Vaccine Mandate Enforcement Against Air Force Officer Blocked

U.S. military leaders may not enforce a Covid-19 vaccine mandate against a reserve officer over her religious objections because their actions likely violate the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a federal court in Georgia said.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall III, and Surgeon General of the Air Force Robert Miller are blocked, for now, from requiring the unnamed officer to take the vaccine or “lose her livelihood,” the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia said.

“Although the Air Force claims to provide a religious accommodation process, ...