<[link removed]>

I hope you saw my latest weekly column.



ROGER WICKER: Military Loses Thousands of Service Members Over Vaccine Mandate
<[link removed]>



Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine was a reminder that the world is a
dangerous place. Indeed, the threats to global peace and stability continue to
grow daily, with China rapidly expanding its military and Iran inching closer
to a nuclear weapon. The world is in serious need of strong American leadership
backed by military might. Unfortunately, our military is bleeding service
members at the very moment we need them most. President Biden’s self-defeating
vaccine mandate is driving away thousands of service members and causing
military recruitment to plummet, making our nation less secure.

Worst Recruiting Deficit Since 1973

Of all our military branches, the Army is having the hardest time finding
recruits. As of late June, the Army had met only 40 percent of its annual
recruiting goal with just three months left in the fiscal year. In light of
this shortfall, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Joseph Martin said the
Army could find itself short 7,000 troops this year and, by next year, 28,000
troops. This manpower shortage could result in undermanned units and
potentially longer deployments, as well as greater dependence on National
Guardsmen to meet mission goals.

The Marine Corps is expected to meet its recruiting target this year, but the
Air Force and Navy are struggling. Currently, the Air Force is down 1,650
pilots, including 1,100 fighter pilots, and the Navy is short nearly 100
fighter pilots. To offset these shortages, the Air Force has brought back a
number of retired pilots to active duty, and both the Air Force and Navy are
offering large bonuses for pilots who commit to another five years in uniform.
If not reversed, these shortages could call into question the sustainability of
our all-volunteer force.

Vaccine Mandate Drives Out Valuable Recruits

There are several reasons for low recruitment that predate President Biden.
For example, today only 23 percent of young American adults meet the physical,
medical, and academic standards to serve and have no disqualifying criminal
record. Of that number, less than half say they are interested in military
service, reflecting a broader failure in our society to encourage military
service as a noble calling. President Biden inherited these challenges but has
only made them worse.

Last August, the Biden Administration imposed a COVID-19 vaccine mandate
across the entire military. This led to the expulsion of thousands of qualified
service members who refused to get the vaccine. To date, the military has lost
more than 1,100 soldiers, 800 airmen, 1,000 sailors, and 2,000 Marines because
of this mandate, with thousands more separations likely to come. Most of these
individuals are young, physically fit, and at the lowest risk of
hospitalization or death from COVID. We desperately need these service members,
but President Biden seems content to lose them. His vaccine order is
threatening our military readiness, and I have forcefully urged his officials
to rescind it.

In addition, our military is suffering from cultural decay under President
Biden. Many service members have been forced to sit through divisive trainings
on critical race theory and transgenderism, which have disrupted cohesion
within the ranks. Service members do not want a “woke” military, and President
Biden should not be surprised that his policies are alienating scores of
patriotic Americans who simply want to protect our country. As a member of the
Senate Armed Services Committee, I am working to correct these mistakes through
legislation, including the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act. It is
essential that our military attract and retain the best and brightest of the
next generation.



You can click here to share my Op-Ed with your friends on Facebook!
<[link removed]>



Thank you for your support,

Senator Roger Wicker






Donate
<[link removed]>
Please mail contributions to P.O. Box 64, Jackson, MS 39205.


Paid for by Wicker for Senate


You can also keep up with Roger Wicker on Twitter
<[link removed]> or Facebook.
<[link removed]>


Don't want to receive our emails anymore? Unsubscribe
<[link removed]>