The American military is having trouble finding new recruits these days. The problem isn’t just that young Americans have more lucrative options and serious health and legal issues—it’s also that they have a fundamentally different view of the country and military service than in ages past.
About a decade ago, I had a conversation with a group of students—highly intelligent and deeply kind students, actually—that I will never forget. It was the equivalent of a roundhouse kick to the solar plexus.
During class we got onto the subject of World War II. I mentioned the extraordinary bravery of the American, Canadian, and English soldiers on D-Day and how their eventual success in uprooting the German occupation of France <a href="https://www.ushistory.org/us/51c.asp#:~:text=Hitler's%20refusal%20to%20surrender%20to,The%20time%20had%20finally%20come.">helped to ensure Germany’s surrender a year later</a>, preventing a WWI-style armistice which might have kept the Nazi regime in place.
Over the years, I had mentioned the same thing many times to classes, and each time students seemed to grasp the enormity of allied bravery in face of so much danger and carnage, especially when most of them could recall the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmiphUYwL_0">opening sequence</a> of “Saving Private Ryan.” They understood that these men were the custodians and defenders of modern liberty and that the proper response to their service was deep gratitude.
But something was different this time around. Their response was not wonderment or awe. It was a diffident shrug of the shoulders or an indifferent blank stare.
“I would try my best to avoid the draft. Maybe go to Canada. I don’t know. Why should I have to die?”
I was a bit dumbstruck. I tried a different tact.
“Well, there are times when you are the only one left to preserve your country or your way of life. Sometimes history calls us to certain forms of service. I am pretty sure that is how these men felt about their sense of duty.”
They had an immediate response.
“But I didn’t decide to be American. If I was German, I’m sure I would have ended up fighting for them and think they were on the right side. If I was born in the Middle East, I’m sure I’d have a different view of America and the West.”
They were suggesting there is no right side. It’s all a matter of perspective. Justice is artificial and conditioned by subjective bias. In this view, patriotism is a form of affection experienced only by the unenlightened who do not understand their love of country is a hollow extension of historic chance itself. The proper response to this chance isn’t patriotic zeal but relativistic acceptance. This is how they arrived at the conclusion there is never a “right side” in a war, never a “higher” moral precept, never a reason to die for a political cause. Among progressive activists today, many of whom are young Americans in their 20s, <a href="https://www.moreincommon.com/media/dtffhla2/2022-4thofjuly-report_more-in-common_final.pdf">only 9% say that their American identity is “very important” to them</a>; compare this to the US average of 48% and the whopping 92% for devoted conservatives. 
It would be foolish to assume this trend is not somehow connected to the fact that the American military is now experiencing severe shortfalls in meeting its recruitment goals, shortfalls that haven’t been this severe in half a century. To be fair, there are also significant structural reasons including COVID and the attractiveness of the current job market.
But dig a little deeper and the reasons for paltry recruitment numbers are utterly deflating, symptomatic of a generation whose lifestyle and values do not bode well for the country’s future success, much less its security. Only a small percentage of young Americans today can meet these two qualifications: being physically fit and having no disqualifying criminal record.
One in four meet the qualifications. A staggering 75% <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/us-youth-ineligible-for-military-service-3322428">aren’t able to serve in the American military</a> because of high levels of youth obesity, drug use, and inadequate education. But buried inside this reality is a disturbing trend that speaks to the perspective so many young Americans now possess, a perspective voiced by my students just a few years ago that is now becoming more mainstream: in just the past few years the number of young Americans willing to serve has dropped <a href="https://dnyuz.com/2022/07/14/with-few-able-and-fewer-willing-u-s-military-cant-find-recruits/">from 13% to 9%</a>. That is a 31% change and reveals not just a health crisis with the presence of a pandemic and frustration about perceived failures in Afghanistan and Iraq, but a generational pivot in the way they look at the country and the nobility of defending it.
It is a bit reductive and hysterical to merely conclude young people have been taught by their teachers to hate the country and despise our history. While that attitude is certainly more present and powerful than it was a generation ago, my argument is that it is symptomatic not of national self-loathing, but naive individualism. The average young person now has no grasp of the enormity of the responsibilities of the modern American military, from honoring security commitments all over the world, to patrolling sea lanes to keep international commerce flowing, to responding to humanitarian crises when they appear. I don’t remember seeing the Chinese or Russian militaries when an earthquake devastated Haiti in 2010. But I do recall the presence of 30 American Navy ships in late 2004 when a tsunami killed over a quarter million people <a href="https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/largest-humanitarian-missions-in-history/">in and around Indonesia</a>.
We don’t have to be a Spartan-esque society to have patriotic warriors defending the nation from time to time. Both Aeschylus, the Father of Greek Drama, and Socrates, the Father of Greek Philosophy, fought bravely in the campaigns against the Persians. Historian Stephen Brumwell’s extraordinary biography of George Washington is entitled “Gentleman Warrior.” Successful American generals who successfully defended the country have a tendency to become presidents—Washington, Jackson, Taylor, Grant, Garfield, and Eisenhower.
Service is noble and doesn’t require young Americans to agree with every military policy or action their nation pursues. We should not be alarmed if declining enrollments are a symptom of a booming economy. But we should be concerned if it is tied to a fashionable disdain of the nation and to a fundamental misunderstanding of the work the American military does in the world.
Jeremy S. Adams is the author of the recently-released Amazon best-selling book Hollowed Out: A Warning About America&#8217;s Next Generation. He has taught American civics for 24 years in Bakersfield, California and was the 2014 California Teacher of the Year (DAR). You can follow him on Twitter @JeremyAdams6.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

U.S. Troops Honor Fallen Comrade Near Dujail

Criminal Records, Obesity, And ‘Fashionable Disdain’ For Country Cause Shortfall In Military Recruitment

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Readers Pass

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<a href="https://woodywilliams.org/woody-williams-bio.html">Hershel W. &#8220;Woody&#8221; Williams</a>, who was the last living World War II Medal of Honor recipient, passed away on Wednesday — just a few months short of what would have been his 99th birthday.
Williams was born on October 2, 1923, on a West Virginia dairy farm. When World War II began, he served his community by delivering Western Union telegrams — often informing families that their loved ones had been reported missing or killed in action.
He continued that service by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps, and he served in the Battle of Iwo Jima with the 21st Marines, 3d Marine Division — where his &#8220;valiant devotion to duty&#8221; prompted then-President Harry S. Truman to award him the Congressional Medal of Honor on October 5, 1945.
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An honor of a lifetime to meet WWII hero and Medal of Honor recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams at the groundbreaking of the ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/MohMuseum?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MohMuseum</a>⁩ in March. His foundation confirms he passed away this morning at the age of 98. Rest In Peace, sir. 🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/f10YXBEwPX">pic.twitter.com/f10YXBEwPX</a>
&mdash; Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) <a href="https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1542127501652148226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The United States Department of Defense shared some of the details of Williams&#8217; exploits on Iwo Jima in an <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/story/Article/2337804/iwo-jima-medal-of-honor-recipient-recounts-battle-experiences/">article</a> published in November of 2021.
According to that report, Williams&#8217; unit landed on the island two days after the battle had begun — but the steep volcanic-sand beaches had made it difficult for the American troops to gain any ground. The Japanese pillboxes — bunkers — that dotted the island also complicated progress because even bazooka fire couldn&#8217;t penetrate their thick walls. Flamethrowers were the only remaining option — but those required proximity to the enemy, and a number of the demolitions sergeants were picked off by the Japanese soldiers in the pillboxes before they could get close enough. By February 23, 1945, Williams was the only one left.
He volunteered to continue the mission himself, with four riflemen providing as much cover fire as they could. And in just four hours, Williams was able to take out seven pillboxes.
&#8220;That made a hole big enough that [the company] could go through and get behind any other pillboxes that were in that area,&#8221; Williams explained. &#8220;Once you got behind the pillboxes, then we had the advantage.&#8221;
Williams&#8217; actions that day earned him the Medal of Honor — alongside ten other Marines and two sailors who were also honored for their service — but even then he said that the honor truly belonged to the men who had died protecting him while he completed the mission.
&#8220;This medal doesn&#8217;t belong to me. It belongs to them because they gave their lives for me. I was just doing a job that I was trained to do,&#8221; he said.
Asked on multiple occasions where he&#8217;d found the courage to get through that day, Williams said he&#8217;d never really been able to pin down the answer.
&#8220;Everybody has some instinct of bravery. And, as long as they can control the fear, you can be brave. But if fear overtakes you and becomes the dominant instinct, you cannot operate. You cannot operate under fear. Your brain won&#8217;t let you,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I feel that our upbringing had some influence on our bravery because we were taught in the depression years, if you didn&#8217;t have it, you had to make it. And the only way you could make it was to work at it. Our upbringing gave us the confidence that developed into bravery.&#8221;
In the years after the war, Williams returned to serving Gold Star families — creating the Woody Williams Foundation in an effort to make sure those families are recognized.
&#8220;To date, Woody and his foundation are responsible for establishing 103 Gold Star Families Memorial Monuments across the United States with more than 72 additional monuments underway in 50 states and 1 U.S. Territory. The Foundation continues to grow its reach by being involved in multiple initiatives across the country,&#8221; the <a href="https://woodywilliams.org/woody-williams-bio.html">website states</a>.
&#8220;If we lose our freedom we lose America,&#8221; Williams said, adding that freedom and America were always worth fighting for.

Military Bowl-San Jose State v. Bowling Green

‘Rest In Peace, Sir’: Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams, The Last WWII Medal of Honor Recipient, Dies At 98

Hershel 'Woody' Williams, The Last WWII Medal of Honor Recipient, Dies At 98

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Military

World War II

Retired Marine four-star General <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/former-defense-secretary-james-mattis-denounces-president-trump-we-can-unite-without-him/">James &#8216;Mad Dog&#8217; Mattis</a> tied the knot over the weekend — in a ceremony that was presided over by an Elvis Presley impersonator.
According to a Monday <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook-pm/2022/06/27/new-poll-voters-oppose-overturning-roe-back-court-reform-00042585">report</a> from Politico&#8217;s Playbook, <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-general-mattis-jabs-trump-he-got-his-spurs-in-a-letter-i-got-mine-on-the-battlefield/">Mattis</a> — who most recently served as Secretary of Defense under former President Donald Trump — wed physicist Christina Lomasney on Saturday. The happy couple actually held two separate ceremonies to celebrate their nuptials — one before a priest on the banks of the Columbia River, and a second in Las Vegas with Elvis close at hand. The two reportedly met in a bar.
Robert Harward, retired United States Navy SEAL and a former Deputy Commander of the United States Central Command, served as Mattis&#8217; best man. Harward was also offered a position in the Trump administration — he was tapped to replace retired General Michael Flynn as national security advisor — but turned down the job.
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👀 Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis got married this weekend, per <a href="https://twitter.com/playbookdc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@playbookdc</a>: <a href="https://t.co/S1356KERdr">https://t.co/S1356KERdr</a> <a href="https://t.co/WH8FDHtwvb">pic.twitter.com/WH8FDHtwvb</a>
&mdash; Daniel Lippman (@dlippman) <a href="https://twitter.com/dlippman/status/1541746459703484418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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People on Twitter had some fun with the idea of Mattis — whose Marine call sign was CHAOS — getting hitched by an Elvis impersonator.
&#8220;Shortly after this photo was taken, Mattis looked to his left, his eye began to twitch, and he proceeded to yell at Elvis. &#8216;Fingers extended and joined when making a knife hand, You!'&#8221; Army veteran Alex Plitsas joked.
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Shortly after this photo was taken, Mattis looked to his left, his eye began to twitch, and he proceeded to yell at Elvis. “Fingers extended and joined when making a knife hand, You!” <a href="https://t.co/kgSsXYAaxX">https://t.co/kgSsXYAaxX</a>
&mdash; Alex Plitsas 🇺🇸 (@alexplitsas) <a href="https://twitter.com/alexplitsas/status/1541753691476213761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Free sequel idea for Baz Luhrmann,&#8221; NBC reporter Daniel Arkin <a href="https://twitter.com/d_arkin/status/1541790057836716038">added</a>.
&#8220;Incredible photo. The Warrior Monk finally gets married,&#8221; MSNBC columnist Eric Michael Garcia <a href="https://twitter.com/EricMGarcia/status/1541788041328615427">tweeted</a>.
Stars and Stripes Pentagon reporter Caitlin Doornbos <a href="https://twitter.com/CaitlinDoornbos/status/1541769809926529025">added</a>, &#8220;Imagine meeting Mattis in a bar. Congrats to the happy couple.&#8221;
&#8220;No notes, this is perfect,&#8221; Task and Purpose Army reporter Haley Britzky <a href="https://twitter.com/halbritz/status/1541764078066188288">commented</a>.
US News reporter Paul Shinkman shared photos of both ceremonies, noting that Mattis appeared to be wearing the same outfit in both photos, while his new bride wore a different dress to the Vegas chapel — the Little Church of the West — than she did for the riverside ceremony last week. &#8220;CHAOS has one wedding uniform. Anything more is un-Spartan,&#8221; he said.
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CHAOS has one wedding uniform. Anything more is un-Spartan. <a href="https://t.co/wrJ5DqjfRj">https://t.co/wrJ5DqjfRj</a> <a href="https://t.co/O5yt9E8thM">pic.twitter.com/O5yt9E8thM</a>
&mdash; Paul D. Shinkman (@PDShinkman) <a href="https://twitter.com/PDShinkman/status/1541763482810556417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Military streaming network @Veteran_TV <a href="https://twitter.com/Veteran_TV/status/1541758935698489347">summed it up</a> nicely: &#8220;The newlyweds met in a bar and had a wedding ceremony with a Vegas Elvis presiding. This man is a MARINE.&#8221;
&#8220;Warms our enlisted souls to see there was a Vegas element,&#8221; @ZeroBlog30 <a href="https://twitter.com/ZeroBlog30/status/1541756901804867586">agreed</a>.

Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Attends Criminal Trial

Former SecDef James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis Gets Hitched By Elvis Impersonator

Retired Marine General James Mattis Weds Physicist In Front Of Elvis Impersonator

James Mattis

Las Vegas

Marriage

Two American <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/military">military</a> veterans from Alabama were captured by pro-<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia">Russia</a> forces in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia">Ukraine</a>.
Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh — who respectively served in the U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-army">Army</a> and the U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marines">Marines</a> — were fighting alongside Ukrainians when their group “came under heavy fire in the northeastern Kharkiv region” on June 9, according to <a href="https://www.al.com/news/2022/06/russian-tv-shows-videos-of-2-alabama-military-veterans-captured-in-ukraine.html">AL.com</a>. The pair traveled through the woods after they were separated from their colleagues and were subsequently captured by a Russian patrol.
“Mom, I just want to let you know that I’m alive and I hope to be back home as soon as I can be,” Drueke said in a Telegram <a href="https://t.me/s/corrkosarev/703">video</a> posted by RT, a Russian state-funded media outlet. “So, love Diesel for me. Love you,” he said in reference to his dog.
According to AL.com, Drueke used a key word and a gesture established by him and his mother ahead of a tour in Iraq so that she would know he was okay. &#8220;Unmistakably under duress, but thank God they&#8217;re alive,&#8221; Bunny Drueke, Alex Drueke&#8217;s mother, confirmed to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/missing-americans-ukraine-russia-alexander-drueke-andy-huynh-russia-video/">CBS News</a>. &#8220;I was just relieved he looks not like he&#8217;s been beaten or mistreated. That was really encouraging to me.”
Huynh’s fiancée, Joy Black, told CBS, &#8220;They missed their rendezvous point and that had been a few days prior. They&#8217;ve gone and searched, they didn&#8217;t find anything. And later I found out they&#8217;d done drone searches and still found nothing no traces.”
A State Department spokesperson told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/20/world/americans-missing-ukraine-donetsk-intl-hnk/index.html">CNN</a> on Friday that they “have seen the photos and videos of these two US citizens reportedly captured by Russia’s military forces in Ukraine” and were “closely monitoring the situation.”
“We are in contact with Ukrainian authorities, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and with the families themselves,” the spokesperson said. “Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment on these cases.&#8221;
Russian officials acknowledged that Drueke and Huynh were being held.
&#8220;They are soldiers of fortune,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told MSNBC, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/kremlin-says-american-basketball-player-griner-broke-law-faces-prosecution-ria-2022-06-20/">Reuters</a>. “They were involved in illegal activities on the territory of Ukraine. They were involved in firing at and shelling of our military personnel. They were endangering their lives.”
Peskov remarked that the men were not part of the Ukrainian military and therefore not subject to protections under the <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/geneva-convention-relative-treatment-prisoners-war#:~:text=Prisoners%20of%20war%20must%20at,breach%20of%20the%20present%20Convention.">Geneva Convention</a>, which says that captured soldiers cannot be subjected to physical mutilation or other inhumane treatment. &#8220;And they should be held responsible for those crimes they have committed. Those crimes have to be investigated,” he added. “The only thing that is clear is that they have committed crimes.”
Earlier this month, a court in the pro-Russia Donetsk People’s Republic sentenced two British citizens and one Moroccan national to death for working as “mercenaries” on behalf of Ukraine, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/09/europe/foreigners-death-penalty-dpr-ukraine-russia-intl/index.html">CNN</a>.
Though the United States has not sent military personnel to fight in the conflict, the Biden administration has provided extensive supplies to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Last week, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-announces-another-massive-aid-package-to-ukraine">vowed</a> another $1 billion in weapons and ammunition, as well as $225 million in humanitarian aid. The latest batch of supplies follows <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/peanut-butter-and-anchovies-pelosi-goes-biblical-to-pass-40b-ukraine-package">$40 billion and $7 billion</a> packages.
“If this gift to Ukraine passes, our total aid to Ukraine will almost equal the entire military budget of Russia,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-cannot-save-ukraine-by-dooming-the-u-s-economy-rand-paul-blocks-immediate-vote-on-billion-dollar-ukraine-package">said</a> of the $40 billion provision last month. “And it’s not as if we have that money lying around, we will have to borrow that money from China to send it to Ukraine.”

Ukrainian Army

Russian State Media Releases Video Of Two Alabama Veterans Captured In Ukraine

Two U.S. Military Veterans Captured In Ukraine

Russia

Ukraine

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The son of former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baseball">Major League Baseball</a> star Steve Sax was one of the five <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marines">U.S. Marines</a> killed when their aircraft crashed in California earlier this week.
Capt. John J. Sax, 33, from Placer, California, an MV-22B Pilot, was one of the five men identified on Friday as having died in the Wednesday crash. His heartbroken father, a five-time All Star who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Oakland A’s, said in a statement that he was devastated.
“It is with complete devastation that I announce that my precious son, Johnny was one of the five (5) US Marines that perished on Wednesday, June 8 in the Osprey Military crash near San Diego,” said Sax. “For those of you that knew Johnny, you saw his huge smile, bright light, his love for his family, the Marines, the joy of flying airplanes and defending our country! He was my hero and the best man I know, there was no better person to defend our country.&#8221;
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“Johnny Sax knew he wanted to be a pilot since his young years and would tell his Dad what types of planes were flying overhead while playing little league baseball in the outfield. “There was never any doubt from a young age that Johnny would be a pilot and his passion was to fly! I am so proud of the man he became and so proud to call him my son! This loss will change my life forever and is a loss to not only the Marines but this world!”
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The Los Angeles Dodgers are saddened to hear about the passing of Steve Sax’s son, John, and the five Marines who lost their lives in this week’s tragic helicopter accident. Our thoughts and condolences go out to their families and friends.
&mdash; Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/1535672123166892032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The younger Sax <a href="https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/son-of-former-la-dodger-among-marines-killed/509-bf358167-b56c-432b-88ae-a6f27eb917e0">served</a> in the Marines for five years and eight months and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and a Letter of Appreciation.
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The five Marines were all based at Camp Pendleton. Also killed were Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, of Rockingham, New Hampshire and three tiltrotor crew chiefs: Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, 21, of Winnebago, Illinois; Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, 21, of Johnson, Wyoming and Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, 19, of Valencia, New Mexico.
&#8220;The MV-22 Osprey went down Wednesday afternoon during training in a remote area in Imperial County near the community of Glamis, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) east of San Diego and about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Yuma, Arizona,&#8221; the Associated Press reported. 
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“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of five Marines from the Purple Fox family,” said Lt. Col. John C. Miller, Commanding Officer of VMM-364. “This is an extremely difficult time for VMM-364 and it is hard to express the impact that this loss has had on our squadron and its families. Our primary mission now is taking care of the family members of our fallen Marines and we respectfully request privacy for their families as they navigate this difficult time. We appreciate all the prayers and support from the strong extended Purple Fox family and want them to know that more information will be forthcoming on how to help.”
The news followed the death of a U.S. Navy pilot in California who died during a training crash last week.
U.S. Navy pilot Lt. Richard Bullock <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/identity-of-navy-pilot-who-died-in-training-mission-crash-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> when his F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed in the vicinity of Trona, California.
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A Bell Boeing V22 Osprey of the United States Air Force

Ex-Major League Star’s Son Among Marines Dead In California Crash

Ex-Major League Star's Son Among Marines Dead in California Crash

Baseball

Plane Crash

All five U.S. Marines aboard a military aircraft that crashed in Southern California on Wednesday died in the accident, according to Marine Corps officials on Thursday.
The Marines <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-military-aircraft-believed-to-be-carrying-nuclear-material-crashes-in-california-multiple-people-killed">crashed</a> during a training mission involving an MV-22B Osprey near Glamis, a few miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We mourn the loss of our Marines in this tragic mishap. Our hearts go out to their families and friends as they cope with this tragedy,” Maj. Gen. Bradford J. Gering, commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, said in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/3rdMAW/posts/340382691543775" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
The Marines served in Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, an aviation squadron based in San Diego, according to the statement. The identities of the five Marines have not yet been released.
“As a matter of policy, identities of deceased service members are not released until 24-hours after all next-of-kin notifications have been completed,” the statement added.
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Press Release: 5 Marines dead in MV-22B mishap <a href="https://t.co/0hHHXfU8BD">pic.twitter.com/0hHHXfU8BD</a>
&mdash; 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (@3rdmaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/3rdmaw/status/1534940310765068288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The aircraft, based at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, reportedly crashed at 12:25 p.m. local time, <a href="https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2022/06/08/military-aircraft-reportedly-crashes-imperial-county/7560095001/">according</a> to The Desert Sun. The Imperial County Fire Department and military firefighters responded to the incident.
The statement added that equipment recovery efforts and an investigation are underway.
“We ask for the public&#8217;s patience as we work diligently with first responders and the unit to identify what occurred,” the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said in a Wednesday <a href="https://twitter.com/3rdmaw/status/1534724660675215360" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
The news follows the death of a U.S. Navy pilot in California who died during a training crash on Friday.
U.S. Navy pilot Lt. Richard Bullock <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/identity-of-navy-pilot-who-died-in-training-mission-crash-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> when his F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed in the vicinity of Trona, California, on Friday afternoon.
“Bullock was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 113 based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif., and was flying a routine training mission at the time before his aircraft when down in a remote, unpopulated area. No civilians were harmed as a result of this incident,” according to the Navy’s <a href="https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/3053097/navy-identifies-pilot-killed-in-super-hornet-crash-near-trona-california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
“The incident is currently under investigation and the scene of the crash is secured by Navy and local authorities while recovery efforts are ongoing,” it added.
Four U.S. Marines were also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/four-u-s-marines-killed-in-norway-nato-training-identified">killed</a> in an Osprey helicopter crash during a NATO training exercise in Norway in March.
The Marine Corps revealed the identities of the four men in a <a href="https://news.usni.org/2022/03/18/officials-marine-mv-22b-crashes-in-arctic-norway-rescue-teams-unable-to-reach-crash-site-by-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> as Cpl. Jacob M. Moore, 24, of Catlettsburg, Kentucky; Gunnery Sgt. James W. Speedy, 30, of Cambridge, Ohio; Capt. Matthew J. Tomkiewicz, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Capt. Ross A. Reynolds, 27, of Leominster, Massachusetts.
The four Marines served in the “Raging Bulls” of Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 261 stationed at Marine Corps Air Station in New River, North Carolina.
The four men were reported missing after failing to report back following a training mission in northern Norway, according to the statement. The incident also involved an MV-22B Osprey.

Osprey

All 5 U.S. Marines Confirmed Dead In Military Aircraft Crash In California

Airplane crash

California

I was walking down a street in New York City a while ago and saw a man at least twenty years younger than me wearing a prosthetic limb. He was, in fact, ambling along quite well and as such I was impressed with his clear ability to overcome a difficult situation I cannot even fathom.
He also wore a camouflaged fatigue cap and military tan t-shirt with the words “Operation Iraqi Freedom” emblazoned on the chest. And I thought to myself: here is a man who has given so much. Certainly as much as many a veteran of World War II had. Indeed a piece of himself, for a cause that had no victory. No surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay. No ticker tape parade.
Just coming home having served his country (better than it served him) and having left a literal piece of himself in the sands of a distant land at the behest of his commander-in-chief. And who knows how many comrades he saw give the ultimate sacrifice during his tour of duty.
Sometimes I wonder: Should we, perhaps, consider retiring the moniker “Greatest Generation” as a descriptor of those—and only those—who fought Germany and Japan between 1941 and 1945? Is that really fair to all those buried in Arlington Cemetery who happened to have fought for this country since the Civil War? Were they not just as “great”? Cannot this wounded warrior lay claim to “greatness” as much as those who just happened to be born into a different time to fight a different enemy?
This is not a call to diminish the sacrifice of the men and women who fought in all of those terrible battles of World War II. As anyone who has read my articles over the years knows, I hold the men and women who fought against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in awe and with the sincerest gratitude.
But theirs is a small section of the story of the American fighting man and woman. To attach to them the superlative “greatest” is to in a way demean those who went before and after them. How are the men of the Union Army who again and again marched towards the impregnable rebel lines at Fredericksburg having just witnessed the rank before them scythed down like wheat, and yet they moved forward anyway, any less deserving of a seal of greatness as those who stormed Omaha Beach? 
How are the men of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne, surrounded by Germans in sub-freezing weather, greater than the 1st Marines’ who pulled off a masterful “advance in the other direction” to the sea while surrounded and under constant attack by the Chinese in the sub-zero wastes of North Korea? Was a P-47 or Corsair pilot winging in at treetop level to strafe and bomb Nazi and Japanese positions any “greater” than the pilots of Huey helicopters flying their much more vulnerable ships into hostile Vietnam LZs to bring in supplies and evacuate wounded under intense enemy fire?
I think of today’s American fighting man and woman, and something occurs to me. First, ours is an all-volunteer service. Fully two-thirds of the “Greatest Generation” were draftees. And no group of young men and women who have ever volunteered for military service today have done so with eyes more wide open than this one.
What I mean is that in the 1940s there was no internet through which to see the shocking imagery of war at one’s fingertips. Nor were there graphic movies as “Saving Private Ryan” to show a prospective volunteer what war really looks like…blood, gore, agonizing and ghastly wounds, terror, men calling for their mothers with their dying breaths, brutality, and both chronic physical and mental exhaustion. Anyone wearing the uniform today does so despite all they have seen.
By contrast, the average World War II volunteer had almost no idea what he was getting himself into. Most had never seen any proper representation of war, save perhaps the old black-and-white Matthew Brady daguerreotypes of the grisly aftermath of Civil War battles like Antietam. War Department censors were diligently at work trying to hide the true cost of the war from the people back home, including those getting ready to join the fight. 
It was not until September, 1943, that Life magazine published the first explicit photo of American dead on the battlefield…three bodies lying on Buna Beach in New Guinea. But these photos, which showed no faces or blood, were mild compared to what was to come. 
The first true revelation of the horrors of a modern battlefield was not laid bare before the American people until March, 1944, a full 28 months into the war. This was the documentary “With The Marines At Tarawa”, which was released to public theaters after being approved by FDR himself. 
The film followed the 2nd Marines storming a tiny Central Pacific island the size of Central Park called Betio in the Tarawa Atoll. The cost was unbelievable. Over 1,000 dead and twice as many wounded in four days of intense, close-quarters combat which was diligently cataloged by Marine camera crews. For the first time, Americans were treated to the shocking images of bloated Marine corpses, faces blackened and swollen, bobbing grotesquely in the surf or sprawled out over barbed wire. All glory of wartime propaganda stripped away. 
For a populace so sheltered as was the USA in 1944, this was almost too much to bear. It should be noted that Marine recruitment plummeted after the airing of this footage! In other words, once they actually saw what it was they’d be signing up for, the bravura enthusiasm seemed to dim, even in this greatest generation. Human nature is what it is. And self-preservation was as much a part of their psyche as any others’.
So, who really is the “greatest generation”? I would argue the title belongs to any group of young men and women who bravely serve our country in its time of need, either in the thick of combat or dutifully walking the wall during times of restive peace, knowing they may be called upon at any moment to give their lives for their fellow Americans. 
Memorial Day is a holiday we set aside to remember all the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who’ve given their lives across many generations so that our nation might live. I say let’s lose the superlative “greatest” as a descriptor of just one narrow band of so many who have answered the call over the years. 
Let us honor them all. And be thankful for their greatness.
Brad Schaeffer is a commodities trader, musician, columnist and author whose eclectic body of work has been featured in Daily Wire, The Wall Street Journal, NY Daily News, National Review, The Federalist, Zerohedge and other publications. His best-selling novel “The Extraordinary”, and acclaimed World War II epic “Of Another Time And Place” can be found on Amazon and other popular outlets.

Readers Pass – Schaeffer – Our Generations Who Served Are _The Greatest Generation_16x9

Every Generation Who Volunteers To Serve Should Be Called ‘The Greatest Generation’

Air Force One

Several lawmakers took to social media to express their condolences for the four U.S. Marines who died during a NATO training exercise in Norway on Friday.
The identities of the four men were released on Sunday. They included Cpl. Jacob M. Moore, 24, of Catlettsburg, Kentucky; Gunnery Sgt. James W. Speedy, 30, of Cambridge, Ohio; Capt. Matthew J. Tomkiewicz, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Capt. Ross A. Reynolds, 27, of Leominster, Massachusetts.
The four men belonged to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing stationed at Marine Corps Air Station in New River, North Carolina, according to a <a href="https://news.usni.org/2022/03/18/officials-marine-mv-22b-crashes-in-arctic-norway-rescue-teams-unable-to-reach-crash-site-by-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from the Naval Institute.
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Marines Identify Four Killed in MV-22B Crash Site in Arctic Norway &#8211; USNI News<a href="https://t.co/INKNbW4Yvu">https://t.co/INKNbW4Yvu</a> <a href="https://t.co/8A4m1RP1ur">pic.twitter.com/8A4m1RP1ur</a>
&mdash; U.S. Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) <a href="https://twitter.com/NavalInstitute/status/1505717393301159941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I was saddened to learn that Cpl. Jacob Moore of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, was one of four Marines killed during NATO exercises in Norway Friday night. I am incredibly grateful for his service defending our nation’s freedom. My prayers are with his family in this difficult time,&#8221; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wrote.
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I was saddened to learn that Cpl. Jacob Moore of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, was one of four Marines killed during NATO exercises in Norway Friday night. I am incredibly grateful for his service defending our nation’s freedom. My prayers are with his family in this difficult time.
&mdash; Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderMcConnell/status/1505727307952099335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Praying for the family, friends, and community of Capt. Matthew Tomkiewicz from Fort Wayne, Indiana, one of the four Marines who died on Friday in Norway during a NATO exercise when their aircraft crashed. We honor Capt. Tomkiewicz’s service and we’ll never forget his sacrifice,&#8221; Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun wrote.
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Praying for the family, friends, and community of Capt. Matthew Tomkiewicz from Fort Wayne, Indiana, one of the four Marines who died on Friday in Norway during a NATO exercise when their aircraft crashed. We honor Capt. Tomkiewicz’s service and we’ll never forget his sacrifice.
&mdash; Senator Mike Braun (@SenatorBraun) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBraun/status/1505734275102130182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We mourn the loss of four Marines who tragically perished during a training exercise in Norway, including Capt. Matthew Tomkiewicz of Fort Wayne. We will never forget their sacrifice and service, and I offer my deepest condolences to their loved ones,&#8221; fellow Indiana Republican Sen. Todd Young shared.
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We mourn the loss of four Marines who tragically perished during a training exercise in Norway, including Capt. Matthew Tomkiewicz of Fort Wayne. We will never forget their sacrifice and service, and I offer my deepest condolences to their loved ones. <a href="https://t.co/0fkBXqGvMy">https://t.co/0fkBXqGvMy</a>
&mdash; Senator Todd Young (@SenToddYoung) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenToddYoung/status/1505716096049029125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Heartbroken to learn that Captain Ross A. Reynolds of Leominster was one of the four U.S. Marines who died yesterday during a NATO training exercise crash. Massachusetts and the nation are praying for their families during this terrible time,&#8221; Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern wrote.
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Heartbroken to learn that Captain Ross A. Reynolds of Leominster was one of the four U.S. Marines who died yesterday during a NATO training exercise crash.
Massachusetts and the nation are praying for their families during this terrible time.<a href="https://t.co/ElaLQ8gg0f">https://t.co/ElaLQ8gg0f</a>
&mdash; Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMcGovern/status/1505707892963426305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Losing four brave, dedicated #NC03 service members is heartbreaking. As our @MCASNewRiver community mourns the fallen, and I ask that you pray for the loved ones impacted by this tragedy, and for all of our beloved service members serving overseas,&#8221; North Carolina Republican Rep. Greg Murphy shared.
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Losing four brave, dedicated <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NC03?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NC03</a> service members is heartbreaking. As our <a href="https://twitter.com/MCASNewRiver?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MCASNewRiver</a> community mourns the fallen, and I ask that you pray for the loved ones impacted by this tragedy, and for all of our beloved service members serving overseas. <a href="https://t.co/ZhHVmww87u">https://t.co/ZhHVmww87u</a>
&mdash; Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (@RepGregMurphy) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepGregMurphy/status/1505874889189777415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Kay and I are praying for those who knew and loved Capt. Tomkiewicz, Capt. Reynolds, GySgt. Speedy and Cpl. Moore. We will forever remember and honor their service to the @USMC and to our nation,&#8221; Oklahoma Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe wrote.
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Kay and I are praying for those who knew and loved Capt. Tomkiewicz, Capt. Reynolds, GySgt. Speedy and Cpl. Moore. We will forever remember and honor their service to the <a href="https://twitter.com/USMC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USMC</a> and to our nation. <a href="https://t.co/rxkL8u1Zak">https://t.co/rxkL8u1Zak</a>
&mdash; Sen. Jim Inhofe (@JimInhofe) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimInhofe/status/1505696348976341003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Absolutely tragic. We are grieving the heartbreaking loss of these heroes and praying for their families. Endlessly grateful for the sacrifices our men and women in uniform make to keep us safe,&#8221; Iowa Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson tweeted.
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Absolutely tragic. 
We are grieving the heartbreaking loss of these heroes and praying for their families. 
Endlessly grateful for the sacrifices our men and women in uniform make to keep us safe. <a href="https://t.co/CHo6pVpS7S">https://t.co/CHo6pVpS7S</a>
&mdash; Ashley Hinson (@RepAshleyHinson) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAshleyHinson/status/1505896902344249345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Heartbreaking loss. Praying for their families and the Marine Corps community who is grieving the loss of their brothers-in-arms,&#8221; House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) wrote.
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Heartbreaking loss. Praying for their families and the Marine Corps community who is grieving the loss of their brothers-in-arms. <a href="https://t.co/OZxDxbGeNR">https://t.co/OZxDxbGeNR</a>
&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPLeader/status/1505731726991147008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/four-u-s-marines-killed-in-norway-nato-training-identified?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>:
<blockquote>The four men were reported missing on Friday evening after failing to report back following a training mission in northern Norway, according to the statement. The incident involved an MV-22B Osprey.
“Norwegian search aircraft, including a rescue helicopter from the airbase and a Royal Norwegian Air Force P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft, found a suspected crash site but could not reach the location by air and local rescue crews had to reach the site from the ground,” the report added.
“The four crew members have been retrieved from the accident site by a Sea King rescue helicopter from Norwegian 330 Squadron. The deceased will remain in Bodø until being transported back to the USA,” the Norwegian military said in a separate <a href="https://www.forsvaret.no/en/news/press/cr22-osprey-accident" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.</blockquote>

A flag flies at half staff.

Lawmakers React To The Four Marines Who Died In Norway NATO Training Exercise

James Inhofe

Mitch McConnell

Norway

Four U.S. Marines killed in a helicopter crash during a NATO training exercise in Norway have been identified.
The Marine Corps revealed the identities of the four men in a <a href="https://news.usni.org/2022/03/18/officials-marine-mv-22b-crashes-in-arctic-norway-rescue-teams-unable-to-reach-crash-site-by-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Sunday as Cpl. Jacob M. Moore, 24, of Catlettsburg, Kentucky; Gunnery Sgt. James W. Speedy, 30, of Cambridge, Ohio; Capt. Matthew J. Tomkiewicz, 27, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Capt. Ross A. Reynolds, 27, of Leominster, Massachusetts.
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Marines Identify Four Killed in MV-22B Crash Site in Arctic Norway &#8211; USNI News<a href="https://t.co/INKNbW4Yvu">https://t.co/INKNbW4Yvu</a> <a href="https://t.co/8A4m1RP1ur">pic.twitter.com/8A4m1RP1ur</a>
&mdash; U.S. Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) <a href="https://twitter.com/NavalInstitute/status/1505717393301159941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The four Marines served in the “Raging Bulls” of Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 261 stationed at Marine Corps Air Station in New River, North Carolina.
The four men were reported missing on Friday evening after failing to report back following a training mission in northern Norway, according to the statement. The incident involved an MV-22B Osprey.
&#8220;Norwegian search aircraft, including a rescue helicopter from the airbase and a Royal Norwegian Air Force P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft, found a suspected crash site but could not reach the location by air and local rescue crews had to reach the site from the ground,&#8221; the report added.
&#8220;The four crew members have been retrieved from the accident site by a Sea King rescue helicopter from Norwegian 330 Squadron. The deceased will remain in Bodø until being transported back to the USA,&#8221; the Norwegian military said in a separate <a href="https://www.forsvaret.no/en/news/press/cr22-osprey-accident" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
The U.S. Naval Institute issued the following biographical information regarding each of the deceased Marines:
<blockquote>Capt. Matthew J. Tomkiewicz served as an MV-22B Osprey pilot with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing stationed on Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. Tomkiewicz, 27, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, joined the Marine Corps June 18, 2015. Tomkiewicz’ decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. 
 
Capt. Ross A. Reynolds served as an MV-22B Osprey pilot with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing stationed on Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. Reynolds, 27, from Leominster, Mass., joined the Marine Corps May 13, 2017. Reynolds’ decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and multiple certificates and letters of appreciation.
Gunnery Sgt. James W. Speedy served as an administrative specialist with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing stationed on Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. Speedy, 30, from Cambridge, Ohio, joined the Marine Corps June 15, 2009. Speedy’s decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two gold stars, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Marine Corps Drill Instructor Ribbon, and multiple certificates and letters of appreciation.
Cpl. Jacob M. Moore served as an MV-22B Osprey crew chief with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing stationed on Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. Moore, 24, from Catlettsburg, Kentucky, joined the Marine Corps August 20, 2018. Moore’s decorations include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.</blockquote>
Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun released a statement on Twitter on Sunday regarding Tomkiewicz.
&#8220;Praying for the family, friends, and community of Capt. Matthew Tomkiewicz from Fort Wayne, Indiana, one of the four Marines who died on Friday in Norway during a NATO exercise when their aircraft crashed. We honor Capt. Tomkiewicz’s service and we’ll never forget his sacrifice,&#8221; he wrote.
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Praying for the family, friends, and community of Capt. Matthew Tomkiewicz from Fort Wayne, Indiana, one of the four Marines who died on Friday in Norway during a NATO exercise when their aircraft crashed. We honor Capt. Tomkiewicz’s service and we’ll never forget his sacrifice.
&mdash; Senator Mike Braun (@SenatorBraun) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBraun/status/1505734275102130182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Twitter / US Naval Institute

Four U.S. Marines Killed In Norway NATO Training Identified

How is the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for troops affecting the strength and readiness of the Marine Corps? 
That’s a question too few people are asking following President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate, but one lawmaker posed that question in a <a href="https://mast.house.gov/_cache/files/8/e/8e32788b-a846-49aa-b1a9-651f6a3cbc96/CE0F39F43A2B1983AEC71ABF0D9447AD.12.29.2021-usmc-mos-vaccine-discharge-letter.pdf">letter</a> to the Commandant of the United States Marine Corp (USMC) on Tuesday.
Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) shared his concerns about the vaccine mandate for Marines in a letter to General David H. Berge. 
“On top of the unconstitutionality of President Biden’s vaccine mandate, this has serious implications for our force readiness,” Mast wrote.  “Separating hundreds &#8211; and potentially thousands &#8211; of Marines for exercising their rights can put the United States at a huge military disadvantage.” 
The letter asked the general about the 206 Marines discharged for refusing the vaccine and how that could potentially affect the USMC’s readiness. 
“I understand that as of December 30, 2021, the U.S. Marine Corps has separated a total of 206 Marines for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine,” the letter read. “Further, USMC has not granted a single religious exemption of the 3,247 it has thus far processed, despite USMC having a higher vaccination rate than all countries except the United Arab Emirates. The consistent denial of religious exemptions strongly indicates that further separations are forthcoming. Therefore, I request a disclosure of the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of each of the 206 Marines discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the MOS for each of the 3,247 Marines who have been denied religious exemptions.”
On December 28, The Daily Wire reported that more than 9,000 Marines remained unvaccinated. At the time of the report, 94% of troops were fully vaccinated and another 1% were partially vaccinated.
Some Marines are speaking out about the USMC discharging troops for refusing the shot, calling it a “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/political-purge-marines-speak-out-as-vax-mandate-forces-dozens-out-of-the-corps">political purge</a>.” “There’s something fundamentally wrong at this point with our nation’s leadership. We are facing an unconstitutional edict that I think is very targeted as a political purge, taking out some of the best and brightest soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and guardians from the Space Force,” a major told FOX News. 
Mast is not the only Republican lawmaker speaking out for service members who choose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. In response to a U.S. judge blocking Navy SEALs from being punished for their vaccine refusal, Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cruz-president-biden-is-wrong-for-punishing-our-servicemembers-over-their-religious-freedom">Ted Cruz</a> (R-TX) tweeted, “President Biden is wrong for punishing our Servicemembers over their religious freedom. I am pleased to see a judge issued a stay against Biden’s authoritarian vaccine mandate.”
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President Biden is wrong for punishing our Servicemembers over their religious freedom.
I am pleased to see a judge issued a stay against Biden’s authoritarian vaccine mandate. 
<a href="https://t.co/waFYUmWKCy">https://t.co/waFYUmWKCy</a>
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTedCruz/status/1478388453008191494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Mast is worried the dismissals in the USMC are coming at a time when the U.S. military needs to be at its strongest. “As the world’s preeminent naval power, the United States has relied upon the Marine Corps to form the tip of the spear in nearly every modern conflict,” he wrote. “With heightened tensions arising from Russian mobilization on the Ukrainian border and increased Chinese pressure on Taiwan, I have serious concerns about the Marine Corps maintaining its operational lethality and flexibility if it were to separate more than a Regiment worth of Marines.”
The Daily Wire is fighting Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate in federal court. Join us in this fight by <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://lp.dailywire.com/osha-petition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signing</a> our petition to OSHA, telling them that you will not comply with this mandate.

‘A Huge Military Disadvantage’: Congressman Writes USMC General, Requests Disclosure Over Vaccine-Related Troop Dismissals

COVID-19 Vaccine

Vaccine Mandate

Dozens of United States Marines have already been discharged as a result of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&#8217;s military-wide vaccine mandate — and several Marines told Fox News that the move has felt like a &#8220;political purge.&#8221;
The <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/even-the-chaplain-was-denied-air-force-reserves-refusing-religious-exemptions-for-covid-19-vaccine-mandate/">Defense Department&#8217;s mandate</a> has been in effect since November 28, and 169 Marines have been discharged since then for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Thousands more who have refused the shot are still awaiting discharge orders or other disciplinary action — and although service members are allowed to request religious exemptions, none have yet been granted approval.
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/marines-being-crushed-vaccine-refusal-political-purge">Fox News</a> reported:
<blockquote>Marines are allowed to apply for a religious exemption, but so far not a single application regarding the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/health/infectious-disease/coronavirus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID-19</a> vaccine, or any vaccine for that matter, has been approved, a Marine Corps spokesman told Fox News.
Several Marines who refuse to get the shot were granted anonymity by Fox News Digital, so they could speak freely. They said they are witnessing a &#8220;political purge&#8221; by the Biden administration that is forcing out the military’s &#8220;best and brightest&#8221; over deeply held beliefs they say are protected by the First Amendment.</blockquote>
&#8220;There’s something fundamentally wrong at this point with our nation’s leadership. We are facing an unconstitutional edict that I think is very targeted as a political purge, taking out some of the best and brightest soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and guardians from the Space Force,&#8221; one major with 17 years of service under his belt told Fox News.
Others said that the Marine Corps appeared to be making examples of those who pushed back, saying, &#8220;the louder I speak the tighter the screws are turned against me.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/marines-being-crushed-vaccine-refusal-political-purge">Fox News</a> report continued:
<blockquote>The Marines who spoke with Fox News said they were on the receiving end of a &#8220;blanket&#8221; denial of religious exemptions, with their applications being rejected without consideration. Eight separate letters of denial provided to Fox News were nearly identical, citing &#8220;military readiness&#8221; as the primary reason for rejection.
&#8220;I saw one package from a sergeant who had attached, like, 30 pages of material to substantiate why his belief was sincere, under no lawful obligation to do so,&#8221; the master sergeant said. &#8220;And then to have this as a response with no individual inquiry and just a generalized assertion of governmental interest is insulting.&#8221;
&#8220;On the religious side, this is absolutely a travesty what’s happening,&#8221; one chief warrant officer said. &#8220;People are getting blanket denials, they’re not addressing the individual concerns or beliefs of Marines who are submitting for religious accommodations, and I think that’s just horribly wrong. I honestly believe that they’re not really reading the packages.&#8221;</blockquote>
Capt. Ryan Bruce, a spokesman for the Marine Corps, told Fox News in a statement that no <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/troops-struggling-to-receive-religious-exemptions-to-vaccine-mandate/">religious exemptions</a> had yet been granted — and that 3080 of the 3192 requests the Corps had received had already been processed and denied since the mandate took effect at the end of November. According to Bruce, the denials were not surprising. &#8220;No religious accommodations have been approved for any other vaccine in the past seven years,&#8221; he added.
As of mid-December, the Air Force had also discharged 27 service members over a failure to comply with the vaccine mandate.
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The Air Force has discharged 27 service members for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine, a spokeswoman said, making these likely the first troops to be removed from the military for failure to obey the vaccine mandate. <a href="https://t.co/dfdruN2Qww">https://t.co/dfdruN2Qww</a>
— CNN (@CNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1470612621812551686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Army Ranger veteran and Republican Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton has voiced his objections to the military enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. &#8220;Kicking thousands of young, healthy troops out of the military over the vaccine mandate hurts our national security,&#8221; he tweeted. &#8220;All because President Biden is trying to restore his political standing.&#8221;
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Kicking thousands of young, healthy troops out of the military over the vaccine mandate hurts our national security.
All because President Biden is trying to restore his political standing.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCottonAR/status/1471529807796228096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire is fighting Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate in federal court.  Join us in this fight by <a href="https://lp.dailywire.com/osha-petition/">signing our petition</a> to OSHA, telling them that you will not comply with this mandate.

U.S Marines On Okinawa Receive Coronavirus Vaccination

‘Political Purge’: Marines Speak Out As Vax Mandate Forces Dozens Out Of The Corps

Lloyd Austin

Thousands of Marines are still not vaccinated against COVID-19 despite the U.S. military&#8217;s vaccine mandate, and more than 160 have been discharged so far for refusing to get the vaccine.
As of Thursday, 94% of active-duty troops were fully vaccinated and another 1% were partially vaccinated, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/roughly-9-100-marines-remain-unvaccinated-nearly-170-discharged-for-refusal">according</a> to data from the U.S. Marine Corps.
That leaves the remaining 5% of an active-duty Marine force of about 182,500, which amounts to about 9,125 active-duty Marines who are still unvaccinated.
In August, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that all service members would be subject to a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The announcement came two days after the FDA granted full approval to Pfizer&#8217;s coronavirus vaccine.
&#8220;The secretary has communicated to the military departments to execute this mandatory vaccination program with, obviously, skill and professionalism, which we always do, but also with a measure of compassion,&#8221; Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/2746111/secretary-of-defense-mandates-covid-19-vaccinations-for-service-members/">statement</a> at the time.
So far, at least 169 Marines have been ousted from their positions for refusing to get the shot. Of those, 66 were discharged in just <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/12/23/more-marines-discharged-over-vaccine-refusal-total-169.html">one week</a> earlier this month.
More than 1,000 Marines have been approved for administrative or medical exemptions to taking a coronavirus vaccine. More than 3,000 requests for religious exemptions have been submitted, but none have been approved.
“The speed with which the disease transmits among individuals has increased risk to our Marines and the Marine Corps’ mission,&#8221; the Marine Corps said in a statement.
The Marine Corps has struggled to keep up with the other branches of the military regarding its vaccination rate among service members. The Army, Navy and Air Force all have close to or more than 98% service members fully or partially vaccinated.
The Marine Corps has also been the most aggressive about discharging service members who fail to get the shot.
The mandatory deadline for Marines to get the shot was Nov. 28, about one month ago.
&#8220;Marines refusing the COVID-19 vaccination, absent an approved administrative or medical exemption, religious accommodation or pending appeal, shall be processed for administrative separation,&#8221; the Marine Corps warned in an October <a href="https://www.marines.mil/News/Messages/Messages-Display/Article/2820695/supplemental-guidance-2-to-mandatory-covid-19-vaccination-of-marine-corps-activ/">statement</a> ahead of the deadline.
The crackdown on service members who are still refusing to get vaccinated comes as some localities crack down on vaccine mandates and other COVID restrictions amid the spread of the novel Omicron variant.
Last week, Chicago announced a new vaccine mandate for indoor dining. Starting January 3, everyone age 5 and older must show proof of vaccination if they want to eat indoors in a restaurant, go to the gym, or enter a theater. The city said that the new rules are “in response to an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases both locally and nationally, driven in part by the Omicron variant.”
New York and Los Angeles have had vaccine mandates for indoor dining for weeks, but this week, New York debuted a statewide indoor mask mandate that some counties say they will not enforce.
Meanwhile, some Ivy League schools are implementing stringent vaccine requirements as well, some even requiring students to get a booster shot.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/12/10/pentagon-considering-covid-19-booster-mandate-troops.html">said</a> there are &#8220;active discussions&#8221; about mandating a COVID-19 booster shot for service members.

Marine Corps Commemorative Stamps Unveiled On USMC’s 230th Anniversary

Over 9,000 Marines Still Unvaccinated, Over 100 Discharged For Refusal

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