Oklahoma National Guard Defies DC Mandate as Governor Replaces Force's Pro-Vaccine Commander

US President Joe Biden previously issued a vaccination mandate affecting all government employees and contractors, while Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin ordered all American servicemen to receive a jab, explaining the move by the need to maintain operational readiness of the forces.

Opponents of mandatory vaccination in the Oklahoma National Guard have breathed a sigh of relief after the incoming head of the force, Army Brigadier General Thomas Mancino, announced that the nationwide mandate will not affect them.

The new adjutant general, appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt ahead of schedule, released a memo, in which he noted that the federal mandate does not include the National Guard since it reports to the state unless mobilised by the Pentagon.

While the local National Guard indeed remains under state control until mobilised by the White House as per federal laws, it is not entirely clear whether it excludes the force from the vaccination mandate.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt also asked the Pentagon on 2 November not to enforce the mandate on the local National Guard calling the requirement to get COVID-19 jabs to continue service "irresponsible". He noted that at least 10% of the guard's servicemen refused to take the shot.

At the same time, Stitt ordered to appoint Mancino ahead of scheduled rotation on 15 January, thus replacing Army Major General Michael Thompson, who was a strong proponent of the vaccination mandate. The governor, however, rejected allegations that the move was prompted by Thompson's position on COVID vaccinations. He argued that it was done to uphold the "continuity of operations" without delving into the specifics of the matter.

"The decision had been in the works for a while and was not related to his support of vaccine mandates", a spokesperson for the governor said.

The US Army remains the least vaccinated division of the nation's armed forces, with roughly 7% of servicemen not having received even a single shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. Acting in line with the current administration's agenda, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on 25 August ordered all US service personnel and Pentagon employees to get a COVID jab. He justified the move by the need to maintain the operational capability of the forces, which could be incapacitated by sudden outbreaks of COVID-19 in their ranks.

A month later, US President Joe Biden issued a federal vaccination mandate affecting all government employees and contractors. He later signed another executive order, mandating all large US companies to vaccinate their employees, but its implementation was suspended due to the order being challenged in court.