Oklahoma National Guard ‘Goes Rogue’ After New Commander Rejects Vaccine Mandate; Pentagon To Respond ‘Appropriately’

The Biden administration is having another bad week. One day before an appeals court upheld a stay against Biden's 'vaccine-or-test' requirement for private businesses, the Oklahoma National Guard 'rescinded' the Pentagon's requirement that service members receive the COVID-19 vaccine. On Wednesday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Army Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino as the state's new adjutant general - replacing Army. Maj Gen. Michael Thompson, a vaccine advocate who was previously scheduled to transfer command to Mancino on Jan. 15, 2022 according to the Oklahoman. Mancino's first order of business? A memo formally 'rescinding' the Covid-19 vaccine requirement for Guardsmen. "No Oklahoma Guardsman will be required to take the COVID-19 Vaccine," it reads, adding that Gov. Stitt is the force's "lawful Commander in Chief" when not mobilized by the federal government. "No negative administrative or legal action will be taken against Guardsmen who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine."

Massachusetts Set to Lose 50% of Their Correction Officers by Sunday due to Vaxx Mandate with Prison System “Pushed into Chaos”

Cheryl Fiandaca of WBZ CBS Boston reported today that more than 1,500 correctional officers in Massachusetts, about 50% of the state's "highly trained correction officers," are scheduled to be fired on Sunday, October 17th, for failing to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination status. Governor Charlie Baker has reportedly activated 250 National Guard troops to help staff potential shortages at the state prisons. Fiandaca interviewed Kevin Flanagan, the legislative liaison for the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union, who stated: "With all due respect to the men and women of the National Guard, we have highly trained correction officers who have worked throughout the pandemic for 18 months and to now say 50 percent would be terminated it’s not right, it’s not fair." Absent from the CBS I-Team report is the issue of the National Guard, who are being called up in many states to replace workers being fired for not getting a mandated COVID-19 shot. The National Guard does not have to comply with COVID-19 vaccine mandates until June of 2022. A report earlier this year stated that fewer National Guard members were receiving COVID-19 shots than active duty members, with less than 40% vaccinated. This begs the question on how National Guard members, the majority of whom have not yet been vaccinated and have until next year to comply with mandates, can replace prison workers and in other states hospital workers who are being terminated simply because they are not vaccinated for COVID-19?