President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order reinstating military service members who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, according to an announcement from the White House on Monday.
The move fulfills a key campaign promise made by Trump during his 2024 presidential campaign and reiterated in his inaugural address earlier this month.
Between August 2021 and January 2023, more than 8,000 service members were dismissed under the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Exceptions to the policy were limited to medical or religious reasons.
The mandate became a controversial issue, with critics accusing the Biden administration of hindering military readiness and discriminating against religious beliefs. Despite the Pentagon rescinding the vaccine mandate in 2023 and allowing discharged personnel to reapply, only 43 service members chose to return to service under the previous administration.
The executive order directs the Secretary of Defense to restore these service members to their original rank and provide full compensation for the period they were out of service.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, during his confirmation hearing, emphasized that these individuals would also receive an official apology from the government, a step he described as necessary to rebuild trust.
