- Nov. 29, 2021Updated 9:00 p.m. ET
The Defense Department has rejected an attempt by the governor of Oklahoma to exclude the state’s National Guard from a federal vaccine mandate.
On Monday Lloyd J. Austin III, the secretary of Defense, sent a letter to Gov. Kevin Stitt that said the troops must comply with the requirement for all service branches.
The letter, which was widely expected, sets the stage for Guardmembers in the state to lose their jobs should they refuse.
“One could elect not to take the vaccine, of course,” John Kirby, a spokesman for Mr. Austin, said on Monday, “but then you would be putting at jeopardy your ability to stay in the National Guard.”