Defense bill scraps COVID vaccine mandate, protects AWACS

A defense policy bill expected to clear Congress soon would end the COVID vaccination mandate for the U.S. military, provide a 4.6% pay raise for service members and protect much of the AWACS fleet at Tinker Air Force Base until a replacement plane is deployed.

The bill, named for retiring U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, authorizes $847 billion for Defense Department programs in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. That is $45 billion more than requested by President Joe Biden.

Inhofe, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, was among the lawmakers who brokered a compromise in the past few days between the House and Senate defense bills. The compromise bill was unveiled Tuesday night.

The legislation includes an end to the COVID vaccine mandate that has led to the discharge of thousands of service members and multiple lawsuits, including one filed by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to shield National Guard members.

“I am pleased to see that leaders in Washington are moving to rescind the nonsensical and harmful COVID vaccine mandate for the U.S. military and National Guard members,” Stitt said Wednesday. “The president himself has said that the COVID pandemic is over. It’s time for his policies to reflect his words.”

Senior U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot last year rejected Stitt’s request to block the mandate for Guard members in Oklahoma.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Washington, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday that the vaccine mandate was “absolutely the right policy” when implemented but that it no longer made sense.

Republican Sen. James Lankford, of Oklahoma, one of the most vocal opponents of the mandate, called the defense bill language “a huge win for the military community” but said he still wanted answers from the Defense Department about its unwillingness to grant religious exemptions to the mandate.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, expected to be chairman of the House Armed Services Committee next year, said the panel will explore the possibility of service members being reinstated if they were discharged for not getting vaccinated.

The compromise bill would also protect most of the E-3 Sentry planes at Tinker Air Force Base and authorize about $300 million to speed up the development of E-7s to replace the fleet.

The Air Force wanted to cut 15 of the 27 planes from the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) fleet. Under the bill, the Air Force could retire five of the planes immediately; those planes are mainly being used now for spare parts.

Another 10 planes could be retired from duty when the Air Force gives Congress an acquisition strategy for the E-7. Of those 10, two must be kept for training.

Tinker received the first E-3 Sentry planes, known for their distinctive rotating radar dome, in 1977. Tinker hosts training and flight operations, while the massive repair depot at the base maintains and upgrades the planes. About 4,000 personnel are assigned to the 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker.

The money authorized for the E-7 is expected to accelerate the development of the plane. The first planes may be delivered as early as 2027.

Inhofe, who is retiring early next month, is a longtime leader on the Senate Armed Services Committee and currently serves as the top Republican. He has been part of crafting an annual defense policy for the last three decades, and the final one of his career bears his name, the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.

Inhofe proposed amendments in the committee the last two years to raise the total amount of spending authorized. Those higher amounts were adopted both times, over the objections of the White House.

“Anyone who knows me knows how important it is to me that we work together to produce a bipartisan agreement that provides for America’s troops,” Inhofe said on Wednesday.

“As I near the close of my time here in Congress, ensuring our troops have what they need is my number one priority and I am glad we are one step closer to final passage of the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act.”

Along with the 4.6% pay raise, the bill authorizes better housing benefits and an increase in the Basic Needs Allowance. The 4.6% raise also applies to Defense Department civilians.

The House approved the bill overwhelmingly on Thursday, and the Senate is expected to take it up next week.

The five Oklahomans in the U.S. House issued a joint statement after the vote on Thursday, saying: “Since being elected, Senator Inhofe has been a titan for the state of Oklahoma. He has tirelessly worked to improve and strengthen our businesses, military installations, and defense communities.

“While it is impossible to truly express the importance of Senator Inhofe to our State, we were proud to support this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, which was named in his honor. He will be missed.”

Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Oklahoma City, who worked on the bill as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said, “This year’s NDAA goes a long way toward supporting our combat capabilities and military readiness. Critically, this legislation repeals Biden’s unlawful vaccine mandate, which was negatively affecting military retention and recruiting. I am grateful that many of my priorities and legislative initiatives, which will directly benefit our military community in Oklahoma’s Fifth District, are in the final version of this bill."

Note: This story has been updated to add details on the E-3, to include the House vote on the defense bill and to add a statement from Oklahoma House members.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Defense bill scraps COVID vaccination mandate, protects Tinker AWACS