The Department of Defense’s inspector general is going to probe how the military has handled requests for exemptions from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The watchdog informed top military officials in a recent memorandum of the probe. “The objective of this audit is to determine whether the military departments are processing exemption requests for the Coronavirus Disease–2019 vaccination and taking disciplinary actions for active duty service members in accordance with federal and DoD guidance,” Timothy Wimette, a deputy assistant inspector general in the inspector general’s office, told officials. “We may revise the objective as the audit proceeds, and we will also consider suggestions from management for additional or revised objectives,” he added. Austin in August 2021 ordered troops to get a COVID-19 vaccine, alleging the move was necessary to maintain military readiness because it would prevent COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. Since then, the effectiveness of all vaccines has …