Thu Feb 3, 2022 – 6:05 pm EST
WASHINGTON (LifeSiteNews) – A U.S. Navy chaplain was among sailors recently denied religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate by the Department of Defense (DOD).
Speaking to FOX News, the chaplain, who wished to remain anonymous, faces the loss of his retirement benefits after almost 20 years in the Navy.
“It’s a kick in the gut for sure,” he said. “If I lose retirement benefits [by being discharged], that would be a pretty significant burden to me and my family. At the same time, this is a fight worth fighting. I do not think this is a lawful order.”
The Navy evaluates religious exemptions for the jab with a multistep process. The request must be submitted to the commanding officer (CO) along with some forms. Then meetings with medical personnel and an interview with a chaplain is scheduled to determine whether the person making the request is sincere in their beliefs. The final decision to accept the request is made higher up in the chain of command.
According to the chaplain, the rejection of his request was an executive decision. While both the chaplain’s CO and the CO’s boss both recommended the request
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