The Department of Defense (DOD) said on Friday that it is looking to give back pay to service members discharged for refusal to comply with the COVID vaccine requirement.
“The Department is still exploring this and will provide its views on legislation of this nature at the appropriate time and through the appropriate process,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Charlie Dietz told Politico in an email.
This comes after the Pentagon announced last month that it was halting all actions related to its COVID-19 vaccine mandate following President Joe Biden’s signing of the Fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.
“The NDAA requires that, not later than 30 days after enactment, the Secretary of Defense rescind the mandate that members of the Armed Forces be vaccinated against COVID-19. As a result, the Department will rescind the mandate and is currently in the process of developing further guidance. During this process, we are pausing all actions related to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate,” a Pentagon spokesperson said.
“The health and readiness of our force are crucial to the Department’s ability to defend our nation, and Secretary Austin continues to encourage all of our Service members, civilian employees, and contractor personnel to get vaccinated and boosted to ensure the readiness of our total force,” they added.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote in a memo on Tuesday that officials had formally rescinded the vaccine mandate for the U.S. Military and the National Guard, which Politico reported “opened the door to reinstating troops” who believe they were wrongfully discharged.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, however, said that Biden and Austin opposed repealing the DOD’s vaccine mandate. Biden eventually signed the bill after it passed Congress.
“Secretary Austin’s been very clear that he opposes the repeal of the vaccine mandate, and the president actually concurs with the secretary of defense,” Kirby stated, adding that the president “continues to believe that all Americans, including those in the armed forces, should be vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19 . . . Vaccines are saving lives including our men and women in uniform.”
8,400 troops from the military were discharged from the DOD, citing medical and religious reasons. Those discharged included some 3,300 Marines, 1,800 soldiers, 1,800 sailors, and 900 airmen.
