As WorldNetDaily recently reported, some members of the U.S. military - even under President Donald Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth - are being ejected from the service for filing religious exemptions from taking vaccines. The main focal point of that report was Technical Sgt. William "Tony" Oslin, who feared that his Christian religious beliefs might jeopardize his military career.
Unfortunately, that reality has come to pass.
WND spoke with Oslin, whose last day in uniform after a two-year battle over the flu vaccine was last Friday, Oct. 3. Even though he feels a great deal of disappointment, Oslin expressed gratitude for the individuals he believes were put in his path by the Lord to assist him and others who have been treated unfairly. For example, he said, at the beginning of September, "when my separation date was approaching, some awesome people got my story to [Under Secretary of the Air Force] Matt Lohmeier's office and he arranged a 30-day extension while my case was being reviewed."
As Oslin explained, he submitted a Religious Accommodation Request (RAR) in September 2022 for the COVID-19, influenza, typhoid, anthrax and tetanus vaccines, maintaining his objections to each based on his sincerely held religious beliefs that his body is "a temple of the Lord" and need not be subjected to vaccines, many of which are tested and/or developed with the use of aborted fetal cells.
Then, once the military's COVID-19 mandate was rescinded in January 2023 and Oslin was clear of being forced to take that particular shot, the influenza vaccine was the next to be adjudicated.
"The Chaplain expressed that I do have a sincerely held religious belief, which according to Air Force policy and federal and state law, is all you need for an accommodation to be granted," Oslin told WND.
Yet, two years later, he has been denied accommodation and forced out of the military.
In the past 30 days, Oslin says he was "never notified of any updates or any news as to whether my separation would stand or be overturned." It was only after contacting his commander last Thursday, Oct. 2, for an update that he learned his final day in uniform would unexpectedly be the very next day, Oct. 3.
The former Air National Guard member explained, "[My commander] never responded until after the Human Resources officer brought me in to inform me that my separation for not receiving the influenza shot was being upheld - this was three hours after I asked for an update."
Contending that the Air Force is blatantly ignoring the supreme law of the land as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), Oslin told WorldNetDaily, "I am being separated for the stated reason of not following direct orders and Air Force policy, even though those orders and policy violate the Constitution of the United States and the Alabama state Constitution."
Oslin also noted, "The government claims they have a compelling government interest in vaccinating all service members or it will hinder the mission - even though they grant medical exemptions all the time and somehow these personnel are not a hinderance to the mission." In fact, medically exempt personnel are allowed to deploy and serve the same as those who have been vaccinated.
"It is a person like myself who is seeking a religious exemption that is considered a threat to those others - who are 'vaccinated and protected' because vaccination is purported to be the safest and most effective way to avoid influenza - and considered a threat to mission accomplishment," he said. "Can someone please make this make sense to me? It's obvious common sense does not apply."
"If one person that is unvaccinated is considered a non-threat, how is another considered a threat?" he questioned, adding, "This is religious discrimination and it is unconstitutional, [and] there is no other way to explain it."
"The current administration tells the American public they are for religious freedom and no one should have to choose between their religious beliefs and their livelihood," Oslin told WND, yet added, "While saying this, the administration is allowing the opposite to happen; they are allowing religious discrimination to happen."
Oslin, who loves the military, made a sad statement regarding future generations of his own family: "I have three grandsons, and I will make sure that none serves in a government that violates the very Constitution it is supposed to protect and uphold. We have reached a time and place in this country to where the government has stolen power from its Creator and has claimed a power it was never granted."
"And this is happening under President Donald Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth's Department of War," he lamented.