By Noble Sprayberry
Nashville Tennessean
October 15, 2000
Dreams of flight came early for Jamie Martin: "I wanted to be a military pilot since I was 7 or 8 years old."
A pilot's license when he was 16, a degree from the University of Tennessee and U.S. Air Force training earned him a spot as a first lieutenant in the cockpit of a C-5 Galaxy transport.
"I loved my job," the burly pilot said. "It's all I ever wanted to do."
Then came the injections, pain he described as incapacitating and finally a military discharge from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for refusing to continue anthrax vaccinations.
The 27-year-old, who was born in McMinnville, Tenn., now must rebuild his life. He flies for a Smyrna-based commercial charter service and wonders if probes such as last week's congressional hearings will end a debate over a drug the Pentagon defends as a safe, effective way to protect soldiers.
"They spent $1.5 million to train me but wouldn't give me a waiver from taking one shot," said Martin, who admittedly remains angry.
Recognizing the threat for biological or chemical attack, the Department of Defense in 1997 ordered inoculations for all 2.4 million active and reserve personnel to protect them against anthrax, a disease typically affecting sheep and cattle. Dried anthrax spores can be used in deadly biological weapons, and the growing threat of attack prompted a call for a vaccine first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1970.
Just more than a year ago, though, some military officers started questioning the vaccine's safety, spawning a groundswell of opposition often highlighted on the Internet. More than 1,500 people reported reactions, according to the FDA, although no clear pattern was identified.
The House Government Reform Committee continued hearing testimony last week regarding the issue's impact on the military. The General Accounting Office issued a report finding that a quarter of the 176,000 pilots and crew in the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard either quit or asked for reassignment to avoid taking the vaccinations.
While about 447,000 service members received at least one dose of the vaccine, 442 people refused, federal officials have said.
Throughout, the Pentagon defended the safety of inoculations, arguing that fewer than 1,000 service members had filed reports of adverse reactions to the FDA.
Martin believes he understands why soldiers want to avoid inoculations.
In August 1999 he received the first round, which is given in a series of six shots over 18 months and followed with an annual booster.
"After the first one, I just had a sore arm," he said.
Flu symptoms followed the second injection, but Martin said real trouble arrived with the third.
"I couldn't get out of the bed without a major effort," he said. "There were major headaches and vertigo.
"The short-term memory loss -- I'd go into a room, forget why I was there and have to go back and start all over," he said.
Martin, who had just completed key flight training, said he feared that a military doctor would ground him if he reported symptoms.
"It was ignorant, I know, and I should have gone to a doctor," he said.
While the worst of the symptoms ended after 10 days -- he says he still hears a distant ringing in his ear -- Martin decided he wouldn't take the fourth shot.
Military bases throughout the nation are coping with the issue, said Maj. Frank Smolinsky, a spokesman for the Delaware base.
Citing confidentiality regulations, Smolinsky wouldn't discuss details of Martin's service record, but he did defend use of the anthrax vaccine.
"The anthrax threat is very, very real in the world, particularly for the U.S. military," he said.
Smolinsky pointed to the FDA's support of the vaccine as evidence of its safety.
"Again, they reiterated the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, and they saw no reason for the (the Department of Defense) to stop the program," he said.
Martin said he listened as the military blamed fears in the ranks on unwarranted Internet buzz. "But when you fly with these people and see what happens to them, you know it's not just Internet hype," he said.
A confrontation came in March, when Martin was due for a fourth injection. When he refused, his superiors tried to sway him, and he was also counseled by four military physicians.
He was never convinced.
"If they had a vaccine that was effective and that was made properly, it wouldn't be such as big deal," said Martin, who explained that he took many other vaccinations in preparation for overseas missions.
Martin said his offer to resign was refused. He was, however, allowed to leave the military base in July, and his general discharge under honorable conditions was effective Sept. 1. He said he was charged with disobeying a direct order, which also brought a $1,200 fine.
Now, he's flying a jet for Corporate Flight Management and piecing together his life with his wife, Jill, whom he met while attending college in Knoxville.
"We hated to see that Jamie's career in the military ended this way, but we're glad to have him," said Dwayne McMurry, director of operations for Corporate Flight Management. No one worried about the way Martin left the military, he said.
"I love my job now," said Martin, who admits he still misses the military and a chance to serve his country. "But I couldn't go back to a system I don't trust."
Tennessean wire services contributed to this report.