****** I am prefacing this with these are only my personal opinions and not meant ot upset or anger anyone *******
For those of us following COVID when COVID was THE HOT TOPIC, we should remember the USS Teddy Roosevelt! Ship was not operational for a while because a majority of the crew contracted COVID and the ship was not "Battle Ready". Happened to other ships also, and a lot of other ships had to "stay at sea" to prevent infection. The NAVY was unready to defend the country if war had broken out. Some ships were unable to deploy because of COVID outbreaks. Some Army units were quarantined in both the US and abroad because of infections.
Regardless of your thoughts here, not being a Supreme Court Justice, politics has become forefront. Those members (both officer and enlisted) were ALL given the opportunity to separate without prejudice if they felt they just could not get the vaccine. But no, a lot of members decided to fight the order (many after taking a lot of other vaccines) on the basis of political belief or supposed religious belief. JMHO, but many of the vaccines these same people refused because of religious beliefs contained or were derived from the same scientific methods as vaccines they willingly took.
As for it being "Lawful" as an order, during the Gulf war there was an order to get the Anthrax Vaccine (not fully approved), and failure to get it meant you were "Not Deployable" and hence not duty ready. No lawsuits were file that I am aware of, and no Judge "cherry-picking" occurred as happened during COVID. It would be interesting to get the stats on how many of the lawsuits brought by members were handled by "sympathetic" Judges, most of whom have never served in the military.
As for personal beliefs, anyone is entitled to their own, but when in the military you swear an oath to abide by the orders of those appointed above you, these members failed to do that, rather claiming they were not lawful. I would not want to serve with ANY of these members as their leader because at what point do they refuse one of my orders because they make the decision as to what is "lawful" and refuse to do something that may be needed. This is JMHO, and by no means meant to insinuate anything about people objecting to getting any vaccine, but if you "elect' to join the military (AND it IS voluntary), then in the interest of readiness and good military order I can't condone members questioning orders of their superiors, I just don't feel it is in our country's best interest. If you feel you cannot do what is required (especially knowing it is required) the just don't join!
Sorry, if I am making people angry, I do not mean to imply anyone has thought anything that is wrong, but we are not Korea, Japan or other countries who have mandatory military service and the only avenue to fight something you feel is very wrong is to contest or protest it, military service in the United States is fully voluntary, and if you elect to join knowing certain things, then if you disobey there should be consequences. If the government reinstates all these objectors, then what happens during a conflict if members object to firing on someone else because of a strongly held belief?
My belief is that these same people who rejoice over repealing the mandate, if they get sick, have residuals of COVID, cannot serve but will likely be the first in line to claim veterans' benefits and money because they were injured in the military. JMHO, but military service is different from individual rights in civilian life. When members refuse orders because "they" believed they knew better than those appointed above them my own belief is we lose any semblance of military order and discipline. where do we draw the line as to what should be followed or not, me just not wanting to do it, or being scared, or wanting to make a political or religious point. Most of us on here who served years ago took shots, did things we questioned, and were scared, but we followed orders. Now it seems we have gotten to a point where it is Ok for anyone to question anything in the military without repercussion? Where does that leave our military?
