UNCLASSIFIED ROUTINE R 302215Z MAR 22 MID200001622241U FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// TO NAVADMIN INFO SECNAV WASHINGTON DC CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// BT UNCLAS NAVADMIN 083/22 PASS TO OFFICE CODES: FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/CNO/DEC// SUBJ/CCDA INTERIM GUIDANCE REGARDING MEMBERS REQUESTING RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION FROM COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS// REF/A/MSG/CNO/311913ZAUG21// REF/B/MSG/CNO/132050ZOCT21// REF/C/MSG/CNO/152239ZNOV21// REF/D/MSG/CNO/151203ZDEC21// REF/E/DOC/SECDEF/24AUG21// REF/F/MSG/SECNAV/302126ZAUG21// REF/G/DOC/BUMED/20OCT20// REF/H/MSG/COMNAVSPECWARCOM/241857ZSEP21// REF/I/DOC/US DIST CT N DIST TX/28MAR22// REF/J/DOC/BUPERINST 1730.11A/16MAR20// REF/K/DOC/OPNAV/15AUG20// REF/L/MSG/CNO/152351ZJAN22// NARR/REF A IS NAVADMIN 190/21, 2021-2022 NAVY MANDATORY COVID-19 VACCINATION AND REPORTING POLICY. REF B IS NAVADMIN 225/21, COVID-19 CONSOLIDATED DISPOSITION AUTHORITY (CCDA). REF C IS NAVADMIN 256/21, CCDA GUIDANCE TO COMMANDERS. REF D IS NAVADMIN 283/21, CCDA EXECUTION GUIDANCE TO COMMANDERS. REF E IS THE SECRETARY OF THE DEFENSE MEMO MANDATING CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 VACCINATION FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SERVICE MEMBERS. REF F IS ALNAV 062/21, 2021-2022 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY MANDATORY COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY. REF G IS MANUAL OF THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT, NAVMED P-117, ARTICLE 15- 105(3)(n)(9). REF H IS TRIDENT ORDER NUMBER 12, MANDATORY VACCINATION FOR COVID-19. REF I IS U.S. DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS ORDER ON MOTIONS FOR CLASS CERTIFICATION AND CLASS-WIDE PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION. REF J IS BUPERSINST 1730.11A, STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE ACCOMMODATION OF RELIGIOUS PRACTICES. REF K IS MILPERSMAN 1730-020, IMMUNIZATION EXEMPTIONS FOR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. REF L IS NAVADMIN 07/22, U.S. NAVY COVID-19 STANDARDIZED OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE 5.0. RMKS/1. Purpose. To provide interim guidance regarding the actions directed in references (A) through (H) for Navy service members who requested religious accommodation from the COVID-19 vaccination requirement and who were certified by the U.S. District Court order in reference (I) as members of a class action in the case of U.S. Navy SEALS 1-26, et al., versus Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, III, et al.. 2. Policy. To ensure immediate compliance with the court order in reference (I), this NAVADMIN suspends separation processing and adverse administrative consequences of COVID-19 vaccine refusal for Navy service members who submitted requests for religious accommodation from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement. IAW a recent decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, the Navy may continue to consider the unvaccinated status of Navy service members when making deployment, assignment, and other operational decisions. 3. Applicability. This NAVADMIN applies only to Navy service members who submitted requests for religious accommodation from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement IAW references (J) and (K). Adverse administrative consequences and separation processing described in references (A) through (H) continue to apply for personnel who did not submit requests for religious accommodation. 4. Action. All adverse administrative consequences of refusing the vaccine, described in references (A) through (H), including involuntary administrative separation, are hereby suspended for personnel who submitted religious accommodation requests IAW references (J) and (K), pending further guidance. 4.a. In cases where commands have received formal direction to involuntarily separate members within ten days based on misconduct (vaccine refusal) and those members have not yet separated, DD-214s shall not be issued and members are directed to remain on active duty, pending additional guidance. Commands must communicate with the servicing Personnel Support Detachment or equivalent in order to halt processing. Additionally, commands shall inform Navy Personnel Command PERS-832 (enlisted), PERS-834 (officers), or PERS-913 (SELRES) in cases where service members awaiting separation still desire to separate. 4.b. Voluntary resignation, retirement, regular service expiration (EAOS), or other involuntary separations on bases other than misconduct for vaccine refusal may continue. Members who submitted requests for religious accommodation may cancel or amend previous voluntary retirement requests or requests to transfer to the Fleet Reserve. Time is of the essence for updated requests. 4.c. Additional guidance for other adverse administrative consequences described in references (A) through (D) will be provided at a later date. 5. The Navy may continue to consider the unvaccinated status of Navy service members when making deployment, assignment, and other operational decisions. Navy service members who are not vaccinated, regardless of exemption status, may be temporarily or permanently reassigned based on mission requirements IAW previous guidance. Reference (L) (series) regarding the assignment of unvaccinated personnel to operational or deployable units continues to apply. 6. All unvaccinated Navy service members remain subject to screening testing against COVID-19, where required. 7. If in doubt as to how to adjudicate issues related to separation of a Navy service member consistent with this interim guidance, Commanders should seek guidance from their chain of command, their staff judge advocate, and/or the CCDA before acting. Commands without an assigned legal advisor may seek legal advice from a Region Legal Service Office. In all cases, Commanders are accountable to ensure the health and safety of their command while treating every Navy service member with dignity and respect. 8. Points of contact. PERS-8 Active/FTS enlisted separations: *832vaccineadseps.fct(at)navy.mil* PERS-8 Officer separations: *PERS-834(at)navy.mil* PERS-8 Active/FTS/TAR enlisted retirements: *Enlisted_Active_Duty_Retirements(at)navy.mil* PERS-8 Active/FTS/TAR officer retirements: *pers_835_retirements(at)navy.mil* PERS-8 Officer and enlisted promotion delays: NPC_promotionwithholds.fct(at)navy.mil* PERS-92 Officer and enlisted definite recalls: *PERS-92(at)navy.mil*. PERS-9 Reserve enlisted separations: *913vaccineadseps.fct(at)navy.mil*. PERS-97 Officer transitions: *cto.officer(at)navy.mil* PERS-97 Enlisted transitions: *cto.enlisted(at)navy.mil* OPNAV POC: CAPT Jason Grizzle, *ALTN_N1_NAVY_SCR.FCT(AT)NAVY.MIL*. 9. Released by VADM John B. Nowell, Jr, COVID Consolidated Disposition Authority. BT #0001 NNNN UNCLASSIFIED//