• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is committed to reinstating service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, in line with President Donald Trump’s January executive order.
• The reinstatement process includes restoring former rank, back pay and benefits for affected service members.
• Challenges remain, including addressing lost promotions, courts-martial and accountability for leaders who enforced the mandate.
• Critics argue the vaccine mandate undermined military readiness and morale, while supporters of the reinstatement effort see it as a moral imperative to right past injustices.
• Hegseth’s efforts aim to restore trust in the military and reaffirm the administration’s dedication to service members who stood by their principles.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is making good on his promise to reinstate service members discharged for refusing the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19 vaccine), pledging to “continually review” ways the government can do so.

Hegseth made this pledge in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, emphasizing his commitment to righting the wrongs inflicted on service members. The second administration of President Donald Trump has recognized this injustice and is working to address it, he added.

“The reality is that this never should have been done to these men and women. They never should have been forced out for an experimental vaccine. They never should have been denied religious exemptions. None of that should have happened,” Hegseth told the news outlet.

Hegseth’s efforts are guided by Trump’s January executive order (EO), which mandates the reinstatement of troops discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. The EO signed on Jan. 27 also ensures that reinstated service members receive back pay, benefits, and the restoration of their former rank. (Related: Trump signs order to reinstate 8,000+ service members discharged over COVID-19 vaccine mandate with full back pay and benefits.)

“The goal is to make sure those that were affected by the policy are impacted. So, we’ll pay close attention to it,” Hegseth said, underscoring the administration’s dedication to the cause. “We will explore even more formal ways to acknowledge that.”

Second Trump admin plans to right the wrongs of the vaccine mandate

Hegseth’s actions mark a significant shift from the Biden administration’s controversial vaccine mandate that exacerbated the military’s historic recruiting crisis. It saw over 8,000 troops forcibly discharged and tens of thousands more leave voluntarily. The defense secretary’s commitment to reinstating troops was first articulated during his confirmation hearing in January, where he vowed to apologize to and reinstate dismissed service members.

“Tens of thousands of service members were kicked out because of an experimental vaccine,” Hegseth told senators. “They will be apologized to. They will be reinstated, reinstituted with pay and rank.”

While the reinstatement process is underway, challenges remain. A recent memo from the acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness outlines procedures for contacting discharged troops and offering them reinstatement, provided they agree to at least two years of active-duty service. However, the memo does not address lost promotions, courts-martial or accountability for military leaders who enforced the mandate.

Hegseth acknowledged these complexities, telling Breitbart News: “There’s some complications around how you apply it. We’re going to continually review that, make sure it’s done properly.”

Critics of the vaccine mandate have long argued that it undermined military readiness and morale. In addition, whistleblowers – some from within the military – have warned of the dangers that come with the COVID-19 injections.

As the Department of Defense works to implement these changes, the broader implications of Hegseth’s efforts are clear: A commitment to justice for service members who sacrificed their careers over a deeply polarizing mandate. For Hegseth and the second Trump administration, this is not merely a policy adjustment but a moral imperative.

“It matters a lot to the president, it matters a lot to me,” said the secretary and former Fox News host. “This is not some passing, small thing. It is a centerpiece of what President Trump said he would restore for service members who were kicked out, forced out, pushed out – and we want to reflect that.”

Head over to HealthFreedom.news for more similar stories.

Watch this Fox News report about President Trump reinstating soldiers discharged for refusing the COVID-19 injection through his Jan. 25 executive order.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Trump’s unprecedented military reform: Bringing back the “unvaxxed” troops.

Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth vows to REINSTATE soldiers fired for refusing COVID-19 injection.

Pete Hegseth vows to reinstate members of the military discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccinations.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

WhiteHouse.gov

MilitaryTimes.com

Brighteon.com