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FACT BRIEF

Is the U.S. Army dishonorably discharging soldiers who haven't taken the vaccine for COVID-19?

By Courtney Kealy
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NO

Contrary to a social media post, Army soldiers who don't take the COVID-19 vaccine are not being given dishonorable discharges.

While the Army has begun discharging soldiers who refuse to be vaccinated, the important distinction is that they are not dishonorably discharged.

A Pentagon statement in February said, "The least favorable characterization of service that may be issued is General (Under Honorable Conditions)." A Pentagon spokesperson told Lead Stories, "No U.S. Army soldier has received a dishonorable discharge solely for refusing the COVID vaccination order."

The Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy have also taken military actions including discharges against members of the U.S. military who have not taken COVID-19 vaccines.

According to the Department of Defense, as of Dec. 16, 2021, 98% of the Army's force — including 96% of active-duty soldiers — were already fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
US Army Army to initiate separation of COVID-19 vaccination order refusers
NPR U.S. military moves to discharge service members who refuse to get vaccinated
US Department of Defense Almost All Active Duty Service Members Receive Vaccines
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.