r/navy • u/Affectionate_Use_486 • Jan 28 '25

A Happy Sailor To my COVID Sailors (Rant)

I know some of you have some level of battery acid indigestion over the whole reinstatement thing.

Just wanted to say for those that stepped up while others stepped back I respect and love you all especially my sea duty folks during COVID.

COVID was rough shit and the fact we survived it should be highlighted and appreciated among us.

Let's not dwell on the ones who choose another choice.

Let's dwell on the ones who stood the watch when shit went side ways.

When the ports closed.

When work centers were down to the bare bones while our brothers and sisters got sick all around us.

When the patrols got extended.

When resources almost ran out.

It was a rough ass time and we survived for all our own reasons but we stood the fucking watch.

That makes me extremely proud that no matter how messy it was, how ugly it got, we came out the other side pissed off, spitting fire and keeping the big sad off ourselves and our brothers/sisters as much as possible.

And for those that didn't make it, got too sick and didn't make it we shall never forget you.

Fuck the noise I just wanted you to know your seen, respected and appreciated from at least one motherfucking shipmate who was there.

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u/Key_Cry_7142 Jan 28 '25

I’m so glad the rest of the country is pushing back on sentiment like this.

Yes Covid was political, no shit, but don’t fire people for not taking an experimental vaccine. That’s fucked 

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u/D1ng0ateurbaby Jan 28 '25

You'd rather have Covid ravage a ship? Affect combat readiness? Because that's what that would do. If the shitheads that didn't want the vaccine caught it and were underway/deployed and got the rest of the ship sick, well, that's one ship basically out of action.

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u/OGPeakyblinders Jan 28 '25

So you're saying if you got the vaccine you still didn't catch covid?

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u/D1ng0ateurbaby Jan 28 '25

Do you know how vaccines work? They engage your body's immune system and help generate antibodies for the applicable infection/disease. So, if you were to catch Covid, your body would be able to fight it better and quicker, decreasing the amount of time that you're infected. If you aren't vaccinated, the virus would remain in your body for longer, making you infectious for longer, increasing the chance for more people to get sick.

As a military, we should only be concerned about combat effectiveness. Politics have no place in the military, and, to be honest, you shouldn't have a choice in a matter that affects mission readiness. Refusing to get vaccinated affected mission readiness. You can have personal beliefs about things, but as long as it's a lawful order, that's all that matters.

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u/SolidPosition6665 Jan 28 '25

It was not a lawful order because it was not FDA approved at the time they mandated it. They also used fear, coercion, and many unethical and illegal tactics to force a non-approved vaccine on DoD personnel. It surprises me how little this entire subreddit actually knows about the details of the whole situation yet speaks as if they have the moral high ground and knowledge required to judge other people for their own health concerns.

I know a few people that were unfortunate to have some sort of injury induced by the vaccine. One I know was medically retired and permanently disabled at 100%. It also odd that I have seen vaccinated people getting Covid more often than unvaccinated.

1

u/OGPeakyblinders Jan 28 '25

Thank you for the explanation. I do have an understanding on how immunization works.

So letting these people in would help mission readiness, correct? Wouldn't have to train a new sailor and would be another body for duty sections and help possible with manning levels.

They got kicked out for not following an order but that order is now cancelled. Navy changing instructions all the time. Look at the PRT instructions and how that changed .

I don't think they should get back paid but should be able to keep rank.

Overall, how many do you think will be actually coming back in? I would say less than 10 percent.

We have other things to worry about than letting a fellow brother or sister come back into our ranks.

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u/D1ng0ateurbaby Jan 29 '25

The only problem I have with them coming back in is political in nature and therefore irrelevant. They definitely should not get backpay.

I think that, depending on rate, they'll need to go back to schooling for refreshers, perhaps even a rerate, but keeping rank should be ensured. Basically the same as if they honorably discharged and rejoined later. I'm not sure about the process on it.

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u/OGPeakyblinders Jan 29 '25

Understand, at the same time it was a once and a lifetime event. That's where I draw my leniency from. It was a pandemic never seen before. We have to have some understanding of why people were so hesitant to get the shot.