President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order reinstating service members who refuse to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the White House says.
According to a White House fact sheet, “The executive order directs the Secretary of Defense to reinstate all military members (active and reserve) who have been discharged from the military for refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and who request reinstatement.” That’s what it means.
Those returning to work will be reinstated to their previous ranks and provided with accrued pay and benefits, the fact sheet said.
A path has been opened for troops who were discharged from the military for refusing to receive the coronavirus vaccine to return to the military.
President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. Trump will be inaugurated for his second term as the 47th President of the United States. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“From 2021 to 2023, the Biden administration and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discharged more than 8,000 troops based solely on their COVID-19 vaccination status,” the fact sheet states. are. “Of the more than 8,000 service members who were laid off after the vaccine mandate was repealed in 2023, only 43 chose to return to the military under the Biden administration and Secretary Austin.”
Military personnel who refuse a coronavirus ‘jab’ would get their jobs back and their pay back under a new Republican bill.
President Trump pledged to make the move in his inaugural address, after hinting last week that he intended to do so.
“This week, we will reinstate service members who were unjustly expelled from the military on full pay for opposing mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations,” the president said in a speech on January 20.
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This is breaking news and will be updated
Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.
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