The US Army will ban all unvaccinated soldiers who do not provide medical exemption from re-enlisting or being promoted if they make their refusal to get the shot final.
The new policy, announced on Tuesday, includes all soldiers in the Army and the Reserves. It also applies to all National Guardsmen who work in states where the governor has not mandated vaccines, like Florida, Texas and Oklahoma.
The move will effectively end unvaccinated soldiers' military careers if they do not make the June 2022 deadline.
The November 16 memo, signed by Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, states that a service member's record will be flagged the day they make their final vaccine refusal - which requires a meeting with a medical professional and a second order to get vaccinated, Defense One reported.
'I authorize commanders to impose bars to continued service…for all soldiers who refuse the mandatory vaccine order without an approved exemption or pending exemption request,' Wormuth wrote.
'The soldier will remain flagged until they are fully vaccinated, receive an approved medical or administrative exemption, or separate from the Army.'
An Army soldier, who asked to remain anonymous and is opting not to get the vaccine, told DailyMail.com: 'It's heartbreaking being told that. I love my country, that's why I signed up to help protect it. I raised my right hand and swore to support and protect the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic,' he said.
'I think what's happening is unconstitutional and a violation of our rights as citizens...I have my own personal reasons on why I don't want the vaccine.
'I'm being forced to walk away from my dreams with a broken heart and guilt of failing those I love,' he told DailyMail.com.
Roughly 66 per cent of all branches of the Army, including the Guard is fully vaccinated.
The Army is 92 per cent vaccinated, while the Reserve and National Guard are 55 and 52 per cent vaccinated, respectively, according to the US Army.
A new Army policy requires all soldiers - active-duty, Reserves, and the Army National Guard - to be fully vaccinated by June 2022 or face separation from the Army. Soldiers' records will remain flagged after they give their final refusal for the vaccine, which requires a second order to get vaccinated and a meeting with a medical professional. After the record is flagged, the soldier will either have to get vaccinated, receive an approved medical or administrative exemption, or separated from the Army
The Army is 66 per cent vaccinated across all branches, with the main component being at 92 per cent vaccinated. The Army Reserves is 55 per cent fully vaccinated, while the Army National Guard remains the lowest at 52 per cent. Other branches of the military have also imposed vaccine mandates or face separation, with the Air Force's deadline for its main sector already past due. The Navy and the Marine Corps have deadlines in November and December, with the Reserves and National Guard having a longer deadline
The National Guard, which is mainly controlled on a state level until Title 32, has the lowest level of vaccination rates and some governors are rebuking the federal mandate.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt recently told troops the state's National Guard that they do not need to comply with President Joe Biden's mandate, which requires all troops in uniform to be vaccinated.
Stitt reported to the Pentagon that around 800 members were not planning on receiving the vaccine, which is 10 per cent of the state force.
The Pentagon rejected this dispute, saying that the Guard is still required to meet military readiness and medical requirements, such as vaccinations, according to CNN.
'The Army’s focus continues to be maintaining a ready force to respond when our nation
