Members of the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon at the Marine Corps Barracks Washington just south of the U.S. Capitol are still required to wear cloth masks when they rehearse and perform outdoors at their summer evening parades, despite COVID-19 deaths in the area dropping to the single digits and temperatures reaching into the mid-90s.
The Silent Drill Platoon typically performs outdoors at least once a week during summer evenings at the parade field at the Marine barracks in southeast Washington, D.C., as well as at the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.
According to inside sources and photos and videos posted on official social media accounts, members of the Silent Drill Platoon are still required to wear masks outdoors — despite both D.C. and Virginia lifting their mask mandates months ago and the 7-day average for COVID-19 deaths falling below four since May 2020 in Arlington County, Virginia, and below five since February 2021 in the District.
They are also required to wear masks despite temperatures reaching the mid-90s, with humidity around 40 percent and despite not having any contact during the parades with senior leaders, distinguished guests, and members of the public — who all do not have to wear masks to attend the parades.
On the Marine Barracks Washington Facebook page, where photos from this week’s parades are posted, some members of the public wondered why members of the Silent Drill Platoon are still required to wear masks.
“Quick ? I wore the Uniform….why are they wearing masks still and outside on top of that…anyone know??” a third person asked. Another person replied, “Same question. If the Marines are wearing masks outside, shouldn’t the Flag Officers and audience members?”
Not all Marines taking part in the parades are wearing masks, however. For example, members of the Marine Corps Band and the firing party are not wearing masks.
The Marine Barracks Washington’s website for parade information said the installation “will continue to follow DoD guidelines and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations in order to ensure the safety of the Marines, Sailors, and our community.”
The CDC on May 14, 2021, said fully vaccinated individuals can stop wearing masks in crowds and most indoor settings. That same day, the DOD dropped its mask mandate for the fully-vaccinated. The next day, Virginia lifted its mask mandate for those fully-vaccinated, and several days later, on May 17, 2021, Washington, D.C. also dropped its mask mandate for the fully-vaccinated.
One source said leaders are making the Silent Drill Platoon wear masks because some members are not vaccinated and instead of having only those Marines wear a mask, they wanted the whole platoon to wear a mask to present a uniform look.
However, some Marines suspect leaders are using the mask requirement as a way to pressure hold-outs to get vaccinated. Military leaders cannot force servicemembers to get a vaccine that is not yet Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved.
And while Biden Pentagon leaders have emphasized the vaccine is currently voluntary, they have made it clear they want service members, civilians, and family to be fully-vaccinated. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said recently that senior leaders have discussed making the vaccine mandatory once it is approved by the FDA.
Breitbart News reached out to Marine Barracks Washington’s public affairs twice to ask why the Silent Drill Team is required to wear masks, but did not receive a response by deadline.
Marines took heat from Democrats in April after news reports said nearly 40 percent of the force were declining the vaccine. By the end of June, 41 percent of active duty Marines were unvaccinated, according to defense officials.
That compares to 23 percent of the active duty Navy, 30 percent of the active duty Army, and 39 percent of the active duty Air Force.
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