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.
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 Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III formally rescinded the Pentagon’s vaccination requirement Jan. 10, ...
The Senate passed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Dec. 15, sending the annual policy bill to President Joe Biden for his signature. But Biden could still opt to veto the bill over a controversial provision requiring the Pentagon to roll back its COVID-19 vaccine ...
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 ...
Service members facing potential discharges for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine received little relief from the House Armed Services Committee as it marked up the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, with a series of provisions challenging the vaccine mandate getting voted down. Troops hoping ...
A grand total of 973 Cadets graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy on May 25, with the vast majority commissioning into either the Air Force or the Space Force. But for three in particular, the day was destined to end with a degree but ...
A dozen Cadets from the Air Force Academy have refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, including three seniors who won’t be allowed to graduate unless they get the shot, a spokesman for the Academy confirmed to Air Force Magazine. USAFA’s graduation ceremony is scheduled for ...
The Department of the Air Force has approved four more requests for religious accommodations from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, even as the service continues to face legal challenges to the rule. The latest data released Feb. 22 indicated that 13 total religious exemptions had been ...
A federal judge has blocked the Air Force from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for an officer at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., issuing a temporary injunction Feb. 15. The Air Force said it is aware of the injunction and will follow the court order ...
Unvaccinated Airmen from the Oklahoma Air National Guard who don’t have an approved or pending religious or administrative accommodation to the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate are no longer allowed to drill, announced the state’s adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino.
A new year is poised to bring some key changes for Air Force and Space Force personnel, as the services look to continue to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, transition to a new force generation model, roll out changes to their physical fitness programs, promote diversity, ...