Posted on 10/19/2021 9:53:59 AM PDT by ducttape45
The Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III
Secretary of Defense
U.S. Department of Defense
Washington, DC 20318-9999
Dear Secretary Austin,
I write today to express my grave concerns about this administration's imposition of COVID vaccine mandates on the uniformed and civilian workforces, at the expense of readiness and morale. This haphazardly implemented and politically motivated vaccine mandate must be immediately suspended or risk irrevocable damage to our national security reminiscent of sequestration.
At a time when our adversaries continue to increase their quantitative and qualitative advantage against our forces, we should seek to ensure that no policy, even unintentionally, hinders military readiness. Most troublesome is the lack of clarity and consistency among the services as they look to implement the administration's hasty vaccination mandate. Combined with the uncertainty and burden the vaccination mandate places on industry, this administration will do more damage to the nation's security than any external threat.
As highlighted in the recent Washington Post article, tens of thousands of service members have yet to comply with the vaccination order. The ambiguity of the various policies combined with unrealistic timelines and processes for granting exemptions will ensure that tens of thousands of personnel are unable to comply. Responses to inquiries from the Senate Armed Services Committee to the Department as to the impacts on readiness, consequences for failure to comply with the mandate and anticipated manning challenges have been unsatisfactory.
The lack of strategic foresight in the implementation of the COVID vaccination mandate is inexcusable. Plainly stated, no service member, Department of Defense civilian or contractor supporting the Department should be dismissed due to failure to comply with the mandate until the ramifications of mass dismissal are known. With an ever shrinking candidate pool, hastily executed policies such as this work to further diminish the ability of the Department to tap into the finite resource of people critical to national security. The mass attrition of personnel and further shirking of the defense industrial base at this time would only serve to hinder our ability to project power and compete against near-peer adversaries.
Accordingly, in your role as Secretary of Defense, and in conjunction with the Service Secretaries and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the Combatant Commanders, I ask that you provide me the following data and information pertaining to the armed forces, broken down by each Military Service and Combatant Command, and including the Joint Staff:
-- The total cost associated with discharging the service members, civilian personnel and contractors who fail to comply with the vaccination mandate according to the current prescribed deadlines. Additionally, the cost associated with replacing these vacancies with new hires and any planning conducted for recruitment or retention strategies to offset anticipated discharges, particularly in mission-critical areas.
-- The anticipated impacts to mission readiness, i.e. loss in flight training hours, loss in aircraft and shipyard repair maintenance hours, etc. if the Department pursues the discharging of service members, civilian personnel and contractors who fail to comply with the vaccination mandate according to the current specified deadlines.
-- The anticipated cost to contractors caused by failure to comply with the vaccination mandate and expected requests for equitable adjustment. Additionally, an analysis of the long term effects on the defense industrial base, particularly suppliers and subcontractors, resulting from loss of key workforce personnel.
-- An analysis of the potential impacts to the workforce both uniformed and civilian if the Department were to retain those who choose not to receive the COVID vaccination. Additionally, an independent Department of Defense analysis of the potential merits of earned immunity and an assessment of the risk posed to those immunized with one of the FDA approved vaccines.
-- The processes for service members, civilian personnel and contractors seeking vaccination exemptions and the criteria by which individual cases are being adjudicated. Additionally, the process by which an individual may pursue an appeal to the initial ruling.
-- An analysis of the of service members, civilian personnel and contractors on track to comply with the vaccination mandate deadlines as currently prescribed. Additionally, a study to determine the potential risk posed to those vaccinated and unvaccinated should the Department forgo discharging those who elect not comply with the mandate.
-- A classified briefing for Senate Armed Services Committee members on the anticipated ability of the Department to execute operational plans within a year of the Department’s dismissal of unvaccinated personnel, and any tabletop exercises or analysis planned to study such negative operational consequences.
Although the actual costs associated with each of these undertakings is certainly cause for concern, the opportunity cost they have and continue to visit on the force, its readiness, and morale is nothing short of devastating—particularly in light of current threats.
I look forwarding to receiving your written response and your views on these important matters not later than November 1, 2021.
Sincerely,
James M. Inhofe
Ranking Member
Check this out. Let me know what you all think.
I think it’s pointless grandstanding. The military is run by Democrats.
Austin is probably looking for his middle finger emoji as we speak.
Be it a pointless grandstanding or honest
effort, regardless it’s the only legal way to go about
protesting this horse manure I reckon.
His letter only serves to confirm that what they’re doing will have the desired effect.
Slimy Rino. He and Lankford need to be kicked out
Paying lip service to the issue rather than actually doing anything about it.
Ooooh, a not even strongly worded letter...oooooh!
RINO.
Vote against him!
Should be good for a laugh inside the White House.
I think a Dishonorable Discharge under this mandate if that happens will be ignored completely by the employing community of 1/2 of America!
Slimy Rino. He and Lankford need to be kicked out
Concur...all theatre, all the time from these two. Where were they 2 months ago, or 10 months ago? The only reason Inhofe sent this letter is because his phone is ringing off the hook.
Ft Sill, Tinker, (Depot maintenance, 75,000 civ workers), Vance, huge number of civilians.
Votes are all that matter to Inhofe and Lankford..nothing else. They are feeling the heat, hence the letter...this will pass.
A better question to ask these a’holes is why is congress, their families and staff exempt from the vaccine?
By the time this info is gathered and submitted the mandate will have already taken its toll. Demand the mandate stopped NOW!
Inhofe is a piece of crap, like every other GOP Senator. Spouts off about climate change being nonsense, so we’ll think hes on our side. Ben Sasse does the same thing, only with abortion.
All these GOP senators are nothing but actors. They look like actors, they talk like actors. They are cast specifically to appeal to us. John Kennedy from Louisiana deserves the fake Conservative Oscar this year, but there’s always lots of stiff competition.
What does Inhofe think this is...a plantation?
Finally. I thought h was dead.
I Austin only knew how much stress this would relieve and how much happier folks would be. Not gonna happen though because they want us miserable and at each other’s throats. They want the violence to start so they can step in and squash us with F-15s and nuclear weapons...
I believe you meant Bill Cassidy. Kennedy is good. Cassidy voted to impeach Trump.
Well he won’t get answers by 1 Nov. The services may have a good idea on the uniformed members by as far as I know no civilians have been officially counted, vax/no vax/no way in hell, yet.
By percent, OK is probably in the top 5 states for federal employment. I suspect the Senator’s interest is more about that aspect.
It is nice those kinds of questions are on the record.
May as well be talking to a rock.
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