President Joe Biden publicly hailed a Coast Guard rescue swimmer for his efforts during Hurricane Ian days before he was scheduled to be let go because to the military’s COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Biden commended Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Zach Loesch in a news release, saying, “I told him how proud of him and thanked him for all the work he and his Coasties are doing to save lives.”
There are 2,632 unvaccinated US Coast Guard personnel as of September 2022.
The US Marine Corps has the highest percentage of unvaccinated personnel (8,913), followed by the Air Force (3,955) and the Navy (2,623). The US Army has the lowest percentage of unvaccinated personnel (1,337).
Lieutenant Commander Christopher Hooper and Loesch collaborated in his rescue.
The couple were recognized for their “heroic efforts” and that of their Coast Guard colleagues “during search and rescue operations in reaction to Hurricane Ian,” according to the statement.
The President praised them for saving lives and requested a report on the ongoing efforts to save Floridians, according to the press release.
The statement added, “He also inquired if they required any more help that he may offer to expedite successful rescues; they answered they had acquired all they need to carry out their crucial task.”
Following the exchange, Loesch told Breitbart in an interview that the Coast Guard was about to terminate him because of his position on vaccines.
He claimed: “Every single one of the persons I rescued yesterday would have responded “yes” if I had asked them whether they wanted to go with me despite the fact that I am not immunized.”
A religious exception has been requested, according to Loesch. Regarding the use of fetal tissue in the vaccination, the military often grants religious exemptions.
Even Pope Francis has authorized the COVID-19 vaccination in spite of its existence.
Most service members who have so far been involuntarily discharged due to the vaccination have received a general discharge.
According to the Military Times, this indicates that they are still qualified for benefits and are free to reenlist after receiving the vaccination.
Loesch said that he did not think it was proper to bring up his probable dismissal during his phone discussion with Biden.
It’s simply disappointing that he praised me but is ejecting me because of the vaccination obligation, he remarked.
I really enjoy my work, and I’m pretty excellent at it, Loesch said. It’s awful. I believe that this is the work I was meant to undertake.
Loesch has served in the military and enjoys playing disc golf. He is listed as being located in Dunedin, Florida and is rated 971st in the United States on the Professional Disc Golf Association website.
He describes himself as a “USCG Helicopter Rescue Swimmer” and a “Proud Husband” on his Instagram profile.
During the operation, Loesch freed a trapped couple—a crippled lady and her husband—from their home’s bedroom. To reach the pair, the rescue swimmer was compelled to punch through a wall.
After that, according to Loesch, he fastened the lady to his body while she was still in her wheelchair and hauled her to a waiting aircraft. He also prevented the deaths of numerous local animals.
The seven cadets were expelled from the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, in August for failing to comply with the military’s need to get the COVID-19 immunization, after their petitions for religious exemptions were turned down earlier this year.
The cadets have until August 19 to depart the college; their identities have not been made public.
Michael Rose, a lawyer for the cadets, said that armed guards threatened to remove the students from the school if they did not vacate by August 19.
Last year, Covid-19 vaccination became required for all military personnel, including those enrolled in military schools. According to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the vaccine is essential to preserving the force’s health and preparedness.
A number of cases, including two in South Carolina and Texas involving some of the Coast Guard Academy students Rose represents as well as cadets from other institutions, are being brought against that obligation.
The timelines for the armed services’ troops varied, and the Army National Guard was given the most time to prepare, mostly because it is a sizable force with roughly 330,000 men who are dispersed around the nation, many of them are in rural areas.
The Air Guard is at about 94 percent, followed by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps at 97 percent or more. The Army Reserve was fully or partly immunized, around 90% of them.