Military Should Apologize to Members Kicked Out for Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine: GOP Senate Candidate

Hung Cao, then-Republican congressional candidate for the 10th District of Virginia, speaks at a Patriot Pub forum in Hamilton, Va., on Mar. 17, 2022. Seated (L to R) are David Beckwith, Mike Clancy, and Brooke Taylor. Terri Wu/The Epoch Times

Recruiting and retention in the military will continue to suffer until there’s accountability for the way that the Pentagon handled the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, according to former naval officer and Senate hopeful Hung Cao.

Mr. Cao, a retired Navy combat veteran of 25 years, is seeking the 2024 Republican nomination in Virginia to challenge Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine. In 2022, he ran an unsuccessful bid for a blue-leaning northern Virginia U.S. House seat. He’s a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a special operations officer throughout his military career.