Hegseth Orders Additional Guidance on Reinstatement of Servicemembers Who Refused COVID Vaccine

‘We’re doing everything we can, as quickly as we can, to reinstate those who were affected by that policy,’ Hegseth said.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signs a memorandum regarding the discharge of U.S. servicemembers who refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on April 23, 2025. U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Madelyn Keech/Department of Defense

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum on April 23 directing additional guidance on efforts to reinstate U.S. servicemembers discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine mandated by the Biden administration.

The memo directs Tom Dill, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness, to provide additional guidance to the boards responsible for reviewing the cases of those servicemembers discharged under the now-defunct vaccine mandate.