COVID Vaccine Mandates Weakening US Military, Retired Vice Admiral Warns

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard march in the Italian Heritage Parade in San Francisco, Calif., on Oct. 10, 2021. Ilene Eng/The Epoch Times

A retired U.S. Coast Guard rear admiral warned that COVID-19 vaccine mandates are weakening the military and driving down recruitment efforts.

In a letter published Monday, retired Coast Guard Vice Admiral William “Dean” Lee criticized the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate. The rule, implemented in 2021 through the Department of Defense (DOD), has allowed for few religious exemptions.