A presiding military judge said last week he could not argue that the anthrax vaccine is an experimental and possibly hazardous drug unlawfully forced on soldiers. It is a step below an honorable discharge, which is given to those with an exemplary record of service. There are two other discharges that carry less prestige than general or honorable discharges. Gen. Roosevelt Mercer Jr. said the Air Force should be given the full range of options when dealing with any resignation request, not just a request for one particular type of discharge. Buck later said he was not sure whether he would now submit an unconditional resignation request to the Air Force.
Anthrax is a disease that typically afflicts animals, especially sheep and cattle.
Dry anthrax spores, which can be put into weapons, can cause death in humans if inhaled. Buck has become a key figure in the resistance to the mandatory anthrax program. He and a former Air Force major filed suit May 2 against the Food and Drug Administration and the Defense Department in U.S. District Court in Washington seeking to end the program. Copyright 2001, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.