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Service members may lose jobs after religious exemptions for flu vax denied, fought COVID mandate
Just the News ^ | April 21, 2025 | Natalia Mittelstadt

Posted on 04/21/2025 2:04:39 PM PDT by Twotone

Two service members have been denied religious exemptions to the flu vaccine and are at risk of being forced out of the military after they previously fought the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

A service member in the Marine Corps and another in the Air Force are facing separation from their respective military branches after submitting Religious Accommodation Requests (RARs) for the flu shot. Both men objected to the COVID vaccine mandate under the Biden administration and ultimately kept their jobs, but they may lose them under President Trump despite the routine approval of religious exemptions for vaccines before COVID.

Marine First Lieutenant Schuyler Skipper, who has served in the military for 15 years, submitted an RAR for the flu and tetanus/diphtheria shots in December 2022. It was denied in March 2023, according to a report of misconduct reviewed by Just the News. He appealed the denial the following month, and his appeal was denied in February 2024.

"No vaccine" affects deployment

The next month, Skipper was ordered to take the vaccines “within 10 working days,” the report reads. He then filed a complaint with the Headquarters of the Marine Corps Equal Employment Opportunity office alleging religious discrimination and requested an extension to the vaccine order. Skipper’s extension request was denied in April 2024, and he was informed that he had violated a lawful order. His attorney, R. Davis Younts, told Just the News on Thursday that the religious discrimination complaint was also denied.

(Excerpt) Read more at justthenews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: covid; covid19; covidmandate; mandate; mandates; marinecorps; religiousexemption; vaccine; vaccinemandate; vaccinemandates; vaccines

1 posted on 04/21/2025 2:04:39 PM PDT by Twotone
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To: Twotone

What does Kennedy have to say?


2 posted on 04/21/2025 2:08:23 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (The judges are ganging up against the American people.)
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To: Twotone

I thought service members who were let go from not taking the vax were allowed to return to duty with back pay.


3 posted on 04/21/2025 2:10:12 PM PDT by Macho MAGA Man (The last two weren't balloons. One w!as a cylindrical object)
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To: Macho MAGA Man

So did I. Apparently not everyone has gotten the message, & there are a few more leftists in the military who should be getting the boot.


4 posted on 04/21/2025 2:13:18 PM PDT by Twotone ( What's the difference between a politician & a flying pig? The letter "F.")
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To: Twotone

Can someone explain to me why I am not shocked to hear this.

It sounds like someone wants revenge for their refusal and lawsuit against the covid “VAXX”


5 posted on 04/21/2025 2:23:57 PM PDT by algore
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To: Jeff Chandler

Hegseth should have stopped this by now.


6 posted on 04/21/2025 2:25:12 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Macho MAGA Man

For the Covid jabs, if they reupped for another 4 years IIRC.


7 posted on 04/21/2025 2:25:43 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Macho MAGA Man

Macho MAGA Man wrote: “I thought service members who were let go from not taking the vax were allowed to return to duty with back pay.”

The article is clear: this is a refusal for the flu vaccine. Has nothing to do with COVID.


8 posted on 04/21/2025 2:38:47 PM PDT by DugwayDuke (Most pick the expert who says the things they agree with.)
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To: Twotone

These cases were from 2023-2024. Is somebody trying to blame trump on this?


9 posted on 04/21/2025 2:40:18 PM PDT by thinden (Buckle up …..)
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To: Twotone

Make up my mind for me. I thought Trump said he was bringing them back. This administration needs to get on message and stay there.


10 posted on 04/21/2025 2:44:02 PM PDT by VTenigma (Conspiracy theory is the new "spoiler alert")
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To: Twotone

When I served, I had a waiver so as not to get the flu shot. The couple yrs in a row receiving it, I had gotten severely sick. And it was confirmed to be a negative reaction.

Yrs later I asked a retired Naval doctor about this and he said, all a soldier had to do was say they got sick after taking it...and voila...no shot.

I just can’t believe they are denying religious exemptions though. If I had any inkling that human fetuses were used in testing or manufacturing, I’d personally request an exemption.


11 posted on 04/21/2025 2:45:39 PM PDT by Deepeasttx ( Sensitivity/diversity training are all un-walled reeducation camps....for now.. DEI gone. Yippee)
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To: Twotone
Marine First Lieutenant Schuyler Skipper, who has served in the military for 15 years,

Either he is a mustang or his creer has been severly stunted.

12 posted on 04/21/2025 2:47:35 PM PDT by pfflier
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To: Twotone

Trump better take care of this or else he is a liar.


13 posted on 04/21/2025 3:34:29 PM PDT by Revel
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To: Twotone

I got flu vaxxed when I was inducted into the AF at Coral Gables in 1966. They lined us all up and moved down the line with the air-injection gun. SSnap! SSnap! SSnap. Next day I was in the infirmary sick as the proverbial dog. My basic was delayed for 13 days until I got over it. I managed to dodge the mandatory annual flu vax for the next three years and have never got another.


14 posted on 04/21/2025 7:24:46 PM PDT by arthurus (covfefe ^i^ )
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To: Macho MAGA Man

I think he seasonal flu vax is the subject here. That has been mandatory since before I went in in ‘66.


15 posted on 04/21/2025 7:26:17 PM PDT by arthurus (covfefe _i^ )
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