GOP Rep. Mike Waltz rips Biden’s ‘destructive’ COVID rule over Coast Guardsman’s likely discharge

A top Florida Republican condemns the COVID-19 vaccine mandates imposed on the country’s armed forces by the Biden administration — just before the policy puts a heroic coastguard out of service.

Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Zach Loesch was publicly thanked by President Joe Biden for his Hurricane Ian exploits in the Sunshine State, but will soon be out of the thousands of military personnel who are suddenly out of service for not having both COVID-19 shots.

GOP Representative Mike Waltz (Fla.-06) told DailyMail.com on Sunday that Loesch’s case “underlines how destructive” the Biden administration’s vaccine policy has been to the US military.

He warned that the mandate could undermine the country’s ability to respond to future crises such as Hurricane Ian and further exacerbate the military personnel shortage.

“This will cripple our ability to respond effectively to the next natural disaster if the Biden administration doesn’t change course. We need more service workers like Zach Loesch who risk their lives to save others — no less,” Waltz said.

“And with the current military recruiting crisis, these skills will be extremely difficult to replace.”

Waltz, a former Green Beret, has spearheaded multiple efforts to urge Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to drop the military’s vaccine mandate.

While the Coast Guard is part of the armed forces, it is technically under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security.

Loesch had told Brietbart that he had applied for a religious exemption, but it had not yet been granted.

In a press release, Biden expressed his gratitude to the Coast Guard rescue swimmer: “I told him how proud I was of him and thanked him for all the work he and his Coasties are doing to save lives,” the statement said.

As of September 2022, there are 2,632 unvaccinated members of the US Coast Guard.

The military branch with the most unvaccinated members as the US Marine Corps with 8,913, followed by the Air Force with 3,955, then the Navy, 2,623, the branch with the fewest unvaccinated members as the US Army with 1,337.

Loesch teamed up with Lieutenant Commander Christopher Hooper in his rescue.

The statement thanked the couple “for the heroic work they and their Coast Guard colleagues have done during search and rescue operations in response to Hurricane Ian.”

The release continued: “The president thanked them for saving lives and asked for a report on the work that continues to save Floridians.”

“He also asked if they needed additional support to accelerate successful rescues; they indicated that they have been given what they need to carry out their vital mission,” the statement concluded.

After the conversation, Loesch told Breitbart in an interview that he will be removed from service because of his vaccination policy.

He said: ‘If I had asked any of the people I rescued yesterday to come with me, even though I’m not vaccinated, each of them would have said yes.

Loesch also said he has filed a religious exemption. Religious exceptions are typically made in the military regarding the use of fetal tissue in the vaccine.

Despite this, even Pope Francis has approved the Covid-19 vaccine.

So far, most of those service employees who have been involuntarily separated from service because of the vaccine will receive a general layoff.

This means they will still be entitled to benefits and rejoin the military if they get the vaccine, according to the military times.

In his phone call with Biden, Loesch said he didn’t think it was appropriate to bring up his impending resignation.

He said, “It just sucks that he thanked me, but the vaccine mandate is what kicks me out.”

Loesch added: “I just love my job and I’m really good at it. It sucks. I feel like this is the job I was born to do.’

In addition to his military career, Loesch is an avid disc golfer. According to his official profile on the Professional Disc Golf Association website, he is ranked 971st in the United States and is based in Dunedin, Florida.

On his Instagram page, he declares himself a ‘USCG Helicopter Rescue Swimmer’ and a ‘Proud Husband’.

During the rescue, Loesch rescued a disabled woman and her husband from a bedroom in their home in which they had become trapped. The rescue swimmer was forced to kick into a wall to get to the pair.

From there, Loesch said he strapped the woman and her wheelchair to his body and hoisted her to a waiting helicopter. In addition, he saved the lives of several pets in the area.

In August, the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, expelled seven cadets for failing to meet the military’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate after their requests for religious waivers were denied.

The cadets, whose names have not been released, were required to vacate campus by August 19.

A lawyer representing the cadets, Michael Rose, said the youths were threatened with removal from campus by armed guards if they did not leave by August 19.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last year made the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for military personnel, including those from military academies, and said the vaccine is critical to maintaining military preparedness and the health of the armed forces.

Several lawsuits dispute that mandate, including two in South Carolina and Texas involving some of the Coast Guard Academy cadets Rose represents, as well as cadets from other academies.

The military services had different deadlines for their forces, and the Army National Guard was given the longest time to get the shots, especially as it is a large force of about 330,000 soldiers spread widely across the country, many in remote locations. .

The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps are 97 percent or more vaccinated and the Air Force approximately 94 percent. About 90 percent of army reserve troops were partially or fully vaccinated.