Members of the military are fighting to receive religious accommodation for the flu vaccine to remain in the military, but no one is listening.
In March, The Gateway Pundit spoke to Major Brennan Schilperoort, an Air Force officer of 17 years who took religious objection to the 2021 COVID-19 shot mandate, and more recently due to a change in religious beliefs, the flu vaccine. At the time of this interview, the C-130J transport aircraft pilot was facing administrative separation and a no-pay status for his refusal of the flu vaccine.
On March 24, the Air Force made the disturbing move to ignore his due-process rights, denying Maj. Schilperoort of his pay. Speaking to TGP for a second time in the weeks to follow, he sadly admitted, “It’s been a hard several weeks.” As he faces separation from the Air Force, awaiting final decision with no income, the ordeal has created “an incredible strain” on his family. Despite the future’s uncertainty, he maintains his religious convictions and faith to both God and his family.
With time to reflect, it has become important for him to point out: “This is happening under President Donald Trump’s administration.” While noting the president’s obvious support of the military and its veterans, he feels abandoned. “There have been violations of my constitutionally established religious rights and violations to the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act (RFRA), and it goes all the way down to the Department of Defense’s (DoD) own regulations.”
Will President Trump or Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hear his plea? “The rights of service members are being violated under your watch,” he lamented. “Many of us are people of good conscience who have proven ourselves to be willing to stand up against tyranny—and you’re about to lose us.”
Finding himself in a similar predicament, The Gateway Pundit also spoke to First Lieutenant. Schuyler Skipper, who has served the Marine Corps for over 12 years. Without a temporary restraining order instructing the Marine Corps to cease his separation process in 2022, and a judge’s subsequent order for a preliminary injunction against the COVID-19 shot, the Marine Corps officer would have found himself separated from the service a few short years ago.
Sadly, like Maj. Schilperoort, 1stLt Skipper’s objection to vaccines is far from over. In December 2022, he requested a religious accommodation for all vaccines. After educating himself about the contents of vaccines, and holding steadfast to his religious faith, he concluded he could “no longer submit to vaccinations containing ingredients that are known neurotoxins, carcinogens, fetal aborted cell lines, and animal DNA fragments.” What’s more, he considers his body “a Temple of God” and asserts that one’s health should be “[stewarded] as a gift from God.” Grounded in faith, he said, “the immune system God has given me is more than sufficient to protect me from illness.
1stLt Skipper’s request for accommodation for the flu shot was denied in February 2024 despite his sincerely held religious beliefs. And on April 7, 2024, he was served with a Report of Misconduct, to include a recommendation with the intent to separate. He cites “a resistance to following the Constitution,” particularly the First Amendment and Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The lack of individual assessments and blanket language in denials continues to persist. The DoD is “still running the same playbook” of generalized denials, attributing their decisions to the interest of health and readiness of the force, he explained.
For 1stLt Skipper, citing a risk to the force is unsubstantiated and nothing short of religious discrimination by what he has witnessed personally. Interestingly, despite having an adverse reaction to the flu shot in November 2021, medical officers have also not entertained a medical exemption for him. And for being unable to receive neither religious accommodation nor medical exemption for the flu shot, 1stLt Skipper is considered both a risk to the force and a nondeployable Marine.
Yet, there are over 50 others in units falling under his unit’s higher headquarters organizational structure, the 1st Marine Logistics Group, who have been granted medical exemptions from the vaccine. “[Their] careers remain unaffected even though we are in a similar position,” he pointed out.
On the one hand, it is apparent that the individual assessment standard required by RFRA is not occurring. And on the other, 1stLt Skipper said, “My personal health, to my knowledge, was never considered, just assumptions that high stress and demands make me more susceptible to disease.”
“I do not believe my personal health outcomes within my record were ever reviewed,” he admitted. “Within my final denial, the adjudicating authority mentioned ‘increasingly convincing data that service members who remain unvaccinated are more likely to experience a wide range of new, returning or ongoing health problems as opposed to those who are fully vaccinated’ as a reason to deny my request.”
On March 4, 2024, through a Privacy Act Request, 1stLt Skipper requested data to substantiate the statement he received. To date, no one has validated the claim.
A year later, 1stLt Skipper has been recommended for separation from the Marine Corps.
Attorney R. Davis Younts represents both Maj. Schilperoort and 1stLt Skipper. The retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and former judge advocate general (JAG) said, “The cases of both of these clients reflect a systemic problem that has not been fixed.” He asserted, “The DoD is failing to follow the religious accommodation process outlined in military regulations and required by the Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”
“Although President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are committed to reform,” Younts shared, “there are far too many within who are still seeking to retaliate against anyone who challenged the unlawful COVID mandate and seeking to purge Christians and those who stand for truth from the military.”
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