An Air Force Reserve officer, Lt. Col. Brandi King filed a discrimination complaint against the military’s COVID-19 inoculation requirement, alleging she was fired from her job in the service chief’s diversity office for seeking a religious exemption to the vaccine mandate. King told the press that over a period of weeks, “her superiors badgered her about whether she would seek a religious exemption, urged her not to do so, and even suggested she’d lose her prestigious assignment in the Air Force Chief of Staff’s new diversity program if she followed through with an exemption request.” The 19-year service member said she was also threatened with court-martial and dishonorable discharge if she was not granted the religious exemption, which was denied with a blanket letter. King said she was terminated from the diversity department for refusing the vaccine, even though she has tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies from a prior infection. King said she also tested positive for an allergy to an ingredient in COVID-19 vaccines and was denied a medical exemption and later received a letter of reprimand. King’s lawyer said the military’s behavior violates the decades-long norm of judging each airman’s case on the merits rather than imposing a blanket denial.

Call Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs at 478-327-1748 and request King is reinstated and receives her exemption.