There is a proud and long tradition among military types to 1. follow orders and, maybe more important, 2. not follow illegal orders. Military classes can't teach every trooper every possible illegal situation, but decent people know it when they see it. Befehl ist Befehl isn't a defense and never was.
But if the order is legal, you follow it. Or you turn in your BDUs.
Every person in uniform today passed through some sort of Basic Training or Boot Camp or whatever the term they use for it today. And stood in line to get their underwear. And stood in line to get food. And stood in line to get their hair cut. And stood in line to get their shots. And we doubt any one of them was asked how he liked it.
Shots are important, and not just to keep one trooper from feeling unwell one week of the year. Shots are important because the military must keep up readiness. That is, they must be ready to fight--or in the case of the various National Guards, rescue--at an hour's notice.
And when you volunteer for the military, you give up certain individual rights for the collective good of the unit.
Which brings us, again, to covid.
The feds report that upward of 40,000 National Guard members around the nation have yet to get covid shots, despite orders to do so. And our reporters asked around and found out that that number includes about 1,000 Guard members here in Arkansas.
Right now, it looks like the most punishment they'll face is that they won't be allowed on federal orders. Which means they won't get paid for the two-week annual training drills. Emphasis on the first two words of this paragraph.
If you're not drilling at AT, you're probably putting future promotions at risk. And thus future earnings. But them's the breaks when you don't follow legal orders. (NB: There are exceptions for religious or health reasons, as always. The paper said roughly 3 percent of Guard soldiers and 1 percent of Guard airman had exemption requests pending.)
Our news article also said: "While Guard members who missed the [covid shot] deadline risk administrative action, the details of these consequences remain unclear. Arkansas top brass were waiting for the U.S. Army and the National Guard Bureau to issue clarifying orders. . . . Guard members who violate federal vaccination orders will still be eligible for state duty. This means non-compliant troops and airmen could still be activated by the governor to respond to state emergencies such as tornadoes or flooding."
One could almost--almost--understand those in uniform who balked at the shot when it first came out. There were all kinds of strange rumors floating around on social media. But a year or more later, the shots have proven effective and safe. Like most vaccines. There is no longer any good argument against getting the shot, soldier.
"It's all about national security," said Mark Berry, a state representative who served as a high-ranking officer in the National Guard. "It's for protection of the force. . . . You don't need an epidemic in a platoon or a squadron."
And that comes from a state representative who helped sponsor a bill against requiring covid shots among civilians in Arkansas. He might know the difference between those in uniform and those out of it. And he might know that difference well.
The feds might take further steps. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has mentioned that Guard members might be turned out if they don't get these shots--one day. That day has not come. Yet.
Commanders know the importance of an immunized force. And how close quarters and military formations and warm-weather close-contact training--and cold weather close-contact training, too--is a virus' dream come true.
Suggested reading: "The Great Influenza" by John M. Barry. Especially the early chapters, as the flu tore through military bases and camps in 1918.