Freshly inaugurated US President Donald Trump pledged on Tuesday that all military personnel discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine will be reinstated with guaranteed “full back pay.”
“This week, I will reinstate any service members who were unjustly expelled from our military for objecting to the COVID vaccine mandate with full back pay,” he declared during his inauguration at the US Capitol.
Trump further promised to put an end to what he described as “radical political theories” and “social experiments” affecting the armed forces.
“It’s going to end immediately. Our armed forces will be free to focus on their sole mission, defeating America’s enemies,” he emphasized, drawing applause from the crowd.
His comments mirrored those of his Defense Secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, who claimed that “tens of thousands” of service members were kicked out because of an “experimental vaccine.”
Hegseth added that these unvaccinated soldiers deserved an apology and compensation, including back pay and rank reinstatement.
‘Severely Impacting Force Readiness’
From August 2021 to January 2023, all US service members were required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, with exceptions granted only for medical or religious reasons.
Approximately 8,000 troops were discharged for refusing the mandate.
Many conservative lawmakers have criticized the Pentagon, claiming that the controversial move severely impacted force readiness.
However, US defense officials explained that the reduction did not affect readiness, noting that it only represented “less than 1 percent” of the military’s total strength.
Since the vaccine mandate was lifted in 2023, Washington has taken steps to recruit those who were discharged in response to persistent recruitment challenges.
Reports indicate that dismissed soldiers received letters with instructions on how to correct their records and rejoin the military.