Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth said that U.S. service members who were discharged for refusing to take the experimental COVID-19 shot will be “apologized to and reinstated with pay and rank” if he’s confirmed to the top Pentagon position.
Hegseth made the remarks during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“We haven’t even talked of COVID and the tens of thousands of service members who were kicked out because of an experimental vaccine. In President Trump’s Defense Department, they will be apologized to and reinstated with pay and rank,” Hegseth told Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.).
Pete Hegseth just announced that thousands of troops who were fired over the "experimental" COVID vaccine will be "apologized to and reinstated with pay and rank."
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 14, 2025
Absolutely huge news.
These are some of the best troops we’ve ever had with unshakable courage to do what’s right. pic.twitter.com/3hntqFHC73
“Things like focusing on extremism have created a climate inside our ranks that feel political when it hasn’t ever been political,” citing a military-wide study that identified only 100 service members as “extremist” in the ranks of 3 million, and those were mostly “gang-related” affiliations.
Biden Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in 2021 imposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates across the military, resulting in the involuntary discharge of approximately 8,000 troops for refusing to comply, most in the Marine Corps.
The DOD rescinded the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in early 2023 after pressure from Republican lawmakers.
97% of the military received the COVID-19 mRNA shot.
If Hegseth’s pledge comes to be, it could be costly for the U.S. military to rectify its mistake of discharging the unvaccinated troops.
From the Military Times:
If Hegseth’s statement becomes policy, it could prove to be costly for the military. Back pay alone could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s also unclear whether many of the individuals dismissed years ago would be interested in giving up their new jobs to rejoin the military.
A formal apology by Pentagon leadership, however, would not cost any taxpayer funds. It would likely enrage some advocacy groups who have noted that the troops disobeyed direct orders by refusing the vaccines.
It remains to be seen if or how soldiers injured by the experimental COVID shot will be compensated under the second Trump administration.
Hegseth’s nomination is expected to be voted on by senators in the coming days, possibly on Inauguration Day.
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