COVID-19 vaccine mandate sparks crisis in National Guard

WALTZ: GUARD ‘CRIPPLED’ BY VACCINE MANDATE: Republican lawmakers are calling on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to rescind a policy that has cut pay and benefits for nearly 60,000 Guard and Reserve troops who have refused to be vaccinated for COVID-19. The troops have also been barred from training exercises while the Pentagon weighs whether to boot them from the force.

“I understand … law and order, discipline. You tell the platoon to charge the machine gun, they got to do it,” Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), a former Green Beret with 26 years in uniform, said on Fox yesterday. “But also, as leaders, we have to evaluate our orders and whether it’s worth the risk. And in this case, you have a vaccine that has now been shown not to stop the spread. That it’s a personal health decision on what kind of symptoms you want to endure versus guaranteed to lose tens of thousands of soldiers you can’t replace.”

“As a congressman and National Guard colonel — who has had COVID-19 and been vaccinated — I can’t imagine a more reckless decision than to reprimand tens of thousands of National Guard members who have answered the call of duty,” Waltz wrote in a Fox News op-ed, noting that Guard troops were on the front lines of the pandemic response.

“Many of these service members have already been exposed to COVID-19 and last year’s defense bill specifically asks the department to consider whether previous exposures induce sustained antibody protection, which may produce similar levels of immunity as the vaccine,” writes Waltz. “If those findings are met, there’s no excuse to bar service members from serving in uniform … To cripple our military, which is mostly comprised of healthy young men and women, is irresponsible.”

ARMY SCRAMBLES TO FIND NEW RECRUITS AT THE SAME TIME IT BOOTS VACCINE REFUSERS

ESPER: VACCINE POLITICIZED: The Pentagon argues that the COVID vaccine, which is now fully approved by the FDA, is just one of more than a dozen vaccines that service members are required to get, and which are largely uncontroversial.

But in the current hyperpartisan political environment, vaccine status and mask-wearing have become symbols of political affiliation, says former Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

“I think it made sense to get the U.S. military inoculated. It’s important to our readiness. But obviously, this is an outgrowth of the politicization of the virus — of the vaccines and the virus and everything else, and it’s a shame that it’s gotten to that point,” Esper said on CNN. “It came down to an issue of red state versus blue state in terms of how they deal with COVID. It came down to signaling whether or not you wore a face mask.”

“The Guard, more than any other part of the United States military, lives in its communities, reflects the view of the communities in which they serve,” says Esper, who served in the Army National Guard. “And so, I’m not surprised that given a force that’s spread in every state of the union and territory, that you would have this type of reaction and response.”

ARMY PERSONNEL COULD BE MORE THAN 25,000 SHORT AT END OF FISCAL YEAR

‘OUR MILITARY IS BEING DEPLETED’: The idea of punishing or discharging tens of thousands of vaccine refusers during a recruiting crisis that is threatening to leave the Army short more than 20,000 soldiers this year seems crazy to Waltz.

“Currently, every branch of the U.S. military is struggling mightily to recruit men and women to join its ranks. This year is shaping up to be one of the worst recruiting years for our military since the Vietnam War,” writes Waltz. “Whether it’s enforcing a vaccine mandate on our troops, the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, or the increased woke indoctrination through mandatory seminars and training, our military is being depleted.”

“No matter how you feel about it, it’s clear the vaccine requirement is both keeping some young people from volunteering and at the same time causing the military to discharge tens of thousands of otherwise eligible troops,” writes retired Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for National Defense, in an opinion piece in the Washington Examiner.

“This is shaping up to be the worst recruiting year for the Army since the advent of the all-volunteer force in 1973,” Spoehr writes. “And it’s not a transitory issue. If the recruiting crisis is not turned around soon, it could seriously affect U.S. national defense long-term — at a time when readiness is crucial.”

CAN AMERICA’S ALL-VOLUNTEER MILITARY SURVIVE A DEARTH OF VOLUNTEERS?

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HAPPENING TODAY: Former President Donald Trump makes his first trip back to Washington since he departed the White House on Jan. 20, 2021, after the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Trump will deliver the keynote address as the last speaker of the America First Policy Institute’s two-day “America First Agenda Summit” at 3 p.m.

At a rally in Arizona Friday night, Trump repeated the false claim that he won the 2020 election and hinted at his expected announcement of a 2024 run. “I ran twice, I won twice and did much better the second time than I did the first, getting millions more votes in 2020 than we got in 2016. And likewise getting more votes than any sitting president in the history of our country by far,” Trump told the enthusiastic crowd. “And now, we may have to do it again. Might have to do it again.”

CONWAY: TRUMP WANTS TO ANNOUNCE 2024 RUN ‘TODAY’

RARE BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR PELOSI: When it comes to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, there’s not much Republicans and Democrats agree on. But her reported plan to lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan next month is drawing wide bipartisan support.

“Speaker Pelosi should go to Taiwan, and President Biden should make it abundantly clear to Chairman Xi that there’s not a damn thing the Chinese Communist Party can do about it,” said Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE). “No more feebleness and self-deterrence.”

China has vowed to take “resolute and strong measures” should Pelosi proceed with her plans, which so far have not been confirmed by her office. “I think that the military thinks it’s not a good idea right now,” Biden said last week, amid reports Pelosi might travel on a U.S. military plane, which could provoke a confrontation.

“I don’t think we should let China dictate something like this,” said Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “Nancy Pelosi is the speaker of the House, she’s the most powerful person in the country, if she wants to go visit Taiwan, she ought to be able to do that.”

The New York Times reports that the Biden administration is worried that China may take increasingly aggressive actions over the next 18 months, perhaps moving to cut off access to all or part of the Taiwan Strait.

“Timidity is dangerous,” tweeted former Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA), the last speaker to visit Taiwan in 1997. “What is the Pentagon thinking when it publicly warns against Speaker Pelosi going to Taiwan? If we are so intimidated by the Chinese Communists we can’t even protect an American Speaker of the House, why should Beijing believe we can help Taiwan survive?”

NAVY BLUES: Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Military Personnel, says a report yesterday in Politico is just the latest example of how the U.S. Navy is in total disarray.

“How many ships does our Navy need to deter — and if necessary win — a war? It should be a simple question. But our Navy is apparently incapable of providing Congress a direct and consistent answer. The fact that Congress has received four different answers from the Navy in the past three months alone sparks confusion and ultimately, less effective advocacy,” he said in a statement.

The Politico report detailed infighting in the Navy — described as a “slugfest” — over how many ships the Navy needs.

“The Constitution requires Congress to provide and maintain a Navy, and it is now clear that Congress must step in and help the Navy avert disaster before it is too late,” said Gallagher. “This is why I worked with my colleague Elaine Luria to insert language establishing a congressional commission on the future of the Navy into this year’s NDAA.”

“Bandaids are no longer sufficient and it is time for Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities to dig deep into the problems plaguing our Navy and right its course before it heads into harm’s way.”

‘ZELENSKY FEELS LIKE HE IS LOSING SLOWLY’: The congressional delegation led by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith is back from their visit with Volodymyr Zelensky and Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov in Ukraine. Smith’s big takeaway? The resilience of the Ukrainian people.

“When we were in Kyiv for substantial portions of walking around, you wouldn’t have known that they were at war. They figured out how to make the country run, how to keep the rail systems running, how to keep their hospitals running to deal with the wounded. So they have been incredibly resilient,” Smith said on CNN.

Zelensky, as he always does, pressed the lawmakers for more weapons. “They have a couple of asks for some other systems, but mostly the HIMARS systems, the long-range artillery fires,” Smith said. “We’ve seen the success of those systems. They want more of it.”

Rep. Mike Waltz, the lone Republican in the five-member group, says Zelensky also expressed frustration with European countries that have yet to deliver on weapons they have pledged.

“They’ve promised a lot, but they’re delivering very little. And even what they promised that they’re not delivering, it’s a fraction of what the United States is,” Waltz said on Fox. “Aside from Britain, Germany especially, they’re delivering right now less than Estonia. And Zelensky’s fear is, as we head into winter, as they become even more dependent on Russian oil and gas, that they’re going to backslide even further.”

“I think the biggest point, though, was that Zelensky feels like he is losing slowly, that the Biden administration is basically helping him play for a tie,” Waltz told Fox’s Bret Baier. “And if … these lines settle as they are this winter, then, essentially, he’s cut off from the ocean minus one port. Putin will hit a pause button, it won’t be the end of hostilities. He will lick his wounds and come at it again.”

RUSSIA LAUNCHES ‘MASSIVE MISSILE STRIKE’ ON ANOTHER UKRAINIAN PORT, OFFICIAL SAYS

INDUSTRY WATCH: “Lockheed Martin Corp.’s next mega-contract for several hundred F-35 jets will be worth about $30 billion, according to a defense official familiar with the negotiations,” reports Bloomberg’s Anthony Capaccio, who says the exact number of F-35s won’t be known until late summer or early fall.

“The Pentagon last week announced that it reached a preliminary agreement with Lockheed Martin on what is now a planned 375 aircraft for the 15th through 17th production contracts,” Bloomberg reported. “That’s a drop from a potential 485 listed in February 2019, before negotiations began, and 404 in April 2019, according to a decision memo from acting acquisition chief Stacy Cummings.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The Rundown

Washington Examiner: Russia launches ‘massive missile strike’ on another Ukrainian port, official says

Washington Examiner: Two Americans killed in action in Ukraine identified: Report

Washington Examiner: Moldovan prime minister ‘very worried’ about possible Russian invasion

Washington Examiner: Ukraine hopes to resume grain exports in coming days after strike hit Odesa

Washington Examiner: Russian forces ‘basically commit genocide’, top Democrat says after trip to Kyiv

Washington Examiner: ‘Alarm’ in Russia grows over U.S.-provided weapons to Ukraine

Washington Examiner: US denies sanctions have worsened food crisis as Russia pits Africa against West

Washington Examiner: Zelensky sacks head of Ukrainian Special Operations Forces

Washington Examiner: ‘Baked Alaska’ pleads guilty in Jan. 6 case

Washington Examiner: Senators share grisly details from recent border trip

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Army is falling dangerously short on recruitment. Here’s what we can do about it

Washington Examiner: Opinion: The folly of removing NATO nuclear weapons from Europe

New York Times: U.S. Officials Grow More Concerned About Potential Action by China on Taiwan

AP: Taiwan holds drills amid Pelosi visit concern, China tension

Washington Post: Russian Energy Giant Gazprom To Slash Gas To Germany

USNI News: Ukraine Faces Hurdles Before Grain Exports Can Start Under New Deal With Russia, Expert Says

Bloomberg: Lockheed’s Next F-35 Jet Contract Is Expected to Be Worth $30 Billion

Air Force Magazine: While Russia-Ukraine Looms Large, Hecker Promises ‘Balance,’ Focus on Africa

Air Force Magazine: Lockheed Military Space Boss: We Have ‘Opportunity to Expand Beyond’ GPS

Air Force Magazine: Austin Heads to SOUTHCOM, Brazil to Push US Priorities in a Neglected Region

Marine Corps Times: The Marine Corps Is Set For Its First Black 4-Star General

San Diego Union-Tribune: Marine Unit Involved In High-Surf Amphibious Vehicle Rollover Same As One Involved In 2020 Sinking

Navy Times: Pilot Error Likely Caused Navy’s TH-57 Helicopter Crash In Summer 2021

19fortyfive.com: Could Nancy Pelosi Start a War with China if She Visits Taiwan?

19fortyfive.com: Israel’s One-Of-A-Kind F-35I Adir Fighters Are Training for War in Europe

19fortyfive.com: F-35 Clone? New Images of China’s J-35 Stealth Fighter Are Out

19fortyfive.com: Russia Has Made It Clear: Putin’s Goal Is To Destroy Ukraine

19fortyfive.com: The Dark Scenario: Ukraine’s Military Can’t Beat Russia and Collapses

The Cipher Brief: Book review: America’s Most Infamous Spy in Plain Sight

The Cipher Brief: Opinion: The Middle East and the Cost of Strategic Inconsistency

Calendar

TUESDAY | JULY 26

8 a.m. 1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean, Va. — Potomac Officers Club 2022 Air Force Summit, with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall; and Air Force Chief Information Officer Lauren Knausenberger https://potomacofficersclub.com/events/poc-2022-air-force-forum/

9 a.m. 11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel, Md. — Defense Department Industry Engagement Day for the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve, “an initiative to encourage prototyping and experimentation in pursuit of solutions to Joint problems.” https://sam.gov/opp

9 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual South China Sea conference, with Rep. Robert Wittman, R-Va.; Jung Pak, deputy assistant secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific affairs; Robert Harris, assistant legal adviser for East Asia and Pacific affairs at the State Department; and Ely Ratner, assistant Defense secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs https://www.csis.org/events/twelfth-annual-south-china-sea-conference

10 a.m. — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in U.S. Diplomacy and Development,” with testimony from Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, State Department chief diversity and inclusion officer; and Neneh Diallo, chief diversity officer, USAID https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/diversity-equity-inclusion

11 a.m. — National Interest virtual discussion: “Is Escalation in Ukraine Inevitable?” with Dimitri Simes, president and CEO of the Center for the National Interest and publisher of the National Interest; and Anatol Lieven, visiting professor at King’s College London and senior fellow at the Quincy Institute. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar

12 p.m. — American Security Project virtual discussion: “NATO’s Next Act,” with former NATO Ambassador Doug Lute https://www.americansecurityproject.org/event/nato

WEDNESDAY | JULY 27

9 a.m. 10 Daniel French Dr., S.W. — Korean War Veterans Memorial “Wall of Remembrance Dedication Ceremony,” in which an addition featuring names of more than 36,000 American war dead and 7,000 Koreans who fought alongside them will be unveiled, with President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attending. https://koreaN.W.arvetsmemorial.org/event/wall-of-remembrance-dedication

9 a.m. — The Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “The Future of Arms Control, Strategic Stability and the Global Order,” with U.K. National Security Adviser Stephen Lovegrove https://www.csis.org/events/future-arms-control

9:30 a.m. Fort Bragg, N.C. — Association of the U.S. Army two-day, in-person “Warfighter Summit and Exposition,” with Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville; Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston; Alejandro Villanueva, former Army Ranger and former offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens; as well as leaders from Army Forces Command, the XVIII Airborne Corps and the 82nd Airborne Division. Register at https://meetings.ausa.org/warfighter/index.cfm

12 p.m. — Atlantic Council New American Engagement Initiative virtual discussion: “Future Foreign Policy: A new nuclear era,” with Heather William, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Project on Nuclear Issues; Tong Zhao, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Daryl Press, government professor at Dartmouth University https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/ffp-a-new-nuclear-era/

THURSDAY | JULY 28

8:30 a.m. — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group virtual conversation Gen. Stephen Townsend, outgoing commander, U.S. Africa Command https://nationalsecuritymedia.gwu.edu/

8:30 a.m. — Federal Computer Week virtual workshop: “Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0: What’s Changed and What’s Next?” with Diane Knight, lead for the Defense Department’s CMMC Program Management Office https://events.fcw.com/cmmc/

9 a.m. 1 West Pratt St. — National Defense Industrial Association 2022 Defense Conference and Exhibition, with the theme “Competition, Climate Change, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Defense – Defining Challenges/Delivering Solutions,” with Assistant Defense Secretary for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs Deb Rosenblum https://www.ndia.org/events/2022/7/26/2300-cbrn#

9:30 a.m. G50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing for Milancy Harris to be deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security; Radha Plumb to be deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Brendan Owens to be assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations, and environment; and Laura Taylor-Kale to be assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/hearings

12:30 p.m. 214 Massachusetts Ave. N.E. — Heritage Foundation discussion: “Lessons Learned from the War in Ukraine,” with IRIS Independent Research President Rebecca Grant; retired Army Col. David Johnson; and Bryan Clark, Hudson Institute senior fellow https://www.heritage.org/defense/event/lessons-learned-the-war-ukraine

1:30 p.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual fireside chat with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr.; and Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow, director, CNAS Defense Program. https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-fireside-chat

7 p.m. 600 I Street N.W. — Politics and Prose Bookstore book discussion: “Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy,” with author and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger; and Andrea Mitchell, chief NBC News Washington correspondent https://www.politics-prose.com/event/book

FRIDAY | JULY 29

8:30 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel nearing: “Service Members’ Reproductive Health and Readiness,” with testimony from Sharon Arana, active-duty service member; Theresa Mozzillo, active-duty service member; Dr. Jackie Lamme, OB-GYN, Naval Medical Officer; Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, OB-GYN, Texas-based civilian; Gil Cisneros, undersecretary of defense personnel and readiness; Seileen Mullen, acting secretary of defense health affairs; and Caroline Krass, Pentagon general counsel https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings

9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. N.W. — Center for Strategic and International Studies conference: “The Nuclear Posture in Review,” Former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller, lecturer at Stanford University https://www.csis.org/events/nuclear-posture-review

MONDAY | AUGUST 1

6:00 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. — Hudson Institute book discussion: “The Arc of a Covenant,” a history of U.S.-Israel relations, with author Walter Russell Mead, distinguished fellow, Hudson Institute; and Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-arc-of-a-covenant-book-talk