(DOD) The Defense Department is taking significant steps to reinstate service members who were discharged due to the now-rescinded COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
During a press briefing yesterday, Tim Dill, performing the duties of the deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, outlined the department’s plan and commitment to inviting back service members who involuntarily separated and those who voluntarily left service due to the mandate. The plan aligns with President Donald J. Trump’s executive order and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s guidance.
The initiative stems from a recognition that the vaccine mandate, enacted in August 2021 and repealed by Congress in 2022, ended the careers of over 8,700 service members.
“I’m excited to give you this update about the department’s efforts to welcome back former service members who left service due to the department’s past wrongful COVID-19 vaccine mandate,” Dill said.
The executive order, signed Jan. 27, 2025, labeled the mandate “unfair, overbroad, and completely unnecessary.” Hegseth published implementation guidance in February 2025, and Dill said the updated guidance rolled out this week “provides clear pathways for reinstatement, backed by a robust outreach campaign.”
For those involuntarily separated due to their refusal to receive the vaccine, DOD has launched an extensive effort to reconnect.
“Former service members who were involuntarily separated solely due to their COVID-19 vaccine status are now receiving letters of apology from the department in the mail, along with instructions on how they can pursue returning to service,” Dill explained.
This outreach extends beyond letters to include emails, phone calls, website resources and social media posts, ensuring every affected individual is informed of their opportunity to return.
A key feature of the reinstatement program is the financial remedy for those involuntarily discharged. Responding to a question about back pay calculations, Dill detailed how the department plans to tackle that issue.
“Back pay takes into account a variety of factors … the pay and entitlements they would have received had they not been wrongfully discharged,” he said, listing base pay, housing and subsistence allowances and medical benefits.
Offsets, such as outside earnings or Veterans Affairs Department benefits, are also factored in to ensure fairness.
“What did [the service member] miss out on? What did [the service member] not receive while [they] were gone? And can [we] give [them] that to make [them] whole,” he said.
The process also addresses those who chose to leave voluntarily rather than comply with the mandate.
“The department is also reaching out to publicize the opportunity to return to service to those who left service voluntarily due to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate,” Dill said.
Unlike their involuntarily separated counterparts, these individuals won’t receive back pay, but they can return at their previous rank and pay grade with a streamlined re-accession process.
Dill addressed the timeline and standards for reinstatement.
“This offer for reinstatement is going to be open for a year, so there’s plenty of time for former service members to express their interest in returning,” he said, noting the process could take several months due to administrative steps and medical evaluations.
Unlike new recruits assessed under stringent standards, returning members will face retention standards — the same criteria applied to active-duty personnel.
“The department has invested significant time and energy into those service members … we’re assessing: Are you suitable to continue in service?” Dill explained.
The initiative reflects a broader goal of rebuilding trust and readiness.
“As [Defense] Secretary Hegseth observed, we need to do everything we can to recruit and retain a force that meets the highest necessary standards. This effort will help us reach that goal,” Dill said.
With over 8,700 service members involuntarily separated and an unknown number of voluntary departures, Dill said the department sees this as a worthwhile investment.
Service members have until April 1, 2026, to express interest.
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