Big Navy, “Sorry About That Covid Thing”
Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao says personnel discharged over vaccine mandate were ‘failed’
Under Secretary apologizes to service members removed under the Biden administration’s COVID vaccine mandate
By Michael Sinkewicz
The Department of the Navy issued an apology letter Friday to former military personnel “unjustly removed” from service because of the COVID vaccine mandate during the Biden administration.
Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao emphasized that the Department of War is committed to “righting past wrongs” and welcoming back former service members who were dismissed during the pandemic.
“To the sailors and marines who were wrongfully discharged during COVID, we failed you,” Hung said in a video posted on X. “We will never allow this to happen again, not on my watch. We are ready for you to come back, and we want to correct your records.”
Petty Officer Schmuckatelli was booted from service with a General Discharge in 2021 for refusing the jab, and if he ain’t back by now it’s not gonna happen. The shock, shame and betrayal experienced won’t be forgotten and enticements like a return to prior rank and a discharge upgrade are woefully inadequate. His peer group has moved up the ranks, and the involuntary broken service is there for every selection board to see. How to address this is left unsaid.
Of the acknowledged ~8K service members booted for Covid, as of last June a stunning 13 people, all Army, have returned to service bringing the total number re-entering the military to just over 100. So thanks for the letter, but it will change nothing.
Category: Big Navy, COVID-19 vaccine
Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Do-nothin’, let this happen. When he was missing for that period of time they were finishing up removing his spine and nuts. Here’s hoping he contracts syphilis—-twice.
Meanwhile the services lost quite a few good members. A bad situation all around.
“Sorry ’bout that, we’ll make it up”, says the current civilian senior leaders. One of the strengths (and admittedly, weaknesses, given the two-party system and sheeplike voters) of our military is that it is civilian led. But here’s where that weakness comes into play: under Biden and his minions (Austin, etc.) noncompliant service members were shown the door. Under the current Administration, they’re being invited back. When the next Dem gets back in power, and has a mediocre reason to do so, the military will be hacked away at yet again. First to go will be anyone who has the slightest of Trump loyalist vibes.
I did the “right” thing, by getting the first two shots. I’ve said it time and again but serving in JTF-NCR/USAMDW at the time, I was neither in the position nor did I have the desire to try to buck the system. MG Jones got the jabs, the SES and RADL serving as Deputies got the jabs, and son on down the chain. Falling on my sword to make a statement wasn’t something I even thought of.
For those principled enough to refuse the shot, they made their choice. The DOD made their choice. Had I been involuntarily separated five years ago, I sure as hell wouldn’t go back now, unless civilian life just really wasn’t working out. Even then, I’d be years behind my former peers, burdened with a stigma of being a “non-player” by my leadership, and worried that this decision will be reversed whenever the Dems win again.
A pretty obvious case of too little too late.
Could the Nav. Sec. be one hung low????