Eugene Pilot to be Granted his Discharge

by Eric Mortenson

Eugene (Oregon) Register-Guard

May 27, 2000

The U.S. Air Force has agreed to discharge Capt. Cliff Volpe, the Eugene pilot who refused to take the controversial anthrax vaccine.

Volpe will receive a general discharge under honorable conditions, effective next Friday.

"Given the long and frustrating experience I have endured, this decision is about the best outcome I could have expected," Volpe said in a statement e-mailed to reporters, friends and family.

Volpe, 27, a South Eugene High School and Air Force Academy graduate who is stationed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, called the decision "bittersweet."

It was his childhood dream to be a military pilot, and his annual Officer Performance Reports describe him as a superb aviator who "possesses a dynamic combination of leadership, pilot skill and drive." Volpe faxed copies of the reports to The Register-Guard.

"I expected to still serve five more years," Volpe said Friday. "I never saw this coming. This was the biggest curveball of my life. I'm sorry I was put in this position."

Air Force officials say Volpe put himself in that position when he refused to begin the series of six anthrax vaccinations last fall. He had been scheduled for a 30-day deployment to Saudi Arabia, which the Pentagon considers a "high threat" area for biological attack.

Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Allan Dahncke acknowledged that Volpe was a well-regarded officer, "Right up to the point that he decided to disobey lawful orders - that's where he stopped being a good officer.

"We in the military cannot pick and choose which orders we'll follow," Dahncke said.

For his part, Volpe said his Air Force superiors harassed and threatened him, and unnecessarily delayed the resolution of his case. He maintains that he conducted himself honestly and with dignity.

"I obeyed literally thousands of orders I received for nine years," he said. "I supported every policy, I've never been in trouble, I have flawless records. I've proven to the Air Force that I can be responsible, reasonable and make good decisions."

The Air Force's decision to discharge Volpe comes amid a rising tide of criticism of the vaccination program, which the Defense Department began in response to the possibility that terrorist groups or rogue nations would use biological warfare against U.S. military personnel or interests.

Anthrax is one of the deadliest biological agents known, and the Defense Department announced in 1997 that all 2.4 million U.S. military personnel would be vaccinated against it. To date, about 570,000 personnel have begun the 18-month series of vaccinations. The Pentagon maintains that only 700 have had reactions to the shots and that the effects have been minor.

But many in the military express concern about lingering side effects from the shots and question their effectiveness against biological weapons attacks. An estimated 350 to 500 soldiers, sailors, Marines and Air Force personnel have refused so far.

Volpe, who believes the vaccinations ought to be voluntary, was reprimanded, fined $3,210 and not allowed to fly for eight months after refusing to take the shots last October. He submitted his resignation and asked for an honorable discharge, but settled for the somewhat less desirable general discharge.

Meanwhile, members of Congress and others have taken up the call of those against the program.

In February, the House Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs and International Relations recommended that the vaccination program be suspended while more research is done. In March, a subcommittee of the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., concluded that there was insufficient evidence to determine if the vaccine is safe, as the Defense Department maintains.

On May 12, 34 members of Congress - including U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. - signed a letter urging Secretary of Defense William Cohen to halt the program.

"It is clear the (vaccination) program, while well-intended, is a flawed policy that should be immediately stopped and re-examined in light of the growing preponderance of evidence challenging the (Defense Department's) position," the letter said.

Volpe said he hasn't decided what he'll do after he leaves the Air Force. He flew a C-21, a Lear jet used to ferry high-ranking military and civilian dignitaries. His Officer Performance Reports described him as "definitely on track for upgrade to instructor."

Volpe noted that a bill introduced in Congress would reverse penalties for those who refused the shots. If that happened, he would consider returning to the military as a pilot.

Overall, however, the experience left a bad taste in his mouth.

"At the Air Force Academy, the one thing they preached more than anything was integrity," he said. "With the anthrax program, I don't believe the military has been forthright and honest.

"It destroys a lot of my trust," he said. "I feel bad about the way this is affecting the military overall, with all the good people they're losing."