WASHINGTON - Army officials said Thursday that 98% of their active-duty force had gotten at least one dose of the mandatory coronavirus vaccine as of this week's deadline for the shots but that more than 3,800 soldiers flatly refused and could start being removed from the military next month.The U.S.
military's largest service, however, reported the lowest number of service members seeking a religious exemption — a bit more than 1,700 soldiers — compared with the other three smaller services.
In comparison, there are more than 4,700 in the Air Force, 3,000 in the Marine Corps and 2,700 in the Navy who are requesting religious exemptions, according to data released by the services in the past week.