Soldiers of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, fire an engagement during gunnery table XII platoon qualification, Oct. 27, 2021, at Fort Carson, Colorado. U.S. Army / Capt. Tobias Cukale
The Army Brief: Vax refusal is career-ending; Recruiters’ TikTok dance; Sgt. Maj. tests; and more...
Welcome to The Army Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the service’s future.
Career consequences for vaccine refusal. Soldiers who refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine without an official exemption will be barred from re-enlistment and promotion, Defense One reports. Soldiers can only get the flag removed if they become vaccinated, receive an exemption, or are separated from the Army.
Social media recruiting. Recruiters are increasingly looking to social media platforms to find future soldiers, to include the China-based platform TikTok that was banned from use due to national security concerns, Defense One reports. Despite those concerns, several recruiters use it, including one who says about 45 percent of her recruits are because of TikTok.
Grading new Sgts. Maj. Soldiers up for promotion to sergeant major will be put through a new assessment program to ensure they are ready for the position, Task & Purpose reports. The assessment will include feedback from their peers, a writing test, and an interview.
Sign up to get The Army Brief every Friday morning from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On this day in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address while dedicating a military cemetery for soldiers who died in the battle there.
From Defense One
No Pentagon Wrong-Doing in Jan. 6 Reaction, Inspector General Finds // Patrick Tucker: “DOD officials did not delay or obstruct” Guard troops who arrived at the U.S. Capitol hours after insurrectionists stormed it.
As Pentagon Fails 4th Audit, Officials Have ‘No Doubt’ It Will Eventually Pass // Courtney Bublé: The inspector general and independent public accounting firms conducted this year's audit of DoD's $3.2 trillion in assets and $3 trillion in liabilities.
Biden Launches Arms-Control Talks with China, Warns Xi on Taiwan // Patrick Tucker: Beijing’s aggression toward the island, nuclear ambitions are big points of worry for the administration.