WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Air Force gave its forces until Nov. 2 to get the vaccine, and thousands have either refused or sought an exemption.
Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said Monday that these are the first to be administratively discharged for reasons involving the vaccine.
She said all of them were in their first term of enlistment, so they were younger, lower-ranking personnel.
In August, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued a memo that said the U.S. military would require all service members to get the vaccine.
Nearly 95% of the Air Force is fully vaccinated. However, 18,000 remain unvaccinated, the Air Force reports.
