Just minutes after returning to the Oval Office, President Trump promised to reinstate the more than 8,000 troops who were dismissed from the military for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, announcing that they would receive backpay for the period of their termination.
According to military data, nearly 8,400 troops were expelled from the military after declining the vaccine, with the Marines making up around 3,700 of the dismissals.
“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,” Trump said during his swearing-in ceremony Monday.
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“And I will sign an order to stop our warriors from being subjected to radical political theories and social experiments while on duty,” he added. “It’s going to end immediately. Our armed forces will be free to focus on their sole mission, defeating America’s enemies.”
The COVID-19 vaccine mandate for military members lasted from August 2021 to January 2023 with few exemptions for medical or religious reasons. The mandate was walked back when Biden signed a defense spending bill in December 2022.
At that time, less than 1% of the military members who were dismissed due to the mandate were reinstated to their positions.
Lawmakers have criticized the Department of Defense for severely impacting military readiness because of the dismissals and have called for those individuals to be allowed to return to work.
Pentagon leaders have said the move did not hurt readiness or morale, according to a Military Times report.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have already introduced legislation offering service members an opportunity to get their jobs back with back pay.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, and freshman Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-NC, introduced the AMERICANS Act, which bans the Pentagon from requiring additional COVID mandates without Congress’ approval.
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Reprinted with permission from cbn.com. Copyright © 2025 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.
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