Trump to reinstate military members discharged over COVID vaccine mandate

Now in the second week of his presidency, Donald Trump is ready to fulfill a campaign promise to military veterans. The president is expected to sign an executive order on Monday, Jan. 27, that will reinstate service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.

At Trump’s side, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will oversee the reinstatement of troops, which will include back pay, benefits, rank and an official apology.

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Over 8,000 troops discharged under the Biden administration

Under the Biden administration, more than 8,000 military personnel were discharged for not complying with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. These discharges accounted for roughly 1% of the U.S. military force.

The Pentagon later repealed the mandate with the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act in 2023, which allowed service members to reapply for duty. However, fewer than 50 individuals rejoined the military following the repeal.

Trump plans further orders on military culture

Hegseth also revealed that Trump plans to sign two additional executive orders aimed at the military’s culture. One order will focus on eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the Pentagon. The other will reinstate a ban on transgender service members, similar to Trump’s 2017 policy.

Trump’s executive order is expected to address the readiness of transgender service members, citing how transition surgeries and medical treatments could hinder deployment.

Estimates show thousands of transgender service members

According to the UCLA Williams Institute, over 15,000 transgender individuals are currently serving in the U.S. military. It remains unclear if exceptions will be made for current or future service members under the new policy.