The Department of Defense is slowly rehiring service personnel who were fired for refusing to submit for the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 8,000 were released by the department over that issue.
The current number of service members in the process of reinstatement is around 100, according to reporting in Breitbart. Only 13 have been returned to service since the process opened up. About 700 more have expressed interest but are not in an active reinstatement mode.
President Donald Trump ordered the department to review the options for those fired over the vaccine in a Jan. 27 executive order. Trump said the decision by the Biden administration to fire nonvaccinated personnel was wrong. "The military unjustly discharged those who refused the vaccine, regardless of the years of service given to our Nation, after failing to grant many of them an exemption that they should have received."
The department's reinstatement offer makes it clear that not all service members' expectations may be met on return to the military. "If you were involuntarily separated from Military Service due to COVID-19 vaccination requirements, you may be eligible for reinstatement."
The Defense Department issued a release in April outlining many of the details involved in the return process. The department also launched an extensive outreach effort to make sure all service members who were fired over their vaccine refusal were aware of the potential to return.
The department had an extensive COVID-19 information section on its website during the height of the pandemic. But it has since been placed on hold and is officially described as "a collection of archived material."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.