Vaccine mandate inviting mixed opinions and heated battles

Western District of Oklahoma's U.S District Judge Stephen Friot dismissed a motion by the state for a temporary injunction. They claimed that there was no merit to the plaintiff's claims last December. Last year the military vaccine mandate's issue escalated, and the motion is heating up a battle between Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Pentagon.

The first person to question the National Guard's vaccine mandate was Stitt. He asked Lloyd Austin, the Defense Secretary, for an exemption from the mandate for his state's Guard members. The state National Guard's current head, Brig. Thomas Manchino wrote a memo that stated that the State Guards members were not required to be vaccinated.

The defense secretary paid no heed to the request, and it led to the filing of the case against Biden and Austin.


The point in question has two main federal statutes affecting the National Guard. While Title 10 says that the Guard will be under Federal Control, Title 32 of the U.S Code states that the Guard is under state control.

The Biden administration pointed out what Friot had already mentioned and said that the motion has no basis to it. The government stated that the defenders are following the laws and are not wrong in asking its National Guard members to get vaccinated.

They also stated that the POTUS could impose a mandate for vaccines on the members of the National Guard, and Oklahoma is thus wrong.

The Army National Guard members have to get vaccinated by June 30, while the National Guard members of Air were required to get vaccinated by Dec 31.

At least seven other governors from the Republicans have spoken against the mandate. However, Austin sent a letter to them in February and informed them that the power to implement the mandate lies with him "regardless of duty status."

In January, Greg Abbott, the Gov of Texas, had sued the Pentagon against the mandate. Later on, Mike Dunleavy, the Gov. of Alaska, joined in on the litigation.