The Air Force separated 610 Airmen for declining the once-mandated COVID-19 vaccination. Of them, 40 Airmen voluntarily left the service and 14 officers retired, according to Undersecretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Feb. 28.
COVID-19 Update
Currently serving Airmen and Guardians who sought exemptions from the Pentagon's COVID-19 vaccine mandate will see those actions reversed and records erased, a new memo from Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall states. “The DAF will remove adverse information from records of those currently ...
Thousands of Airmen and Guardians who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 no longer have to get the shots—and those who faced disciplinary action for failing to get vaccinated will have their records wiped clean. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III formally rescinded the Pentagon’s vaccination requirement Jan. 10, ...
In 2020, Air Force retention spiked to a 20-year high, driven largely by enlisted Airmen deciding to stay in the service amid the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two years later, as the effects of the pandemic recede, there has been a slight decline among both ...
The 2023 National Defense Authorization bill passed the House Dec. 8 and the Senate is poised to pass it in the next few weeks, paving the way for a 4.6 percent pay raise, a housing allowance increase, the elimination of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and ...
After weeks of negotiations, top lawmakers unveiled a compromise version of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, priming Congress to pass the annual policy bill before the end of the year. For the Air Force, the bill would carry major implications for the future of ...
The Pentagon has a new tool in its push to fully vaccinate service members against COVID-19—a vaccine that medical officials hope will alleviate the concerns of those who have previously refused the shot. The Novavax vaccine is now widely available for service members, the Department ...
Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has COVID-19 for the second time in 2022. Austin said in a statement Aug. 15 that he’d tested positive that morning. He was “experiencing mild symptoms” and planned to quarantine at home for five days in accordance with Centers ...
New USAF Brown and Blue Books; Refusing COVID vaccine leads to general discharges; 10-year low in E-7 promotions; Space Force eases uniform policies; AMC endurance record set.