where the vaccine wasn't everything it was presented to be and so I didn't think it was unreasonable to use any options available to postpone getting it. Eventually, she and the last few holdouts in her company got the vaccine under the threat of discipline, etc.

I don't begrudge anyone evaluating options available to them but as others have pointed, those options are slim to none.
 
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