WEST POINT, New York (LifeSiteNews) – The United States Military Academy has allegedly reimposed travel restrictions on unjabbed cadets despite the Department of Defense (DOD) having rescinded the military jab mandate last month.
Military attorney R. David Younts, speaking with Just the News, said that the Academy recently reimposed the restrictions. According to Younts, reimposing the restrictions “feels like coercion” of cadets to get the jab. He further questioned the reason for the apparent policy change, asking if there was “suddenly a crazy spike in COVID deaths in West Point, New York,” or if it was because there isn’t “anything left to coerce [the cadets] into compliance.”
The Academy had originally imposed travel restrictions for all cadets during the pandemic, prohibiting cadets from traveling for sports or other events, according to Younts. However, once the jabs were available, the restrictions applied only to unjabbed cadets. The Academy reportedly rescinded the restrictions last semester.
When asked by FOX News for verification, the U.S. Military Academy Office of Public Affairs and Communications would not confirm Younts’ claim.
“The U.S. Military Academy at West Point continues to follow Department of Defense’s guidance regarding unvaccinated service members,” the public affairs office told the outlet by email. “U.S. Army policy states unvaccinated service members are not eligible for official travel without prior approval from the Under Secretary of the Army. Until the policy is rescinded, West Point will continue to follow it.”
In August 2021, the DOD imposed a military wide jab mandate. Many servicemen and servicewomen had objections to the jab, including concerns over its safety and efficacy as well as the use of aborted fetal cells in the product’s development. However, many of those who refused it were forced out of the military as a result of the mandate.
Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act in December, forcing the military to rescind the mandate. However, the legislation did not address the issue of reinstating servicemen and servicewomen fired for not taking the jab or of giving them back pay.
Last week, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, along with 18 other Republican Senators, introduced a bill that would force the DOD to reinstate servicemen and servicewomen discharged for their refusal to get the jab.
Provisions that would forbid the DOD from imposing another COVID jab mandate without Congressional approval, restore the rank of servicemen discharged for refusing the poke with pay befitting their rank, and provide pay to discharged servicemen in accord with retirement pay for the duration of their discharge are also included in the proposed Allowing Military Exemptions, Recognizing Individual Concerns About New Shots (AMERICANS) Act.