“Can anyone tell me if this is legal under the UCMJ”
One of the major things military have to contend with is the capacity to world wide deployment. They may have to go at a moment’s notice and have to be capable without question. As long as the federal government determines that covid can harm the mission due to shortfalls, and determines the vaccines are the answer, they can be subject to vaccination. They already are all carrying shot records listing the inoculations for everything from flu to yellow fever. Annual inventory on each deployable person is accomplished and the shots are supposed to be up to date. Covid is just another on the list of many, some that are not even in the US any more but might be in a test tube somewhere ready to show its ugly head. Just part of the business.
And refusal to follow the orders of a superior falls under article 92:
A conviction of a violation of or failure to obey other lawful order carries the punishment of a bad-conduct discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 6 months.
Easier to just get the shot just like the other ones.
wy69
witney69, the vaccine is OPTIONAL by DOD reg. If it were not OPTIONAL then I’d be with you. It is also OPTIONAL by law because it is experimental. Is it legal for a local Commander to restrict service members who decline to take an OPTIONAL vaccine?