Trump to Reinstate 8,000 Military Members Fired Over COVID-19 Vaccine With Full Back Pay

Jan 20, 2025, 05:34 PM

President Donald Trump, in his inaugural address, announced plans to reinstate military service members who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Trump stated that he would issue an executive order this week to bring back these approximately 8,000 troops with full back pay. This move is part of a broader set of military policy priorities outlined by Trump, which also include rebuilding the military and avoiding unnecessary wars. Trump's defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, has similarly criticized the dismissals and promised to apologize to and reintegrate those affected. The mandate, enforced by the Defense Department from August 2021 to January 2023, led to the discharge of about 8,000 troops. Despite the small percentage of the total military force, conservative lawmakers have argued that these dismissals impacted force readiness.