More than 200 Marines have been removed for refusing to comply with the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Capt. Andrew Wood, a Marine Corps spokesperson, said in an emailed statement that 206 Marines have been separated to date for not getting vaccinated.
The new numbers come as the military ramps up discipline for service members who refuse to get vaccinated.
Earlier this month, the Marines announced that 103 service members had been separated for refusing to comply. Last week, that number rose to 169.
The fiscal 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, which President Biden signed into law on Monday, stipulates that service members who are discharged for not complying with the mandate receive at least a general discharge.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mandated vaccinations for the military in late August, but each service is responsible for enforcing its own deadlines. The deadline for active-duty Marines to be vaccinated was Nov. 28, and the deadline for reservists to comply was Tuesday.
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