President Donald Trump plans to issue an executive order that will reinstate service members who refused COVID-19 vaccinations. The order will restore these troops to their prior rank and provide back pay and benefits.
The order will direct the Secretary of Defense to reinstate eligible active-duty and reserve members, aiming to reverse the impact of the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate. From 2021 to 2023, the military discharged over 8,000 troops due to noncompliance. Only 43 of these service members chose to return after the mandate lifted in 2023. It remains unclear how many will rejoin under Trump’s new directive.
“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 inaugural address.
Mandates requiring vaccination sparked significant debate during the pandemic, with critics arguing they infringed on personal and religious freedoms. These critics also raised concerns about potential side effects of the vaccine and the broader social impacts of lockdowns, school closures, and mask requirements.
Trump has vowed to refocus the military on its core mission. “I will sign an order to stop our warriors from being subjected to radical political theories and social experiments while on duty,” he said. “It’s going to end immediately. Our armed forces will be freed to focus on their sole mission: defeating America’s enemies.”
Newly confirmed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth echoed these priorities in his first address to service members. “The President gave us a clear mission: achieve peace through strength. We will do this by restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence,” he said.
Trump’s announcement is part of a series of swift policy actions in his first week back in office, emphasizing his focus on delivering campaign promises.
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