Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), along with House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.) and Reps. Max Miller (R-Ohio) and Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), sent a letter to the Marine Corps Wednesday to address the service recruiting shortage produced in part by vaccine mandates.
“We write to express our concerns over the unprecedented recruiting challenges your service and the entire Department of Defense is experiencing,” the House Republicans wrote in the letter addressed to Commandant of the Marine Corps General David H. Berger. “Adding to this problem, the U.S. Marine Corps dismissed many of its dedicated Marines because of their desire to not receive the COVID-19 vaccine.”
In August 2021, The Department of Defense issued an order directing secretaries of military departments to fully vaccinate all members of the Armed Forces on active duty. By December 2022, the Marine Corps had expelled 3,717 Marines, the most of any military service, due to their refusal to accept the vaccine. As a result, the agency was forced to change its recruiting goal for fiscal year 2022.
“I represent over 52,000 Marines and their families who sacrifice so much by their dedicated service to our beloved country,” Murphy said in a press release. “It is an utter shame that many of these selfless individuals have been stripped of their livelihoods simply because they made a conscious medical decision.”
In January 2023, The Department of Defense rescinded the memorandum mandating members of the Armed Forces be vaccinated against COVID-19.
In the letter, the GOP members specifically request that recruiters reach out to expelled Marines and investigate who could fill the vacant positions, as many of them held positions in which their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) expertise is in critical need.
“Congress ended the Department of Defense COVID-19 vaccine mandate when we passed the National Defense Authorization Act last year,” Bost said. “As the Marine Corps faces a recruitment crisis, it only makes sense to reinstate those who were discharged simply because of an outdated mandate. They’ve proven they are ready, willing, and able to serve our nation.”
Miller, who served six years in the Marine Corps Reserves, said there are trained Marines who could fill critical jobs but were discharged for refusing the vaccine.
“That is wrong,” Miller said. “The United States would be well-served by bringing these soldiers back into active duty.”
Murphy represents over 52,000 Marines in North Carolina’s 3rd District, according to the press release.
“Our military cannot function as the strongest force in the world with such baseless and unscientific policies,” said Murphy. “That’s why I led this letter to the Marine Commandant to restore our service members’ livelihoods and ensure our military’s premier standing.”
The United States Marine Corps did not respond to a request for comment.
