Former Coast Guardsman Separated for Refusing Vaccine Says He Was Forced to Pay Back Reenlistment Bonus

A former Coast Guard service member who was last year discharged for objecting to the Pentagon’s vaccine mandate A former officer said that he was required to repay a reenlistment reward. “an attempt to humiliate” Members who were against the mandate for vaccines.

Phil Southwell was a veteran of the country serving for over 13 years. He was then discharged in August because he objected to the Military Once the Department of Defense (D0D), the Coast Guard adopted the vaccine mandate. On December 23, President Joe Biden signed Fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) into Law. Prescribed The revocation of the mandate.

However, this measure was not enough. “too little, too late” Southwell stated that he was being separated because he had been fired on Aug. 12. Southwell lost his job as operations specialist within days. A memo informed him that he must pay $18,000 in reenlistment bonuses starting 2019. At the time, he had signed up for an additional four-year reenlistment, but due to the military’s actions against those who refused to take the vaccine, he was unable to finish a term of service that would have ended in 2023.

“Since I couldn’t fulfill the final years of my last reenlistment after getting booted from the Coast Guard, I was immediately required to pay $18,000 back to Coast Guard with only a month’s notice,” He told The Epoch Times.

Southwell recalled that the experience was a great learning opportunity. “not good,” He added that he was “rather disgruntled about it.” He considered himself fortunate because he had placed his reenlistment bonus funds into a retirement savings plan and an investment plan. “But I’m sure there are people out there who didn’t do this and had to spend the money right away, and that sickens me,” He concluded.

Fox News reported that U.S. service personnel who opposed the vaccine mandate were also required to repay recruitment bonuses. reported.

Rocky Rogers, a former Coast Guard IT chief who has served more than 20-years, expressed concern at the reports. “[It] blows my mind,” He said. “The growing number of members who have had to pay back an enlistment/reenlistment bonus is very concerning.”

Rogers believes it “an attempt to humiliate” Those who opposed the mandate for vaccines. “All in all, the military has done the most harm that they can do to members and that’s to hurt them financially,” He said. He spoke out in defense of the soldier. “Bonuses are supposed to be pro-rated in the event a member does not meet the entire Military Service Obligation of their contract.”

‘Leaders Are No Longer Leading’

Southwell was once a Coast Guard Coast Guard career obligation. Because he was a soldier, he joined the military. “wanted to make a positive impact on our world and our country.” He believed the Coast Guard was evolving in recent years, which was disappointing.

“When the COVID vaccines came around, it really changed things,” He said. He said that those who stood firm against the vaccine would be rewarded. “military leadership began treating us differently.” Unvaccinated personnel were, for example, unable to leave the dock after their ship arrived at port on two-month deployments. “We had to send people out to get us the basic necessities that were needed during the long deployments,” He said. “We basically felt like we were in prison for two months.”

He added that he also believed: “we were segregated into wearing N-95 masks when other vaccinated members were allowed privileges, such as wearing no masks at all, or regular cloth masks.”

Southwell also recalls seeing “everybody’s name that was unvaccinated posted on the main passageway of the Cutter [a commissioned vessel] for all to see. Threatened that this may be a HIPPA violation, the list of unvaccinated service members was removed. “But the damage was already done,” He said. He added that it was coercive and embarrassing.

Southwell believes that the military is a good idea. “leaders are no longer leading.” “Leadership is too bureaucratic and political, today,” He said.

He said that he was happy with the result. “Getting discharged for refusing to get the jab was 100 percent the right decision, [as] I wouldn’t be able to serve in today’s Coast Guard which has turned its back on some of its most critical members.”

The Epoch Times did not receive any inquiries from the Pentagon or Coast Guard.