The Coast Guard removed the Covid-19 vaccine mandate for about a whole three hours yesterday before reversing their decision. According to ALCOAST 009/23, which was pushed out to the entire force, the Coast Guard declared they were “stopping all involuntary administrative separations that resulted from violations of the lawful general orders to become vaccinated against COVID-19…”
However, approximately three hours later, the policy was rescinded by the Coast Guard in what I can only assume was a “wait a tick; we figured out how we can continue to break the law and get away with it! Rescind that message!” (For those uninformed, the Coast Guard, along with the DoD, has been discharging people who refused to take the EUA version of the vaccine since an FDA approved version was not available. The two vaccines were declared to be legally interchangeable, even though that’s a violation of multiple federal regulations and common sense in general.)
The comments in Coast Guard forums and chats quickly filled with members who were outraged at the abrupt about face conducted by Coast Guard leadership.
I spoke to a Master Chief in the Coast Guard who wishes to remain anonymous, and they told me, “Coast Guard leadership has shown members time and time again that their policy of leading with “compassion” is nothing more than words. Through the past two years, Coast Guard leadership has had no problem taking the lead and surpassing DoD in the punishment and harassment of members over the COVID-19 mandate, but when it comes down to making a true decision for the benefit and welfare of their people, they choose to give up the “lead” and cause further anguish and anxiety to their members. It’s no wonder that retention is plummeting.”
Reliable word on the street is that an all hands meeting is taking place among the Coast Guard’s Flag Officer ranks this morning, though I haven’t confirmed that. However, that’s what I would do if I wanted to continue to break the law and make sure everyone was on the same sheet of music.