The manner in which the U.S. military continues to treat its members in relation to COVID-19 vaccination mandates is a huge national scandal, though it is largely being ignored by the ‘mainstream’ media, which has gone all-in to push the Biden regime’s policy.
One of the most egregious cases involves an Air Force reserve officer who requested a medical exemption for the vaccine because of an allergy to one of its ingredients but instead was given a career-ending disciplinary action.
Just the News reports:
An Air Force Reserve officer who tested positive for an allergy to an ingredient in COVID-19 vaccines was denied a medical exemption and later received a letter of reprimand, which is considered a serious sanction that could potentially end her career.
Lt. Col. Brandi King, who was previously fired from her position in the Air Force chief of staff’s new diversity program after submitting a religious accommodation request (RAR), tested positive for an allergy to polysorbate, an ingredient in the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID vaccine. The allergist who administered the test recommended that she be exempted from receiving a COVID vaccination because of “the potential for a significant allergic reaction.”
Now, for the “they’re in the military, they’re supposed to follow orders” crowd (a refrain most often uttered by Americans who have never served in uniform), understand that ‘following orders’ does not include intentionally harming yourself.
“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if someone has an allergy to polysorbate, they shouldn’t receive the Janssen vaccine. The CDC recommends those allergic to polysorbate ask their doctor if they can get the mRNA COVID vaccine instead,” Just the News reports, adding that King has had COVID-19 already and she has tested positive for the virus’ antibodies.
She went on to note that the chief nurse at the 452nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron made it clear that she should be able to give her a 30-day medical exemption to the vaccine, according to Davis Younts, King’s lawyer. That would have given the Air Force Reserve Command additional time to obtain more documentation so that King’s situation could be reviewed.
But, Just the News reported, a day after King filed her request for a medical exemption, she was informed by the chief nurse after getting clarification from Air Force Reserve Command and the Surgeon General Consultant for Allergy and Immunology that no, she would not be getting the temporary exemption.
Instead, and for some inexplicable reason, King received a letter of reprimand, “which is an extremely serious sanction for an Air Force officer,” Younts explained.
The outlet adds:
If the letter of reprimand is upheld, then an unfavorable information file will be created, which is considered in her performance report, which goes before the promotion board. If she gets a negative performance report as a result, she won’t be competitive for a promotion, effectively ending her military career.
In the letter of reprimand, Commander of the Fourth Air Force, Major General Jeffrey T. Pennington, noted that King had requested medical exemptions twice after the initial deadline of Oct. 3, 2021, which is when she had submitted the RAR that was ultimately denied.
“You should have concurrently raised all medical issues in which you were seeking a medical exemption in accordance with the first order you received,” Pennington wrote. “By continuing to raise issues one by one, you have caused me to question your judgment.”
Mind you, precious few military members have been granted medical exemptions for the vaccine. That said, the U.S. Marine Corps on Thursday became the first military service branch to grant religious exemptions to the mandate (two, to be exact).
As for King, Pennington’s punishment seems unduly harsh; she is facing transfer to the Individual Ready Reserve, in which she won’t be eligible to participate in drills, receive pay or orders, or accumulate retirement points — and she is close to retirement as is.
“It is deeply troubling that after everything my client has done to comply with the shifting requirement the Air Force has placed on her they are now seeking to punish her and end her career because she has sought a medical exemption to the vaccine,” Younts noted.
