Over 200 active duty and retired U.S. service members have come together with a shared determination to hold senior military leaders within the Biden administration accountable for what they perceive as a breach of the law regarding the implementation of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
In August 2021, the Pentagon mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for all service members, leading to the discharge of approximately 8,000 individuals who chose not to comply.
A strongly worded letter titled the “Declaration of Accountability” was sent by active duty service members and veterans to senior military leaders, accusing them of violating the law during the execution of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The letter cited alleged infringements on constitutional rights, denial of informed consent, permitting involuntary medical experimentation, and suppressing religious freedoms.
Brad Miller, a former Army officer, shared a copy of the letter on his platform. Miller emphasized that the letter was not directed at the military leaders themselves but rather addressed to the American public. He clarified that the email sent to the military leaders was intended to inform them of a collective commitment by troops and veterans to employ lawful means to prevent what they view as self-inflicted damage to the military by its own leadership.
Miller’s post conveyed a shared sentiment among the group to work towards reclaiming the country in 2024, beginning with safeguarding the military from its perceived internal challenges.
The vaccine mandate was rescinded by the Pentagon in January of the previous year, following the passage of language in the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2023 fiscal year, the Department of Defense’s annual budget bill, which called for its termination. Notably, none of the service members discharged for non-compliance with the vaccine mandate have been reinstated.
The letter explicitly named several senior military leaders, including retired Army Gen. Mark Milley, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff; retired Army Gen. James McConville, who served as Army chief of staff from 2019 to 2023; and retired Navy Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations from 2019 to 2023, among others.
These individuals were accused in the letter of enabling lawlessness and involuntary experimentation on service members, resulting in significant moral and physical injuries. The letter argued that their actions had eroded the trust of service members and the American public, causing irreparable harm to the armed forces and the institutions they had fought and bled for.
In July, the House Oversight Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic conducted a hearing that concluded that COVID-19 vaccine mandates had adversely affected military readiness and posed potential risks to national security by compelling the healthiest service members to receive the vaccine or face involuntary separation from the military.
The letter concluded with a commitment from the group for future actions. Many within their network plan to run for Congress or seek appointments in executive branch offices. Those who remain on active duty vowed to prioritize fulfilling their oaths over the pursuit of rank or position. Those with the requisite authority pledged to recall retired military leaders who were deemed to have violated the law and to convene courts-martial for their alleged crimes. Additionally, they promised to introduce legislation, should they attain legislative offices, to eliminate retirement income for military leaders found criminally complicit and to prevent their service in or retirement from the Senior Executive Service.
