A federal judge decided Feb. 2 that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and all other military authorities are prohibited from taking punitive action against two specific service members seeking religious exemptions from the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. In a 10-page order, U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday, a George H. W. Bush appointee, stated that the Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and Navy Command officer were “wrongfully denied a religious exemption from COVID-19 vaccination.” According to court records, the lieutenant colonel was told she would be penalized starting Feb. 2 if she did not receive one dosage of the COVID-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, the Navy officer was informed that if he did not begin a COVID-19 immunization series by Feb. 3, he would be removed from command of his ship. Both of their religious exemption applications were declined, and their appeals were also denied. … Continue reading Judge Prevents DOD From Discharging Two Service Members.