The United States Navy is punishing and separating unvaccinated naval officers under the same category of “Misconduct, Moral or Professional Dereliction” that is used to separate drug offenders and sex offenders from the Navy. NATIONAL FILE broke the news that the Navy is setting up a a new punishment squad called the CCDA to carry out the “administrative separation” of vaccine refusers. All vaccine refusers are reportedly getting discharged after they are separated. In a newly released policy document to guide the CCDA, the Navy states that vaccine-refusing naval officers will be processed as “Misconduct, Moral or Professional Dereliction” cases.
2. Policy. In order to maximize readiness, it is the policy goal of the U.S. Navy to achieve a fully vaccinated force against the persistent and lethal threat of COVID-19. 2.a. In support of the above stated policy, and as directed by the Secretary of the Navys lawful order, the Navy has commenced a mandatory vaccination campaign per references (a) through (c). Navy service members refusing the COVID-19 vaccination, absent a pending or approved exemption, shall be processed for administrative separation per this NAVADMIN and supporting references. To ensure a fair and consistent process, separation determinations will be centralized under the CCDA as outlined in the paragraphs below.
“Essentially if you refuse the vaccine or have a denied accommodation (religious or medical, of which they are all being denied) you will be administratively separated as GENERAL (under honorable conditions). This is based on Misconduct, Moral or Professional Dereliction, and substandard performance per SECNAVINST 1920.6D. This is equivalent to being a Drug offender or a sexual deviant!,” a top Navy officer told NATIONAL FILE.
Administrative Disposition Guidance; Future Actions. The actions in this paragraph shall be executed per paragraph 4. 7.a. Officer Administrative Separation. In the case of any officer, including any officer senior leader, who is refusing the vaccine, the cognizant commander or commanding officer shall submit a report of misconduct to Commander, Navy Personnel Command (PERS-834) per MILPERSMAN 1611-010. A template report is available at: https://www.mnp.navy.mil/group/navy-covid- 19-reporting. Per SECNAVINST 1920.6D, the CCDA, as the show cause authority, has directed mandatory show cause processing for all officers on the bases of Misconduct, Moral or Professional Dereliction, and Substandard Performance, with the least favorable characterization of service as GENERAL (under honorable conditions), unless inclusion of another basis for separation warrants other than honorable. Additionally, report flag officers or officers selected for promotion to O-7 who are refusing the vaccine to the Naval Inspector General for review per DoDI 1320.04 and SECNAVINST 5800.12C. Officers separated under this subparagraph will not be eligible for involuntary separation pay and will be subject to recoupment of any unearned special or incentive pays.
“Misconduct, or Moral or Professional Dereliction” is defined on the Secretary of the Navy’s SECNAVIST guidelines as “Performance or personal or professional conduct (including unfitness on the part of a Warrant Officer) which is unbecoming an officer” and categories include “Unlawful Drug Involvement” and “Sexual Misconduct or Perversion.” READ THE NAVY DOCUMENT HERE
