Press Release by Sonnie Bates

For Immediate Release: March 30, 2000

Today I departed the ranks of the United States Air Force. I can only describe what has happened to me as abandonment and lack of integrity by our senior ranking officials.

Military leaders have failed to take action on a legitimate safety issue and their inaction has damaged the health and morale of the America's servicemembers. The anthrax vaccine is an investigational drug, which has been confirmed by committees in both the House and the Senate, and therefore requires informed consent. Yet, the Department of Defense ignores our civilian oversight and presses on with the program. Who is in control of our military?

The misinformation from the Pentagon continues while military personnel are injected with this defective vaccine, with some suffering severe consequences. While the State Department has stated the threat has not changed in the past ten years, the Defense Department is forcing a mismanaged biological warfare program on unwitting American troops by touting the threat of an imminent attack and sure death. Meanwhile, the Pentagon leadership has known for the past 5 years that our chemical/biological warfare suits were manufactured with serious flaws that render many of them useless.

I have lost my career simply for telling the truth. How many people in America have lost their job or right to serve for refusing to allow a risky substance into their bloodstream? I don't know of any civilians, but I am not the only military member wrongly discharged over this issue. Several military members have been separated, some with felony convictions that will follow them the rest of their lives. These unjust convictions must be overturned and the anthrax vaccine program put in check, but this will only happen if bills currently before Congress are passed.