Fort Knox generals set to reprimand unvaccinated soldiers caught ignoring mask rules

Generals at the Army’s Fort Knox will issue nonjudicial punishments to unvaccinated soldiers recently caught not wearing a mask inside facilities on the Kentucky installation where masks remain mandated for those who have not been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday.

Fort Knox generals are expected to issue about 40 General Officer Memoranda of Reprimand to soldiers who were caught by senior leaders eschewing Pentagon-directed policy mandating masks be worn indoors on military posts by all individuals who are not fully vaccinated, said Kyle Hodges, a Fort Knox spokesman. The letters, known as GOMARs, are potentially career-crippling administrative punishments that the Army has long used to reprimand soldiers outside of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

“In just a matter of hours last week, during random inspections, senior Fort Knox leaders identified several dozen unvaccinated individuals who attempted to enter on-post facilities such as the Shoppette and Post Exchange without masks,” Hodges said in a statement. “These unmasked individuals failed to provide proof of vaccination.”