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Marine who was discharged, court martialed for refusing COVID-19 vaccine arrested for attempting to return to her base in Japan
The Blaze ^ | December 22, 2023 | Leon Wolf

Posted on 12/22/2023 4:22:16 PM PST by Twotone

Former Marine Catherine Arnett, who spent 113 days in the brig and was eventually discharged for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine in 2022, was arrested earlier this month for attempting to return to her duty station in Japan, according to Stars and Stripes.

Arnett's case became a cause célèbre when she refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine in 2022, citing religious objections to the fact that the vaccine was developed using research that involved fetal tissue cells. Arnett's request for a religious exemption was denied. The Marine Corps notified Arnett that she faced administrative separation due to this decision, but Arnett twice refused to board a flight to the United States, or indeed to even leave the base, which led to her being court martialed.

This set in motion a chain of events that led to multiple set trial dates and unsuccesful attempts to discharge Arnett. Finally, in June, the Corps informed Arnett that charges against her were being dropped without prejudice, and that she would be administratively discharged. At the time, Marine Maj. Rob Martins, a spokesman for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing told Task and Purpose, "This decision was made judiciously while balancing what was best for Lance Cpl. Arnett and the United States Marine Corps."

The vaccine mandate was ultimately rescinded on January 10, 2023 by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Arnett, meanwhile, apparently did not agree that her separation from the Marine Corps was best for her. According to Stars and Stripes, Arnett was detained on December 1st while attempting to enter MCAS Iwakuni around 2:30am. She was detained and turned over to local police later that day, who finally released her "last week." Arnett did not respond directly to Stars and Stripes in a request for comment, but someone purporting to be her secretary claimed that Arnett was re-entering the base as an act of civil disobedience. "Ms. Arnett was solely standing on the principle that since the mandate was unconstitutional from the jump, all other actions that transpired as a result were also unlawful orders. She arrived at the base to take the stand and drive home the concept that she refused to take her DD214 and still refuses to comply with any separation orders."

According to Stars and Stripes, Japanese prosecutors have not yet made a decision on whether to charge Arnett with a crime for entering the base without permission.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; Japan; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: arnett; covid; japan; mandate; marine; vaccine
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To: Gene Eric

“The Pentagram”


21 posted on 12/22/2023 5:12:29 PM PST by Nextrush (FREEDOM IS EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS-REMEMBER REV. NIEMOLLER)
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To: Twotone

Maybe I’m not understanding everything but... How did she make a living in Japan all this time without the local authorities sending her back to the States?


22 posted on 12/22/2023 5:12:30 PM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: FarCenter

I wonder if she’s been in Japan for this time or if she flew to the other side of the world to prove her point.


23 posted on 12/22/2023 5:15:27 PM PST by Captain Walker ("It is infinitely better to have a few good Men, than many indifferent ones." - George Washington)
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To: Twotone

I agree with her decision not to be vaxxed, but I don’t think acts of civil disobedience go anywhere at all, in the Marine Corps.


24 posted on 12/22/2023 5:15:35 PM PST by Flaming Conservative ((Pray without ceasing))
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To: pops88

The duly elected leader signed the blank checks to big donors bar an and locked us down. He is still praising the billions he saved worldwide with lockdowns, masking, operation warp speed.
The final name up was him signing the cares act to perpetrate his tyranny, with fauci whom he awarded the presidential commendation.
He offered the dems DACA just like Rubio.


25 posted on 12/22/2023 5:17:22 PM PST by momincombatboots (BQEphesians 6... who you are really at war with. )
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To: BradyLS

She might have simply lived there as a illegal. Perhaps she raised money off of her vaxx stance. Being illegal in Japan will be alot different than here.


26 posted on 12/22/2023 5:18:22 PM PST by Theoria
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To: 13foxtrot
They forced the jab on our military but let millions of unvaccinated illegal come through our borders????

WHEN IS AMERICA GONNA WAKE UP!

27 posted on 12/22/2023 5:21:29 PM PST by lizma2
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To: Twotone

Not only is this country is a skeezy banana republic, it looks like our formerly great military is going skeezy, too.


28 posted on 12/22/2023 5:23:37 PM PST by kiryandil (The Biden: "Zelensky, we need to sit down and have a talk.")
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To: hardspunned
That’s one of the reasons the last thing they will see is anything close to acceptable recruitment and retention.

After a certain point, you'll have to expect that most of the remaining service personnel will NOT have the interests of our former Republic at heart.

29 posted on 12/22/2023 5:27:44 PM PST by kiryandil (The Biden: "Zelensky, we need to sit down and have a talk.")
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To: Wuli

Not wanting to take a shot that could possibly kill you is not lawful.


30 posted on 12/22/2023 5:28:42 PM PST by roving (Deplorable Listless Vessel Trumpist With Trumpitis)
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To: momincombatboots

Stealth NeverTrumping again, I see...


31 posted on 12/22/2023 5:29:51 PM PST by kiryandil (The Biden: "Zelensky, we need to sit down and have a talk.")
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To: Flaming Conservative
She is no longer in the Corps. She seems to be attempting to keep the vaccine program abuse of military personnel in the news. She essentially tried to report for duty as she does not recognize the Corps authority to discharge her. Unfortunately for her MCAS Iwakuni Japan can block her from entering the base and if she unlawfully gets on the base you get to visit a Japanese jail.

Not a stupid move if it leads to her appearing with Tucker or being interviewed in a Nationally syndicated paper. The question is and always has been, under what authority did the DOD force service members to take a vaccine that only had emergency use authorization. They cannot do that. This goes back to the anthrax shot debacle. It is my understanding that they can be forced if the CIC authorizes it, but as far as I recall neither Trump or Biden wanted their name on that mess. Neither gave authorization. LQTBQLMNOZ Milley and All White People are Racists Austin did not have the legal authority to force the vaccine. So was it legal to force all those people out of the military for refusing the shot? I do not know the answer to that. I am curious as to why this is not being argued before some court. Being discharged for disobeying an unlawful order is questionable. If the DOD is found to have acted contrary to the law, that opens a massive can of worms. May need to double the DOD budget if that happens.

32 posted on 12/22/2023 5:32:20 PM PST by OldGoatCPO (No Caitiff Choir of Angels will sing for me. )
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To: gcparent

Smoke and mirrors.


33 posted on 12/22/2023 5:34:20 PM PST by roving (Deplorable Listless Vessel Trumpist With Trumpitis)
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To: gcparent; 13foxtrot
gcparent: The marines did meet their recruitment quotas.

13foxtrot: For 2023 USMC cut their authorized force size by 1500

'It appeared that there had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grams a week, from the previous ration of 30 grams a week.'

34 posted on 12/22/2023 5:34:21 PM PST by kiryandil (The Biden: "Zelensky, we need to sit down and have a talk.")
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To: momincombatboots

My governor shut down my state.


35 posted on 12/22/2023 5:36:33 PM PST by roving (Deplorable Listless Vessel Trumpist With Trumpitis)
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To: momincombatboots

Doesn’t change the fact we’ve experienced a coup and been in a civil war.


36 posted on 12/22/2023 5:38:32 PM PST by pops88 ( Helping usher the glory of God into Las Vegas)
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To: kiryandil

I wonder if she stopped and got a bento box of fried rice at the Last Chance Cafe to the left of the main gate?

Going out the gate the sign read First Chance Cafe.

Those were the days !!!


37 posted on 12/22/2023 6:43:46 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: tet68

Drinks were .50 cents and every third drink was free.


38 posted on 12/22/2023 6:46:06 PM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: 13foxtrot

I thought that was patently obvious, especially here.

Apparently not.


39 posted on 12/22/2023 7:00:31 PM PST by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: Twotone

From this story it seems like an officer with such a level of commitment is valuable and worthy of respect.
This is very different from the “no alcohol” rules imposed on military persons stationed in Muslim countries.
Lots of FReepers are big on talk of how the vax mandate was illegal. Here we have someone who endured a high cost to back up her beliefs.


40 posted on 12/22/2023 7:13:02 PM PST by Honest Nigerian
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