“Duty to Disobey,” a documentary examining the experiences of U.S. service members who refused the COVID‑19 vaccine mandated by former President Joe Biden’s secretary of defense, is set to hit theaters in June.
The film details what happened to men and women in uniform who declined the mandate. It explores physical injuries linked to the vaccine among some service members, and it frames their experiences as a case study in civil liberties, constitutional limits on government authority, and the costs of dissent within hierarchical institutions.
Featuring testimony from former and active-duty service members across multiple branches and ranks, “Duty to Disobey” argues that the stories matter to all Americans. The filmmakers highlight what they describe as courage under pressure, institutional failures within the military, and what they call the often-unseen boundary between lawful authority and unlawful orders.
One of the featured testimonies is from former Army Specialist Karolina Stancik, who says she suffered “a debilitating heart condition.” According to the film, the Army acknowledged the condition in a memorandum stating it was linked to the COVID‑19 mRNA vaccine.
“I was left behind and trampled,” Stancik said in an interview posted on social media. “They watched it, they came back, walked all over me, then left again.”
Another individual featured in the documentary is Nick Kupper, a retired airman who served more than 20 years in the U.S. military. The film states that Kupper nearly lost his career—and faced the possible loss of medical benefits for his disabled daughter—after refusing the COVID‑19 vaccine.
Kupper ultimately remained in the service following a 2023 injunction filed against the Department of Defense by Children’s Health Defense, according to the documentary. He later retired on his own terms and now represents Arizona’s 25th District in the state House of Representatives, where he advocates against vaccine mandates.
Similarly, Lt. Col. Carolyn Rocco, U.S. Air Force, refused the COVID‑19 vaccine and was not forced out of the service. According to the film, she continues to serve in a special assignment in Washington, D.C.
Others, however, were not as fortunate.
John Frankman, a retired U.S. Army captain, was separated from the military in the summer of 2023 for refusing the COVID‑19 vaccine mandate. A former Special Forces Green Beret, Frankman has since spoken publicly about his experience and advocates on behalf of other service members that he says were harmed by what he describes as an unlawful mandate.
Frankman is now running to represent Florida’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
