After nearly 17 years of honorable service, an Air Force officer is facing administrative separation and a no-pay status for refusing the flu vaccine.
The Gateway Pundit spoke to Maj. Brennan Schilperoort, a C-130J transport aircraft pilot whose religious rights are being trampled by his command. It all began in 2022 when Maj. Schilperoort’s religious accommodation for the COVID-19 shot was blanketly denied like those of thousands of other service members. To his benefit just in time, a week prior to receiving a Letter of Reprimand for his refusal, a federal judge blocked the Air Force from enforcing former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s now rescinded 2021 shot mandate.
For the year prior, Maj. Schilperoort was punished, unable to fly his aircraft. Excited to return to the cockpit, unbeknownst to him, his personal battle was not over. He was soon asked how he felt about other vaccines, and with renewed religious conviction, he admitted opposition to not only the COVID-19 shot but also the flu vaccine.
Maj. Schilperoort was told by his command that his Religious Accommodation Request for the flu vaccine would be recommended for disapproval. And in September 2023, he received a final denial of his request, which he expresses is actually a “religious notification” as he was only asserting his religious rights for which every American is entitled. Service members do not relinquish their Constitutionally protected rights by joining the Armed Forces.
During this time, Maj. Schilperoort also sought a medical exemption, having had a severe reaction to the flu shot in the past. After multiple failed appeals to the Air Force’s decision, Maj. Schilperoort was ordered to get the flu shot in December 2023. Ironically, he is aware of a Lieutenant Colonel in the Space Force who was granted a permanent medical exemption for the flu that same month due to “headaches.”
Maj. Schilperoort learned his command unlawfully refused to process his request for accommodation on January 5, 2024, when he received a Letter of Reprimand (LOR), asserting he was refusing to follow a “lawful order” to get the flu shot.
His attorney, R. Davis Younts, is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and former Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer. He told The Gateway Pundit there is “evidence that this was not a lawful order, and that my client’s religious accommodation request was not processed.”
Maj. Schilperoort, through his attorney, asked his command to “provide proof” that the order was lawful and that his request for Religious Accommodation was given the attention it warranted. “He gave me nothing in writing other than the LOR,” Maj. Schilperoort shared.
Sadly, Maj. Schilperoort made multiple complaints to the Air Force Inspector General, Military Equal Opportunity (MEO) program, and members of Congress to no avail. “They ignored all of it,” he lamented.
Maj. Schilperoort was sent to a discharge board in October 2024 because of the LOR, and the board voted to discharge him. He is currently in the process of rebutting their claims.
“A package is on its way to the Secretary of the Air Force,” he shared. As he awaits a response, his circumstance is further marred by his command’s decision on March 19, 2025, to place him on a no-pay status until the discharge issue is resolved.
“They’re going to keep me on the status indefinitely, which could be months before a decision from the Secretary of the Air Force is made on my discharge,” Maj. Schilperoort shared. “I was given a notice of two and a half business days that my pay would be cut off.”
Maj. Schilperoort’s attorney, who has more than two decades of experience representing military members, noted that this decision came without warning and is unprecedented. “Other than individuals that are dangerous criminals or officers that are incarcerated, I cannot recall a case where a client has been put on Involuntary [Excess] Leave,” he said.
Additionally, Younts said, “My client’s only misconduct is having a good faith objection to the lawfulness of an order.” And according to him, Maj. Schilperoort submitted a Religious Accommodation Request that the Air Force has “simply decided not to process.” For this reason and more, he said, “I fear that this decision is motivated by a desire to punish my client because of his religious convictions and his decision to utilize the IG, EO, [and Congressional] complaint process.”
On Monday, March 24, Maj. Schilperoort, a financial provider for his family of three, will be left without pay or allowances and has now been barred from flying for almost four years.
Former service members are reacting on X:
An Air Force Major/Pilot is facing an administrative separation after the “denial” of their religious accommodation request (RAR) for the Flu vaccine.
In actuality, the Air Force didn’t even process the RAR the pilot submitted because they did not want to (which is illegal).… pic.twitter.com/wuEVVBlOzi
— Shoe (@samosaur) March 18, 2025
I know this Major and he has a family to support. @DoD_USD_PR @SecDef, after his commander refused to process his RA request, they are now putting him on the active duty equivalent of “no points, no pay” until the incoming SECAF makes a decision in his case.
The fact that… https://t.co/8q8vkG0BfP
— Jordan Karr (@JordanLkarr) March 18, 2025
Will their efforts be enough to garner the attention of Air Force Secretary Gary Ashworth, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, or even President Donald Trump? Service members watching this story unfold are awaiting a just decision from leadership. And it’s a just decision that Maj. Schilperoort and his attorney desire.
Maj. Schilperoort emphasized that his views don’t reflect those of the Department of the Air Force or Department of Defense.
