A Republican lawmaker on Monday warned that the National Guard’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate will possibly cripple the service weeks after Army officials announced that some 60,000 members won’t be allowed to partake in their duties.
“June 30 marked Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s arbitrary deadline for members of the National Guard and Reserves to receive the COVID-19 vaccine despite Congress’ mandate that the Department of Defense establish uniform procedures under which service members can be exempted,” Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), a retired Army Green Beret, wrote for Fox News on Monday morning, saying that if the mandate is ultimately enforced, the Guard “will be crippled” due to a lack of staffing….