Military begins disciplinary actions against refusers

At least 30,000 service members are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19

U.S. military services have begun to take disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

As many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces of the approximately 1.3 million active-duty troops are at risk of being removed from service — though neither the Navy nor Marine Corps have released refusal totals and it remains unclear how many could end up being discharged.

The Navy has already fired one sailor from his command job for refusing to be tested while he pursued an exemption.

The Marine Corps said Thursday that it had discharged 103 Marines thus far, the Army has reprimanded more than 2,700 soldiers and will begin discharge proceedings in January and the Air Force announced earlier this week that 27 airmen had been discharged.

At least 30,000 service members are not yet vaccinated, but several thousand have been granted temporary or permanent medical or administrative exemptions and more than 12,000 have sought religious exemptions.