Coast Guard boots seven unvaccinated cadets from academy

They’re getting shipped off.

The Coast Guard kicked seven unvaccinated cadets out of its academy in Connecticut after their religious exemption requests were rejected.

At least one of the cadets was a senior and another was a sophomore, according to The Day newspaper. Their identities have not been released.

The new hats and shoulder bars for the graduates sit on a table before the start of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's 141st Commencement Exercises, May 18, 2022 in New London, Conn. (Stephen Dunn/)

“Each request was evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Coast Guard’s Office of Military Personnel Policy, and adjudicated by competent authority at Coast Guard Headquarters, with the advice of counsel, as required by law and Coast Guard policy,” Coast Guard Academy spokesman David Santos told The Day. “None of the requests was approved. Four cadets chose to become vaccinated after their requests for exemptions were denied and four cadets chose to resign from the Academy.”

COVID-19 vaccinations were made a requirement for military service members and cadets at academies by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in 2021. According to the Pentagon 98% of the active duty military is fully or partially vaccinated, and only 5,700 have been discharged for failing to get vaccinated.

Several lawsuits are pending at different federal courts challenging the vaccine mandate.

With News Wire Services