The U.S. Navy recently reassigned a commander who is fighting the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate after the Supreme Court overturned a lower court order that barred a reassignment, according to the officer’s lawyer.
The commander was informed by a superior on April 8 that the Navy was reassigning him to shore command, the lawyer said in a declaration to the court.
“On Monday, April 11, instead of getting underway with his ship, Navy commander was ‘temporarily reassigned’ for 60 days under a new Navy policy that prohibits unvaccinated personnel from going underway on Navy ships,” the lawyer added.
The Navy said in late 2021 that service members who have not gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, even if they’ve been granted exemptions, may be reassigned “based on operational readiness and mission requirements.”