(Press Release) Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03), along with House Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost and Reps Max Miller and Jen Kiggans, led a letter to General David H. Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, to address the recruitment shortage brought on in large part by vaccine mandates. The Marine Corps dismissed over 3,700 Marines due to the vaccine mandate – by far the most of any of the military services.

Specifically, the letter recommends that recruiters reach out to the thousands of Marines expelled due to the vaccine mandate and investigate who could fill the vacancies.

“I represent over 52,000 Marines and their families who sacrifice so much by their dedicated service to our beloved country. It is an utter shame that many of these selfless individuals have been stripped of their livelihoods simply because they made a conscious medical decision,” said Rep. Murphy.

“Our military cannot function as the strongest force in the world with such baseless and unscientific policies. That’s why I led this letter to the Marine Commandant to restore our service members’ livelihoods and ensure our military’s premier standing.”

“Congress ended the Department of Defense COVID-19 vaccine mandate when we passed the National Defense Authorization Act last year,” said Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12), Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

“As the Marine Corps faces a recruitment crisis, it only makes sense to reinstate those who were discharged simply because of an outdated mandate. They’ve proven they are ready, willing, and able to serve our nation.”

“We have trained Marines who could fill critical jobs today, but they were discharged simply for refusing a vaccine,” said Rep. Max Miller (OH-07), who served six years in the Marine Corps Reserves. “That is wrong. The United States would be well-served by bringing these soldiers back into active duty.”

BACKGROUND

As of December 2022, the U.S. Marine Corps expelled 3,717 Marines because of their desire to not receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, the Marine Corps was forced to change its recruiting goal for FY 2022.

Many of the Marines expelled were filling positions in which their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) expertise is in critical need. Many of these positions come with a bonus to keep Marines with specific expertise in these positions.

Congressman Murphy represents over 52,000 Marines in North Carolina’s 3^rd District, which includes Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and Marine Corps Air Station New River.

A link to the letter can be found here.