Air Force kicked out 23 recruits from boot camp who refused to get COVID vaccine
Roughly 12,000 active-duty airmen remain unvaccinated
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The U.S. Air Force removed 23 recruits from boot camp last week after they refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of the Nov. 2 deadline, defense officials confirmed to Fox News.
According to Pentagon officials, there is no military-wide punishment for those who refuse the vaccine, and each service must decide how to handle those situations. The deadline for active-duty members in the Navy to receive the vaccine is Nov. 28, with the Army's being set at Dec. 15.
THOUSANDS OF AIR FORCE TROOPS SET TO REJECT VACCINE MANDATE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"The secretary's been very clear with the leaders of the military departments that he wants them to execute the mandate with a sense of compassion and understanding," John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said Monday.
Kirby also said military "leaders have a range of tools available to them to help troops make the right decisions for themselves, for their units, for their families, short of using the Uniform Code of Military Justice – therefore, short of punitive measures."
After the nearly two dozen recruits were kicked out of Air Force boot camp, officials say individuals must now be vaccinated first to join the branch.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
There are about 12,000 active-duty airmen who remain unvaccinated out of 326,000 in the Air Force’s active-duty component. That's roughly 4% of the Air Force.
There have been six COVID-19 deaths in the Air Force since the beginning of the pandemic. Last year, over 100 active-duty airmen died of suicide. So far this year, nearly 30 have died from suicide, according to the Pentagon.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Last week, the U.S. Army launched an investigation into reports that three people were accidentally given the coronavirus vaccine at a Washington state military base.