Pro-COVID Dunleavy signs on to anti-vax letter
Right-wing Alaska Governor Michael Dunleavy joined the governors of Wyoming, Iowa, Mississippi, and Nebraska yesterday — signing a letter addressed to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III — asking him to withdraw the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for each state's National Guard.
The letter, which will likely play well with anti-science, pro-covid readers of the Alaska GOP's mouthpiece, Must Read Alaska, appears to question whether National Guard members are in active federal service unless ordered into action.
Governor Dunleavy has faced a torrent of criticism from politicians and health-conscious members of the public who say he hasn't advocated strongly enough for Alaska residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and is now on the record advocating for unvaccinated members of the National Guard to become potential covid spreaders which might affect readiness standards.
Dunleavy has also previously refused to enact serious COVID mitigation strategies for the state, such as a statewide mask mandate which might have slowed the spread of COVID-19 and prevented hospitals from being overrun by an influx of unvaccinated patients.
Secretary of Defense Austin's instructions, released in November, stated that all 2.1 million military members, including National Guard personnel under state command, were required to obey his August order to obtain the vaccine. "No credit or excused absence will be given to members who do not engage in exercises, training, or other duties because they have not been completely vaccinated against COVID-19," Austin stated.
In August, Austin issued a memo that said vaccination against COVID-19 is "necessary to protect the Force and defend the American people."
While Dunleavy's letter might play well with his far-right Trump zombie army of anti-science COVID deniers, it's unlikely that Austin will be persuaded to act on Dunleavy's request — as training and exercise activity conducted by the National Guard is funded by the federal government.
Worth noting is that the Department of Justice already mandates 17 vaccines for service members, a full list of which can be found here.
