Coast Guard Intent to Discharge Memos Don’t Match Reality of Why Personnel Are Actually Being Discharged

I’m not sure what I find more bothersome; a “values” based organization like the DOD routinely breaking the law (also see here), or the hypocritical and sloppy manner in which they attempt to cover their tracks with a ham fisted aloofness that would embarrass a six year old concealing his theft of chocolate chip cookies from the cookie jar.

The DOD, and by proxy the DHS since the Coast Guard technically falls under their hierarchy, can’t help contradict itself every chance they get. Surface reasoning on a single document might be enough to successfully allow a kid to forge their mother’s signature on a note and get out of school in 1990, but it doesn’t work in a government organization whose rules and regulations are written into law. This somehow hasn’t stopped the Coast Guard from discharging their personnel under the guise of some nonsense about being available for world wide assignment.

Intent to discharge memo

According to this memo being sent to Coast Guardsmen who have refused the COVID vaccine, the basis for their impending discharge is due to their “non-availability of worldwide assignment.” Let’s ignore the fact that Coast Guardsmen protect America’s coasts for just a minute (the job is literally in their title), because I’m aware they deploy and are assigned abroad (though in vastly smaller numbers than their sister branches in the DOD).

If this was the only memo or letter you saw, you might say, “hey, that makes sense; if there’s something that hinders them from deploying abroad, then they shouldn’t be allowed to stay in.” Except there are a lot of personnel, across every branch, that can’t deploy abroad or be assigned to certain duty stations for numerous reasons. In fact, the Coast Guard’s Special Needs Program literally says this verbatim in it’s own regulation.

Regulation excerpt for the Coast Guard’s Special Needs Program

COMDTINST 1754.7C states “active duty members must enroll in the Special Needs Program if their family members have a medical, psychological, physical, or educational special need that meets any of the following criteria” then goes on to list “medical conditions that require monitoring on a periodic basis due to the potential of limiting member’s worldwide assignment.”

What this says in layman’s terms is that if an active duty Coast Guardsman has a family member with a special need that limits the servicemember’s worldwide assignment, then they have to enroll in the program. This program will ensure they are only considered for, and stationed, at assignments where their family member can receive the care they require.

Well just wait a darn, tootin’ second; didn’t that discharge memo say they’re being kicked out because of their non-availability to be assigned world wide? Does this policy pertain to ALL personnel or just the ones who don’t want to be a lab rat while the Coast Guard and DOD cavalierly break the law? Obviously we know the answer. It sure would be nice if these clowns would at least attempt to codify the wording in their memos to coincide with the regulations and laws already in place, however.

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