Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday rejected a request from Oklahoma authorities for an exemption for Natural Guardsmen from the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, earlier this month asked Austin to suspend the vaccine requirement for guardsmen in Oklahoma, “as it asks them to potentially sacrifice their personal beliefs in order to not lose their jobs.” Stitt said some 10 percent of Oklahoma’s force could be lost if the mandate remained in effect. “It is irresponsible for the federal government to place mandatory vaccine obligations on Oklahoma national guardsmen which could potentially limit the number of individuals that I can call upon to assist the state during an emergency,” he wrote in the Nov. 2 letter (pdf). Austin in his response, dated Nov. 29, said military leaders imposed the mandate with the aim of keeping the military ready for action, noting that thousands of service …