Texas joins growing list of governors protesting National Guard vaccine mandate

https://news.yahoo.com Military Times ^ | Meghann Myers

[RomanSoldier19]

A seventh Republican governor is asking Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to reconsider COVID-19 vaccination requirements for National Guard members.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to the Defense Department on Thursday, two days after the governors of Alaska, Mississippi, Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming sent a similar letter to Austin.

The secretary has said that unvaccinated Guardsmen will be barred from participating in Title 32 training, including monthly drill weekends, and any pay for those days will be withheld.

“The State of Texas will not enforce this latest COVID-19 vaccine mandate against its guardsmen,” Abbott wrote. “If the federal government keeps threatening to defund the Texas National Guard, I will deploy every legal tool available to me as Governor in defense of these American heroes.”

Abbott originally ordered his adjutant general, who commands National Guard troops in the state, not to enforce any federal vaccination mandates back in October. This would mean that Texas Guardsmen can still serve in their state militia functions ― including state mobilizations at the Mexico border ― but they are jeopardizing their ability to participate in activations that draw federal pay and benefits.

[RomanSoldier19]

[DIRTYSECRET]

Protest ain’t good enough and we all know it. When will OUR people take off the gloves like the rats? It’s either Jan 1st or the 1st primary in March. Someone’s gotta call for it and I know who it should be.

[packrat35]

It took him awhile to come around also.

[sasportas]

who are the other governors who are protesting this?

[Ninaq]

Oklahoma, Alaska, Wyoming, Mississippi, Nebraska, Iowa and Texas.

[SoConPubbie]

Why did this take so long?

[Newbomb Turk]

My inside sources tell me that around 1/3 of Nebraska National Guard Soldiers told the state to pound sand on the mandatory vax.

It takes over 6 years to take a Soldier from enlistment to an effective leader at an E5 level.

The cost of replacing Soldiers is HUGE.

Especially now that Walmart says it will pay for college of all its employees.

Recruiters everywhere just love that I bet !

[Carry me back]

Next step,secede and stop sending money to DC. Time to put the parasite politicians out of work.

[Svartalfiar]

My inside sources tell me that around 1/3 of Nebraska National Guard Soldiers told the state to pound sand on the mandatory vax.

I'm not sure how Texas is looking overall, but my last unit, an admin unit, was maaybe a 50%. The current unit, back in combat arms, might have 25-30%. And a large majority of lower enlisted at least are definitely not taking any "vaccines".