GOP Senate candidate demands military apologize to members expelled for refusing COVID-19 vaccine.

Recruiting and Retention in the Military: A Call for Accountability

Recruiting and retention in the military will continue to suffer until there is accountability for the way the Pentagon handled the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, according to former naval officer and Senate hopeful Hung Cao.

Mr. Cao, a retired Navy combat veteran of 25 years, is seeking the 2024 Republican nomination in Virginia to challenge Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine. Last year, he ran an unsuccessful bid for a blue-leaning northern Virginia⁢ U.S.⁣ House⁣ seat. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a special⁣ operations officer throughout his military career.

He spoke​ to The Epoch Times about his concerns with military recruitment and “wokeness” in the military. The veteran credited his wife for encouraging him to continue to serve the ‌country beyond an accomplished military ​career.

“I have close friends that served in combat with me and now they’re being called traitors for ⁣refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine,” he said. Although Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s August 2021 vaccine mandate was officially rescinded in January, thousands of service members were “kicked ⁤out” and⁣ those⁢ who remain in ‍service continue to be criticized for refusing to take an “experimental vaccine,” he said.

He pointed to a June⁢ 2022 leaked internal memo by the Pentagon’s acting inspector general that found “a⁤ trend of generalized assessments rather than the individualized ⁤assessment” required by law and⁢ policies in the department’s denial of religious‍ accommodation requests to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

“We’ve left thousands behind in the ⁤streets because we didn’t honor their religious exemption,” Mr. Cao said, referencing the military’s well-known motto “no man left behind.”

Mr. Cao said he’s heard many stories of​ service members who were separated from the military. “[These are] sad stories of men and women who’ve put their lives on the line ⁣for this country and we completely turned our backs on them,” he said. Most of the careers of those who objected to the vaccine were “side-lined”⁢ or destroyed, he​ said,

Recruitment Woes

Mr. Cao praised those who took a stand against the vaccine mandate, suggesting these are the kind of people the country needs in​ its military. “Instead, we’ve demonized​ them.”

This is having⁣ knock-on effects ⁣on younger generations, he said. Potential recruits are ‌questioning the decisions of senior military leadership, from the ‍chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal‌ to the enforcement of⁤ the ⁣COVID-19 vaccine mandate,⁤ he added. Some​ parents are‌ no longer encouraging their children to ⁣serve.

He faults poor decision-making by senior ⁤military leadership for dissuading “the best and the brightest” from wanting to⁤ serve their country