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91% of people obeyed the order; members of the Army Guard must be by June 30

Des Moines-Some members of the Iowa Air National Guard face a deadline on Thursday and must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, otherwise they will face disciplinary action and may eventually be fired for failing to comply with military orders.

Iowa State Guard spokesperson Kevin Waldron said in an email on Wednesday that as of November 30, 91% of Air National Guard members had been vaccinated and 80% of Iowa Army National Guards The team members have been vaccinated.

Waldron said that members of the Iowa Army National Guard must comply with the directive by June 30, 2022.

The guard leader said that approximately 9,000 soldiers have been instructed to receive COVID-19 vaccination or are at risk of disciplinary action, and if they refuse without citing an approved medical or religious exemption, they may include “separation” as a last resort. s method.

Earlier this fall, Waldron stated that the U.S. Department of Defense has made the COVID-19 vaccine a mandatory part of the military’s medical preparation, health, and welfare requirements.

"The administrative measures that the Iowa National Guard may take against service personnel who fail to comply with legal orders have not changed," Waldron said on Wednesday. "According to the judgment of the army commander, those who refuse may face disciplinary action, which is gradual in nature and may result in separation of the army from the army. No adverse action will be taken against members who have pending exemption requests."

The Iowa Air National Guard has 1,948 members, and the Iowa Army National Guard has 7,010 members, said Catherine Headley, a spokesperson for the guard.

Headley said that the 9% non-vaccination rate "in aviation" includes medical and religious exemption requests, denials, and individuals who plan to retire in the near future, adding, "Currently, there is no strict disciplinary timetable for Iho Member of the Washington State Air National Guard."

In October, the Iowa Legislature approved and Governor Kim Reynolds signed House Document 902, which allows Iowans to receive unemployment benefits when they lose their jobs because they refuse to comply with their employer's COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

In addition, the new law allows employees of private companies in Iowa to claim that they are medically vulnerable or have religious objections to compulsory vaccines based solely on their statements, rather than with the support of real professionals.

Waldron said on Wednesday, “Governor. Reynolds’ vaccine authorization bill HF 902 will not affect this week’s requirements.”

Although any soldier who refuses to be vaccinated without an approved medical or religious exemption may face options including separation, Waldron downplayed the possibility earlier this fall, saying the organization In the end, "I hope that all of our soldiers will continue to serve."

He said: "We have trained these pilots and soldiers for months and years, and we value them in our organization." If a guard member refuses to be vaccinated without an approved medical or religious exemption Vaccine and reach the end, "We will study what this means for the Iowa National Guard and those personal service personnel."

"Separation is an option on the desktop, and it was developed under the guidance of the Department of Defense.

"The results may vary, depending on the service staff, whether they follow and seek medical or religious exemptions," Waldron said. "The result of approval or rejection can determine the next steps to be taken from there. If someone continues to refuse or (is) unwilling to continue the vaccination, then we can do some administrative things, and it may depend on the situation at the time.

"We will consider different options based on individual circumstances to determine what is best for them and what is best for the organization."

Comments: (515) 243-7220; rod.boshart@thegazette.com

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