DOD Announces New Guidance for Troops Affected by COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

We're back with more changes at DOD, and this time, an update on COVID-19 and

reinstatement.

We all know that the previous administration issued

unlawful orders on mandatory vaccines on

an experimental vaccine, COVID-19. You know it, we know it.

We're doing everything we can as quickly as we can

to reinstate those who were affected by that policy.

Uh, it hasn't been perfect, and we know that.

Uh, we're having an ongoing conversation with

you to get it right, uh, working with

the White House as well. We want anyone impacted by that vaccine

mandate back into the military, people of conscience,

warriors of conscience

back in our formations. We hear you, uh, and we're working to get

updated guidance as quickly as possible.

So kind of here's where we are on more guidance we're providing right

now.

So in January, the President issued his executive order.

We, we jumped right on it. Uh, in February, I directed the

department to, to take corrective action regarding this

specific department's

unfair, overbroad, unnecessary COVID vaccine

mandate. You know, we apologize,

apologized then, apologize now for how it was done,

and we wanna fix it.

So today, I'm signing a memorandum that directs the Under Secretary

of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to provide additional

guidance

to the boards that are reviewing these cases concerning the

review of requests from

service members and former service members adversely impacted by

COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The guidance also, uh,

will facilitate the removal of adverse actions on service members

solely for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine, including

discharge upgrades, uh, and less than fully honorable discharges

for individuals separated for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

So we're trying to scrub all that, clean all that up.

We'll also facilitate appropriate remedies for service members who have

suffered additional career setbacks resulting from the

previous admin- administration's unlawful

vaccine mandate. So that original EO addresses the

unfair, since rescinded COVID-19 vaccine mandate

imposed

on war fighters during the previous administration. We know how bad it was.

You know how bad it was. Uh, and through this guidance,

which I encourage you to

check it all out directly 'cause it's an update going even further than what we've

done in the past, this memo is providing supplemental remedies for

service members and veterans negatively impacted by the DOD

defunct COVID-19 disease 20, uh, vaccine mandate.

So more guidance here that we think is really important in getting this

right, uh, and we welcome you all back as quickly as

possible.