Reporting for Duty: President Trump Order Will Welcome Back Experimental Vaccine-Discharged Troops

WASHINGTON, DC — President Trump will sign an executive order today reinstating over 8,000 service members who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate between 2021 and 2023. The order will restore their previous rank and provide complete back pay and benefits—reversing one of the most sweeping purges of combat-ready troops in modern U.S. history.

The Republican Study Committee (RSC), which includes dozens of military veterans serving in Congress, has been at the forefront of this fight since the mandate was first implemented. Veteran members of the RSC offered the following statements:

"The Biden Administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate was never about military readiness—it was about control and infringement of constitutional rights," said RSC Chairman August Pfluger. "Today, we're not just reinstating ranks and restoring back pay—we're sending a crystal-clear message that no administration will ever again be allowed to use our military as a laboratory for their radical agenda. As an Air Force pilot who served twenty years of active duty and is now in the Air Force Reserve, I've witnessed firsthand the sacrifices our service members make. This executive order rights a grave wrong and ensures our dedicated military personnel receive the respect and due process they deserve.”

"Under Joe Biden, our military saw weak leadership that prioritized DEI and other woke practices over readiness and lethality. Not one service member should have been fired for refusing to accept a vaccine that was experimental at best, highly dangerous at its worst," said RSC Member, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13). "Our nation should have never seen a leadership that put our military last and big pharma first. I want to thank President Trump for reinstating the thousands of service members who were unjustly fired, restoring their ranks, and providing back pay and all their benefits."

“As a combat veteran, I applaud President Trump’s executive order reinstating troops who were wrongfully discharged over the COVID vaccine mandate,” said RSC National Security Task Member, Rep. Morgan Luttrell (TX-08). This decision is a long-overdue correction to a policy that weakened our military readiness during a time when national security threats are growing,” said Congressman Luttrell. “These brave men and women served our country with honor and deserve to be reinstated. I will work with President Trump and my colleagues in Congress to fight for policies that strengthen, not weaken, our military.” 

“President Trump's Executive Order not only corrects a grave injustice but also strengthens our military at a time of historic recruitment challenges, said RSC National Security Task Member, Rep. Pat Fallon (TX-04). “The forced separation of these servicemembers was not only unfair but also jeopardized national security and readiness. By reinstating these men and women in uniform, along with back pay and full benefits, the Trump Administration is honoring their sacrifices and reaffirming the integrity of our military.”

The RSC will continue working with the Trump Administration to protect service members' rights and strengthen America's military readiness.