Coronavirus: Thread

[grarpamp]

National Guard tells Woke Biden Vax Military to Fuck Off...


Oklahoma National Guard 'Goes Rogue' After New Commander Rejects
Vaccine Mandate; Pentagon To Respond 'Appropriately'

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/11/12/newly-oklahoma-national-guard-leader-changes-covid-vaccine-policy/8586292002/
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/12/federal-court-biden-vaccine-or-test-mandate-521233
https://twitter.com/DanSnyderFOX25/status/1459260590615060481
https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/governor/documents/JKS-Ltr-to-SecDef-Austin-RE-Covid19-Vaccinations_November-2-2021.pdf
https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2021/11/12/oklahoma-guard-goes-rogue-rejects-covid-vaccine-mandate-after-sudden-change-of-command/
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2014-title32/pdf/USCODE-2014-title32-chap1-sec108.pdf
https://www.stripes.com/covid/2021-11-12/coronavirus-vaccine-mandate-military-national-guard-oklahoma-3597003.html


The Biden administration is having another bad week. One day before an
appeals court upheld a stay against Biden's 'vaccine-or-test'
requirement for private businesses, the Oklahoma National Guard
'rescinded' the Pentagon's requirement that service members receive
the COVID-19 vaccine.

On Wednesday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Army Brig. Gen.
Thomas Mancino as the state's new adjutant general - replacing Army.
Maj Gen. Michael Thompson, a vaccine advocate who was previously
scheduled to transfer command to Mancino on Jan. 15, 2022 according to
the Oklahoman.
Army Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino issued an order halting the Oklahoma
Army and Air National Guard's mandatory COVID-19 vaccine rollout on
Nov. 11, 2021, less than 24 hours after his sudden appointment as the
state's top general. (Oklahoma National Guard via ArmyTimes)

Mancino's first order of business? A memo formally 'rescinding' the
Covid-19 vaccine requirement for Guardsmen.

"No Oklahoma Guardsman will be required to take the COVID-19 Vaccine,"
it reads, adding that Gov. Stitt is the force's "lawful Commander in
Chief" when not mobilized by the federal government.

"No negative administrative or legal action will be taken against
Guardsmen who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine."

    MORE: Former OK National Guard Adjutant Gen. Michael Thompson, a
public supporter of the vaccines, was abruptly removed from his post
this week. He was asked yesterday if it was because of his support for
the vaccines. His response ⬇⬇ pic.twitter.com/QGJpHHOdfE
    — Dan Snyder (@DanSnyderFOX25) November 12, 2021

When reached for comment, the Pentagon said they would respond
"appropriately" to the memo.

"We are aware of the memo issued by the Oklahoma Adjutant General
regarding COVID vaccination for Guardsmen and the governor’s letter
requesting exemption. We will respond to the governor appropriately,"
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told Axios in a statement, adding "That
said, Secretary Austin believes that a vaccinated force is a more
ready force. That is why he has ordered mandatory vaccines for the
total force, and that includes our National Guard, who contribute
significantly to national missions at home and abroad."

Stitt had previously requested that the Department of Defense not
enforce the mandate on the state's Army and Air National Guard
members. In a Nov. 2 letter cited by Mancino, Stitt said that 10% of
the state's troops had refused the vaccine, and that the mandate was
"irresponsible," according to the Army Times.

    Although National Guard troops do belong to their governors when
not mobilized by the Pentagon, federal requirements often supersede
any state uses of the Guard, as senior leaders often emphasize. That’s
because the vast majority of Guard funding, training and equipment
comes from the federal government.

    It’s not yet clear whether the order will jeopardize that funding.

    Title 32, the section of the U.S. Code that pertains to the
National Guard, includes a section specifying that states that do not
comply with Title 32 regulations forfeit their federal funding for the
Guard. It’s not clear, though, whether the vaccine mandate meets that
legal threshold. -Army Times

The Stitt administration is confident they have the authority to defy
the Biden administration - as top spokesperson, Charlie Hannema, told
the Army Times that the "only way Oklahoma would ‘forfeit’ any federal
funding for failing to comply with Title 32 would be to ignore the
lawful order of the dually elected civilian authority, i.e. The
Governor of Oklahoma."

National Guard Bureau spokesperson, Air Force Maj. Matthew Murphy,
begged to differ - telling Stars & Stripes that the vax mandate was a
"legal gray area that would have to be reviewed by our lawyers."

"This is where the difference between Title 32 and Title 10 becomes a
real becomes an issue," said Murphy. "In most instances, the guardsmen
are in their Title 32 capacity, which means they’re on state duty. In
order to be federalized, they have to be on Title 10."

As we said, not a great week for the Biden administration.