Wed Dec 22, 2021 – 5:47 pm EST
WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) – The U.S. Armed Forces has yet to approve a single religious exemption to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination despite facing 12,000 requests.
The news comes from a December 19 report by the Associated Press, which interviews military personnel at various stages of the process.
In August, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed the secretaries of all military branches to “immediately begin full [COVID] vaccination of all members of the Armed Forces” and “impose ambitious timelines for implementation.” The deadlines are November 2 for the Air Force, November 28 for the Navy and Marine Corps, December 15 for the Army, December 28 for the Navy and Marine Corps Reserves, and December 2 for the Air Force Guard and Reserves. Army Guard and Reserves have until June 2022.
Most service members have complied, but more than 30,000 troops remain unvaccinated, with over 20,000 seeking religious exemptions or medical exemptions, or simply refusing to comply. Several thousand have secured exemptions for non-religious reasons.
“We did not expect the surge of requests,” said Air Force Col. Paul Sutter, chief chaplain for religious affairs for the Air Force’s new Space Force
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