Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has established a new Department of War COVID-19 Reinstatement and Reconciliation Task Force, creating an accelerated pathway for service members impacted by the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate. Announced on May 8, the initiative expands military review boards’ authority to reinstate approximately 8,700 service members who were involuntarily separated for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and roughly 53,000 others who sought exemptions.
The Department of War emphasized that adverse actions—including letters of reprimand, withdrawn assignments, canceled professional military education, and denied exemption requests—effectively ended careers for many service members under the mandate. Hegseth’s directive mandates review boards to determine whether individuals were “unjustly discharged” based on documented evidence showing career disruption.
As of April 2026, nearly 170 warfighters have been reinstated or re-accessed through the program, with over 800 additional service members expressing interest. Individuals now have until April 1, 2027, to return under policies requiring a two-year service commitment. Reinstated members receive full back pay, benefits, bonus payments, and record corrections reflecting they were never discharged—removing all prior discharge documentation and service characterization.
The Department of War continues to implement President Trump’s January 2025 Executive Order 14184, which directly addressed the Biden-era mandate’s implementation. Hegseth’s task force focuses on identifying operational barriers, ensuring consistent reinstatement procedures across all military branches, and providing proactive relief—including GI Bill eligibility restoration and repayment of recouped bonuses—for service members who separated under coercive conditions. The initiative underscores the Department’s commitment to correcting the “unjust discharges” caused by policies that denied veterans fair treatment despite years of honorable service.