"JUST SAY NO"..!! They can't arrest us all...!

Oklahoma National Guard rejects federal vaccine mandate      by Misty Severi, Breaking News Reporter| November 13, 2021

The Oklahoma National Guard rejected the Department of Defense's vaccine mandate Thursday, telling the troops they will not be penalized or punished for not getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

The order handed down from Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino, who was appointed earlier this week by Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, is in contrast to the prior adjutant who had advocated for all soldiers and airmen to be vaccinated. However, a spokeswoman for the governor told the Associated Press that the change in leadership had nothing to do with the mandate.

Stitt, who is against a federal vaccine mandate, wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin requesting a suspension of the vaccine mandate for Oklahoma's National Guard.

"This mandate violates the personal freedoms of many Oklahomans, as it asks them to potentially sacrifice their personal beliefs in order to not lose their jobs," Stitt said in the letter. "All of our National Guardsmen take this calling very seriously. These are patriotic citizens who are willing to put their lives on the line to protect others in our communities during times of greate
Stitt added that it was irresponsible to require a vaccine mandate that would limit the number of people he could call upon in times of state emergencies.

The Pentagon did not appear receptive to Stitt's request.

“We will respond appropriately,” John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, told the Washington Post . “That said, Secretary Austin believes that a vaccinated force is a more ready force. That is why he has ordered mandatory vaccines for the total force, and that includes our National Guard, who contribute significantly to national missions at home and abroad.”

More than 800 guard members have not received the vaccine, which the governor claims is 10% of the force, Stitt's letter said.

The National Guard is usually controlled by the state , but the president has the power to federalize the guards at any time, which would require the guards to receive the vaccine. Because President Joe Biden has not federalized the guards in Oklahoma, the state mandate stands.

National Guard members account for 28% of the 75 COVID-19 related deaths in the military, the highest death toll among the armed forces, according to Pentagon data reviewed by the Washington Po