US Military Violated Rules in Handling of COVID Vaccine Mandate Exemption Requests: IG

U.S. military branches violated their own rules in handling requests for exemptions from the force’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, a watchdog has determined.

The Army and Air Force went well over time requirements in processing exemption requests, the Pentagon’s inspector general found.

In a sampling of 12 religious requests submitted to the Army, the average processing time was 192 days. The Army’s requirement is to complete reviews within 90 days.

The Air Force took an average of 168 days to review the 35 religious accommodation requests. The Air Force has a review requirement of 30 days.

“Prolonged delays in addressing requests for religious accommodations could impact a service member’s job placement and impede the command’s ability to make well-informed deployment and assignment choices,” Robert Storch, the Pentagon’s inspector general, said in a statement.

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