Five governors ask Pentagon to reconsider National Guard vaccine mandate

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a memo in late November that said Guard members must be vaccinated to participate in training or face loss of pay.

The governors of five states sent a joint letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asking him to reconsider the Covid-19 vaccine mandate for National Guard members.

The letter from the governors of Wyoming, Alaska, Iowa, Mississippi, and Nebraska says they acknowledge that the Pentagon can set “readiness standards” for the National Guard when activated for federal duty.

“However, directives dictating whether training in a Title 32 status (state duty) can occur, setting punishment requirements for refusing to be COVID-19 vaccinated, and requiring separation from each state National Guard if unvaccinated are beyond your constitutional and statutory authority,” says the letter dated Dec. 14.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.