Army rescinds COVID-19 vaccination requirements

(US Army Press Release) Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth has issued a memorandum today that rescinds all policies associated with the DOD COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

In accordance with the memorandum:

• Currently serving Soldiers will not be separated for refusing to receive the COVID vaccine if they sought an exemption on religious, administrative or medical grounds.
• Ongoing reviews of COVID vaccine exemption requests have ceased and will be deemed resolved.
• Records of Soldiers who requested COVID vaccine exemptions will be updated to remove and/or correct any adverse actions associated with denials of such requests, as well as any flags associated with those adverse actions.
• Reenforces that Covid vaccinations are no longer required for accessions or pre-commissioning programs.
• Reenforces that official Army travel restrictions based solely on COVID vaccination status have been removed (however, other policies such as combatant-command and theater-specific entry requirements will remain in effect).
• Former Soldiers may petition the Army Discharge Review Board and the Army Board for Correction of Military Records to request corrections to their records.

“I am proud of the efforts the Department of the Army has taken to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wormuth said. “We will continue to promote and encourage COVID-19 vaccination for all personnel to ensure readiness, facilitate mission accomplishment and protect the force.”

On Dec. 23, 2022, Section 525 of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act required the Secretary of Defense to rescind the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for service members within 30 days.

Shortly thereafter, on Dec. 29, 2022, the Army directed commanders to suspend separation actions for Soldiers refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. On Jan. 10, 2023, the Secretary of Defense issued a memorandum, in accordance with the 2023 NDAA, that rescinded the COVID-19 vaccination requirement.

Additional Army policy and guidance to implement this recission and DoD policy will be issued, as necessary and appropriate, by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.

Secretary Wormuth’s memorandum, “Army Policy Implementing the Secretary of Defense Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Mandate Recission,” is available at https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/NOCASE-POG_214659-000-WEB-1.pdf.

For more information, please contact Army Public Affairs at usarmy.pentagon.hqda-ocpa.mbx.mrd-press-desk@army.mil.