Should military members be separated/discharged for refusing the COVID vaccinations?

This has become a hot and divisive topic for sure! I can only throw out some food for thought here...many moons ago when I served in the 505th PIR (the pterodactyl's eyes turned green for the go signal), prior to assuming Mission Cycle we were inoculated against everything except...ahem... our libidos. No one thought twice about it, because we understood that with a no notice world wide deployment mission we might actually end up somewhere the plague (as an example) was rampant. Same thing with the Flu shot...every year, no choice...and we all understood that we had to get the shots to be deployable.
I said all that to say this: Although I can understand and respect the hesitation before the Covid vaccines were FDA approved, the question I think that must be answered (especially given the highly contagious nature of Covid) is do we want non deployable personnel in our units? Or worse... someone sick with it in a two man fighting position?
I don't have a good answer except to say that the military is and should be a war fighting force first and foremost... doing whatever is needed to insure that.
Just my thoughts...

I’m of the opinion that you are either going to get COVID or you’re not. You’re either going to Die from it or you’re not. After receiving Vaccine B in the desert in 1999 (not in my shot record. Can’t find it anywhere in my medical record) I figure that one more vaccine wasn’t going to hurt and, while in a leadership position I wasn’t going to set a different expectation for those I manage than I have for myself. The vaccine is so politicized that we may never know the truth about it. At this point, I think that the more pressing issue was- How much blind trust and follower-ship will the general public have and how much over reach will they tolerate. As far as the DOD…I think that it’s more of a show of support to this Administration. The vaccine was never going to change the operations of certain components of the active duty force. Even with the “stop movement”, we were flying in 100+ students per week, elbow to elbow in classrooms, group shelters, etc. Once the individual states began banning travel into their states by individuals from HOT SPOT states, the military began using mil air to circumvent those travel bans and allowing these students to travel into the local community after duty hours, all the while keeping up the Public Policy of a “stop movement”. Other components of the mil have taken advantage of it…using COVID as an excuse. How do we graduate a medical airman who has only completed 40% of the traditional tech school curriculum? As we’ve continued to see repeat infection by those who have been full vaccinated and previously infected, and the ability to pass along the virus regardless of vaccine status (along with the decreased awareness by those asymptomatic) much of this has to do with the old - Do something, even if it doesn’t do anything (or much). As for the rights for exemption…once you’re in, you’re rights are only as applicable as the political winds. You should know that going in. Exceptions are only as valuable as the pressing social issues of the day. The vaccine issue is less than ANY of the other personal compromises that you’ll face on a nearly daily basis. Also, with the recent SCOTUS ruling surrounding the issue, apparently you no longer have the option to debate lawful vs unlawful order before complying. Interesting days ahead.

It’s a little disheartening to come back a month later to read these comments and see the astounding number of idiots, whackos, and simpletons who at one point probably held a security clearance…

If the Mos Eisley cantina were a VFW, it would be this comment thread

Yes.

I find it amusing at best that a person in the military can claim religious exemption when they accepted every other shots provided, especially the Antrax cocktail. Please spare me the drama and just say you're a stupid idiot who support a pathological liar.

NO This is America folks, remeber our oath... any dumb fuck shit that says any diffrent is a dumb fuck shit that should have never served nor should be serving. America = everyone has a choice= NATO, Russia = you will do as we say= WARSAW, any soilder, officer, congressman, represenative, president who says otherwise goes against the code of conduct and all orders therefore are null and void. Go on about your duty as you see fit at this time, because obviously not a one of them knowes their ass from their assholes. I remember in Basic hearing "hurry up hurry up Goddammit, you are moving like pond water and pond water does not move, but it was never straight into live fire. I am a Veteran, these shots have caused me to get congested every morning after about a week after the 2nd shot. In America everyone has a choice, prove me wrong and loose your citizensip.

Remember the words of the Oath we took when enlisting. I pretty sure there is some mention of "do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

Stop Slacking and do what is required of you.

NO

No. To require the shots when there are a lot of medical issues that have been happening as a result, is just wrong.
And, to discharge trained personnel for this is wasteful and contributes to poor moral. This is a political decision, not a military one. It makes the military services less ready for missions. How could this ever make sense?

In a word, yes! And applying for a religious exemption after the fact is bogus. That's like saying you're a conscientious objector AFTER you learn you're going to be deployed. If military members get to pick and choose which orders they will obey, where does it stop? GIs don't get paid to think, they joined the service to follow orders. Let them read the fine print on their contracts while Uncle Sam shows them the door. Most importantly, NO POSSIBILITY OF REINSTATEMENT!