The Pentagon is actively working to reinstate U.S. service members wrongly discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday.
Hegseth provided an update on the COVID-19 reinstatements from the Pentagon and signed a memorandum regarding the discharge of service members who declined to get the COVID-19 shot mandated by the Biden administration.
“We’re doing everything we can, as quickly as we can, to reinstate those who were affected by that policy,” the secretary said in a video posted on X.
The Pentagon said 8,700 service members were involuntarily separated, while the number of voluntary departures remains unknown.
Hegseth also acknowledged that the reinstatement process hasn’t been perfect so far, but reassured service members of the Pentagon’s ongoing efforts.
“We’re having an ongoing conversation with you to get it right. [We’re] working with the White House as well. We want anyone impacted by that vaccine mandate back into the military—people of conscience, warriors of conscience—back in our formations.”
Wednesday’s memo directs Tom Dill, the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, to provide additional guidance to the boards responsible for reviewing the cases of those service members discharged under the now-defunct vaccine mandate.
“This memo is providing supplemental remedies to service members and veterans negatively impacted by the DoD’s defunct COVID-19 disease vaccine mandate.”
On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to make reinstatements available for troops adversely impacted by the rescinded COVID-19 vaccine.
“The vaccine mandate was an unfair, overbroad, and completely unnecessary burden on our service members,” the order states. “Further, the military unjustly discharged those who refused the vaccine, regardless of the years of service given to our Nation, after failing to grant many of them an exemption that they should have received.”
In February, Hegseth then directed the Defense Department to take corrective action on the matter.
Wednesday’s memo comes after the Pentagon announced earlier this month that it would reveal details on the reinstatement process.
This includes making an effort to reconnect with discharged service members who were involuntarily separated due to their refusal to receive the vaccine.
“Former service members who were involuntarily separated solely due to their COVID-19 vaccine status are now receiving letters of apology from the department in the mail, along with instructions on how they can pursue returning to service,” Dill said in a statement.
According to Dill, a key feature of the reinstatement program is offering back pay for those involuntarily discharged.
Service members who chose to leave voluntarily rather than comply with the mandate will not be eligible for back pay, Dill noted, but they can return at their previous rank and pay grade.
Service members must go through screening by administrative review boards as part of the reinstatement process.
They have until April 1, 2026, to express interest in being reinstated.
