Disagreement over reinstatement of military members fired over COVID vaccine refusal (via The Center Square) – A current state legislator and veteran responded to a former Illinois congressman’s criticism of President Donald Trump reinstating and reimbursing members of the military who were dismissed because they refused to receive the COVID vaccine.
Former congressman and former lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard Adam Kinzinger, in a video he posted on social media, said he didn’t care too much about dismissed servicemen getting reinstated.
“I don’t think I’d care much if it was like, ‘let’s reinstate these service members. As long as they still qualify, as long as they meet the standards that you’re gonna require everybody to meet for the military.’ But the idea that you’re gonna give them back pay for having refused what was a legal order?” said Kinzinger. “By the way, as members of the military we get tons of vaccines. Every time we end up deploying or every year. Because you made a decision to refuse a legal order. You’re still gonna get four years of back pay? What does this say? What does that say to military members that actually worked and deployed for these last four years?”
State Rep. David Friess, R-Red Bud, a veteran, agrees that servicemen should be reinstated and questioned the necessity of healthy servicemen needing to get the COVID vaccine.
Kinzinger said the military members who worked these past four years and being treated unfairly.
“Sort of, kind of, it pains me to say this a little bit, but I agree with Adam that I don’t know that they should be given the back pay. I know there were a lot of questions at that time, whether or not they should even receive this vaccine because it was new. I think you could even make an argument that it was still experimental,” said Friess. “Those individuals that are in the military and refused…you’re probably looking at people that are in the best shape of their life. I really question why they had to get it.”
Friess confirmed service members do have to make sure that their shots are up to date before they deploy.
“Now the people that refused, didn’t bother to deploy, didn’t even bother to work, may have had a different job…probably had a different job during that time are now going to be paid as if they were serving the whole time. Plus whatever they were able to earn on the outside. Plus maybe those years count towards retirement?” said Kinzinger. “Republicans complain about VA disability payments for people that were exposed to burn pits, for people that were exposed to hearing loss and other things from the military… if you’re gonna complain about that, and not complain that you’re paying people for four years of work they didn’t do, I got nothing to tell you.”
Friess said there might be some resentment from military members who were forced to get the COVID vaccine.
“What are the other military members going to say? How are they going to feel about it? And, and I think it’s going to be mixed. I think you’re going to have some people say, ‘yeah, [this was the] way to go,’ and people that might be resentful,” said Friess.
Friess pointed out that during government shutdowns, non-essential federal employees go home and that they don’t get paid during the shutdown, but always receive back pay.
“Now they don’t get paid during that government shutdown, but they always get back pay. They get compensated because it’s no fault of their own. So, is that [giving them back pay] right? Probably not. There’s a bright line on this,” said Friess.
About 8,000 troops were booted from the military for refusing COVID-19 vaccinations. The order, signed by Trump, paves the way for them to be reinstated in the military with back pay.
Disagreement over reinstatement of military members fired over COVID vaccine refusal
