The Department of Homeland Security has announced that 56 members of the United States Coast Guard who were discharged for refusing an experimental COVID-19 vaccine have been reinstated with back pay.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem stated, “This is a victory for religious, personal, and medical freedom for all Americans — both in and out of uniform. The last administration’s vaccine mandates were unconstitutional, un-American, and a gross violation of personal freedom. It was no way to treat the men and women who put everything on the line to keep our country safe.”
Noem further emphasized that President Trump is righting these wrongs by returning those unjustly removed members to service, calling the decision a major step in the right direction.
The reinstatement follows an executive order issued by President Trump over a year ago. This order broadly permits military agencies to reinstate any service members discharged for refusing compliance with vaccine mandates.
According to DHS, a panel from the Coast Guard’s Board for Correction of Military Records recently recommended retroactive readmission for these individuals effective at their date of discharge.
This decision ensures the reinstated members will no longer show breaks in service on their military records and will be entitled to benefits including back pay, allowances, bonus payments, rank, and seniority.
The Biden administration implemented a vaccine mandate during the height of the pandemic in 2021, requiring over a dozen immunizations for military personnel. This policy resulted in more than 8,000 service members — less than 1 percent of the U.S. military — being discharged for refusal.
The Coast Guard had previously implemented a similar mandate that was rescinded on January 11, 2023.
