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FlyButtaflyGreg left for another at-sea period back in early January. He came home the night of Feb. 14, and went on leave the next day - 13 wonderful days of having him at home all day and night. So obviously I was spending my time with him and the kids rather than on flickr. ;) We got a lot done around here - it was awesome to be able to enjoy the sunshine we had for most of the time he was home, and we got some spring cleaning done, and took the kids out to the park, and just enjoyed actually being together again. Knowing once he went back to work... it would probably be a very very long time till we saw him again.
Because last week, he checked off leave, and onto restriction. See, the day after he reported back, he had his Captain's Mast. For refusing the anthrax vaccine. Not for the usual reasons - most cases we've found have been for objections to the validity of the vaccine, the inherent dangers of the vaccine and the documented side effects, et. al. While we are fully aware of *all* of the controversy surrounding the anthrax vaccine (and other vaccines as well - I read a book back in October, after he had rather unwillingly gotten the small pox one, entitled Vaccinations - Deception and Tragedy and I strongly urge you to read it, especially if you have kids) the reason my husband refused (as well as refusing the flu vaccine) was for religious reasons. To be honest, he felt strongly convicted to refuse the small pox vaccine - he waffled over it and argued with himself over it, but ended up receiving it - and had a very severe reaction. I have yet to find out if the doc Chief used the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System to document my husband's problems with it. Starting about a week after he received the vaccine, he began experiencing extreme headaches and nausea. He developed chills and vomiting, and ended up Sick in Quarters for a full day, and in sick bay early the next morning when he nearly passed out in the "head" (ship's bathroom) after taking a shower. His fever nearly reached 104, and he was put on an IV. They nearly medevac'd him off the ship. Kind of a confirmation for him that God had been trying to tell him something. Well, it got his attention.
So as a result of his "disobeying a direct order" to receive the anthrax vaccine, he was put on 10 days restriction and concurrent extra duty, as well as fined 1/2 mos. pay for 2 mos. and reduced one rank. The fine and reduction in rank was suspended for two weeks, presumably to give him time to "reconsider". Which they've been trying to get him to do for weeks and weeks. He told them up front when he refused the flu vaccine that he'd be refusing the anthrax one as well. And of course, using threats and cajoling and whatever means "necessary" they are determined that he will get the vaccine. Even though he submitted a statement outlining his religious First Amendment rights to freedom of expression of religion, stating it was a sincerely held religious belief, etc. etc. etc. But in the Navy, there apparently is no room for religious belief - when it comes to certain agendas. They grant medical exemptions if necessary - but my husband couldn't find one way of even requesting a religious exemption. They tried to find a different excuse to pin this on him - wondering if he were trying to get out of deployment or if he is "afraid" to get the shot.
I can assure you neither is the case. My husband always wanted to get to go over to the Middle East... always wanted to be part of that mission. When he was a submariner, and his brother was serving in the Army in Iraq, that was my husband's biggest regret - that he couldn't be over there as well, helping "do something". Obviously it sucks to go away for months at a time, especially when I'm going to have this baby right in the middle of it all - but he has always wanted to feel a part of the bigger picture and we were fully prepared for him to go on this deployment. As far as being afraid - well I can tell you my husband has no fear about this. What have we to fear? It's not like being in the Navy isn't dangerous anyway. It's not like he's never faced risk - he was a nuke for a few years, and then worked on ICBMs for 5 years, and made several strategic deterrence patrols, as a Missile Tech for heaven's sake! Afraid of a shot? He knows where he'll end up if anything happens to him. I know if anything happens I'll see him again when this is all over, up there. We're not afraid of death or pain or disease or a needle prick.
We are however, afraid of a mighty God who has convicted my husband (and myself) that taking the shot would be wrong. How can he be asked to violate his conscience? Because he took one shot when he knew he shouldn't, even though he asked God's forgiveness, and vowed to not disobey God's voice in the future? How can he violate his own Constitutional right, that he swore to uphold and defend, to the death if necessary? He is risking his life defending everyone else's rights - well he has some too! And he's taking a stand.
Regardless, the Navy is also taking a stand. He signed his second order to receive the shot, today. He is required to get the shot Monday morning, or face another CO Mast. I can guarantee you what his decision will be, come Monday. (Like it's changed.) And he'll possibly be reduced in rate again and eventually discharged under "Other than Honorable" conditions.
Well, if that's what has to happen, that's the risk my husband is willing to take. Because he believes in the Constitution; he believes in his God-given right to follow his conscience and the will of God for him; and we stand with him. They allow people to be conscientious objectors, but they don't allow people to refuse a vaccine based on a religious belief, even though he has a high work standard, has served honorably for over 9 years, and loves his country and is devoted to his duties as a Navy Sailor.
There is something seriously wrong here.
Even through all of the anger and frustration with the whole process that we are going through - it's amazing what God is doing at the same time. We have always wanted and prayed to be people who "live by faith". Yet the Navy has always been our "provider" - both of us were Navy brats; then he joined the Navy right out of high school, and I married him only a year after I lost my dependency status from my father (who was retired by then). So here we are now, not having a clue what is really going to happen - when or if he'll be kicked out, what he's going to do for a job when that happens (even if he's kept in, which might happen, his contract is up next March) and what we're going to do to get through the next couple months. Yet God is faithful, and every single day God confirms in one way or another to both of us (in separate ways) that He is here, watching over us; that we made the right decision, and that He *will* take care of us. I've always admired Hudson Taylor and George Müller for their lives of extreme faith. I've always wanted to have that full dependence upon God. Well, here's our chance! God makes it obvious every day that He is leading us; and while we don't know where to, we are excited for what *will* be. How do you know how strong your faith is? How does your faith get stronger? Only through tests and tribulations - when you're *forced* to rely on God, and only God. People go through it in many different ways - well, this is ours. While we are fighting this battle against the order to receive the vaccine, we also realize that it is in God's hands. And we can only do what we can do, and leave the rest to God. He is ultimately in control, and just like he led the Israelites through the desert while providing them protection and food and water, he will lead us through this.
But I will say it *totally sucks* to have him stuck on the ship while they're in port, and very near deployment. His 10 days will be up Sunday (though somehow the command has it in their minds that it goes *through* Sunday, but somebody counted wrong - I guess they forgot it was leap year?) so he will get to come home and go to church one last time before he presumably gets restricted again on Monday and then leaves sometime later for deployment. If they somehow refuse (which I don't see how they can) to allow him to have his ID card back and leave the ship, we will at least be allowed to see him on the ship - they allow families of those restricted to visit on Sunday. That's when I took this shot - last Sunday when we visited. We were all so happy to spend some time together... even if it's in a tiny ventilated space that smells like diesel and "the ship" (when you've been on one, you'll know what smell I'm talking about. But at least it's not amine - Oooooh amine. The wonderful *cough* smell unique to submarines... that infiltrates everything and never quite goes away...)
There is one other question we have - given that apparently you can't go in "high risk" areas without the vaccine, and my husband really has no choice but to steadfastly refuse it - how can they restrict him to the ship even during that time that they are in those areas? I don't think they can, honestly. Every case I've found they've processed the person off the ship. So who knows. Maybe they won't have him make the entire deployment after all. I don't have a clue. I just know, God has him where he is for a purpose - and he'll be there until that purpose, whatever it is, is fulfilled. And then we'll just follow God's leading wherever He takes us - and we'll do it knowing he did the right thing, he obeyed God when it counted - with no regrets.
Edit: UPDATE:
Monday he had his second CO mast where he was reduced in rank and fined and restricted to the ship for 45 days. Of course, they're deploying much much sooner than that. We have no idea what is going to happen either way; we just know he's not allowed to get off the ship at any point when they're in port during Westpac (unless it's to fly home I guess). And no idea what kind of discharge he'll get either. The Military is just not the Military it used to be, I'll say that. I read a story about a guy in the Coast Guard who refused a vaccine because it was made from a cell line from an aborted baby (you'd be amazed how many vaccines are made this way!) and he was told that his religious belief wasn't sufficient reason to refuse the vaccine.
Story here. It's absolutely ridiculous the way the Military treats its servicemembers when it comes to a Christian belief... but the lengths they go to, to accomodate people of other beliefs... it's infuriating.
