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Former President Donald Trump has issued an order to reinstate service members who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine under the U.S. military’s vaccination mandate.
The decision, announced on Monday, mandates the Department of Defense (DoD) to restore over 8,200 discharged personnel to active duty, with provisions for full back pay and benefits lost during their separation.
"The vaccine mandate was an unfair, overbroad, and completely unnecessary burden on our service members," read the official order published by the White House.
"Further, the military unjustly discharged those who refused the vaccine, regardless of the years of service given to our Nation, after failing to grant many of them an exemption that they should have received."
Implemented during the pandemic, the DoD mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for all service members in August 2021. The directive aimed to protect troops and ensure operational readiness. However, thousands of service members who refused the vaccine were discharged; some voluntarily left the service to avoid taking the jab.
The requirement fueled a heated national debate over whether the policy infringed on personal freedoms.
Trump has also repeatedly criticized the mandate as unnecessary. While campaigning in North Carolina in August 2024, Trump promised to rehire fired service members and offer them "an apology and back pay."
In a speech at the Trump National Doral Miami earlier this month, the president again vowed to reinstate those who were "expelled from the armed forces due to the COVID vaccine mandate."
Advocacy groups and some veterans have praised the president's decision as a necessary corrective action.
While the vaccine mandate had already been rescinded in January 2023, Trump’s directive specifically addresses the fallout from the policy, ensuring compensation and reinstatement for those impacted.
The Department of Defense and Homeland Security have been tasked with implementing the order and must report progress within 60 days.
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