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Secretary directs the military services to identify individuals who were discharged and eligible to have their records reviewed.

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Source summary
The War Department has ordered a reevaluation of discharge characterizations for service members who were involuntarily discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. The review will determine who among those discharged might be eligible to have their characterization upgraded to an honorable discharge. The action signals a potential change to records and eligibility outcomes for affected service members.
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Latest fact check

The Department of Defense (DoD) has initiated a process to identify former service members who were involuntarily separated solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination mandate. The Secretaries of the Military Departments are directed to review records using standardized criteria to identify these individuals. If there's uncertainty about whether a separation was solely due to vaccine refusal, the individual will be included in outreach efforts. (defense.gov) This aligns with the Secretary's directive for military services to identify discharged individuals eligible for record review.

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Timeline

  1. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 08:49 AMTrue
    The Department of Defense (DoD) has initiated a process to identify former service members who were involuntarily separated solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination mandate. The Secretaries of the Military Departments are directed to review records using standardized criteria to identify these individuals. If there's uncertainty about whether a separation was solely due to vaccine refusal, the individual will be included in outreach efforts. (defense.gov) This aligns with the Secretary's directive for military services to identify discharged individuals eligible for record review.
  2. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 07:38 AMTrue
    The Department of Defense has initiated efforts to reinstate service members discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. In April 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to provide guidance to the military departments on procedures to rapidly reinstate those who were involuntarily discharged or voluntarily left to avoid vaccination. (defense.gov) This guidance includes identifying and contacting former service members to offer reinstatement. (media.defense.gov) Therefore, the statement that the Secretary directed the military services to identify individuals who were discharged and eligible to have their records reviewed is accurate.
  3. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 06:53 AMTrue
    The Department of Defense has initiated efforts to reinstate service members discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. In February 2025, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness issued guidance directing the Secretaries of the Military Departments to identify and contact former service members who were involuntarily separated due to vaccine refusal, inviting them to seek reinstatement. (defense.gov) Additionally, in April 2025, the Secretary of Defense directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to provide additional guidance to the Military Department Review Boards concerning supplemental remedies for service members adversely impacted by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. (defense.gov) These actions align with President Trump's Executive Order 14184, signed on January 27, 2025, which mandates the reinstatement of service members discharged under the military's COVID-19 vaccination mandate. (defense.gov)
  4. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 05:45 AMTrue
    The Department of Defense has initiated efforts to reinstate service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. In April 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to provide guidance to the military departments on procedures to rapidly reinstate those who were involuntarily discharged or voluntarily left to avoid vaccination. (defense.gov) This guidance includes identifying and contacting these individuals to offer reinstatement. (defense.gov) Therefore, the statement that the Secretary directed the military services to identify individuals who were discharged and eligible to have their records reviewed is accurate.
  5. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 04:56 AMTrue
    The Department of Defense has initiated a process to identify former service members who were involuntarily separated solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination. The Secretaries of the Military Departments are directed to review records using standardized criteria to identify these individuals. If there's uncertainty about whether a separation was solely due to vaccine refusal, the individual will be included in outreach efforts. (defense.gov) This initiative aims to offer reinstatement opportunities to those eligible. Therefore, the statement that the Secretary directed the military services to identify individuals who were discharged and eligible to have their records reviewed is accurate.
  6. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 04:15 AMTrue
    The Secretary of Defense has directed the military services to identify individuals who were discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and are eligible for record review. This initiative aims to correct adverse actions and facilitate reinstatement for those affected by the previous mandate. (defense.gov)
  7. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 02:45 AMTrue
    The Secretary of Defense has directed the military services to identify individuals who were discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and are eligible for record review. This initiative aims to reinstate service members and correct adverse actions related to their discharge. The Department of Defense is actively reaching out to these individuals to facilitate their return to service. (defense.gov)
  8. Update · Dec 20, 2025, 11:38 PMTrue
    The Department of Defense has directed the Secretaries of the Military Departments to identify former service members who were involuntarily separated solely for refusal to comply with the COVID-19 vaccination mandate. This initiative aims to offer these individuals the opportunity to seek reinstatement or correction of their military records. (defense.gov)
  9. Update · Dec 20, 2025, 08:36 AMcomplete
    The Department of Defense has directed each military service to identify individuals who were discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination mandate and are eligible for record review. This initiative aims to facilitate the reinstatement of former service members by correcting their military records. (defense.gov)
  10. Update · Dec 19, 2025, 07:26 AMcomplete
    The Department of Defense has initiated a comprehensive review of military records for individuals discharged solely due to refusal to comply with the COVID-19 vaccination mandate. This effort aims to identify and contact former service members eligible for reinstatement or correction of their discharge characterization. The Secretaries of the Military Departments are responsible for implementing this review process. (defense.gov)
  11. Update · Dec 18, 2025, 09:53 PMcomplete
    The Department of Defense has initiated efforts to reinstate service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. In April 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum directing the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to provide guidance to the Military Department Review Boards concerning the review of requests from service members and former service members adversely impacted by the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. (defense.gov) This guidance facilitates the removal of adverse actions, discharge upgrades, and other remedies for service members whose careers suffered due to their refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine. (defense.gov) Additionally, the Department of Defense has begun outreach to inform affected individuals about the reinstatement process. (defense.gov)
  12. Update · Dec 18, 2025, 07:23 PMcomplete
    The Department of Defense has initiated efforts to reinstate service members discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. In February 2025, the Secretary of Defense directed the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to provide guidance to the Military Departments on procedures to rapidly reinstate those who were involuntarily discharged or voluntarily left to avoid vaccination. (defense.gov) This guidance includes identifying and contacting former service members to offer reinstatement opportunities. (defense.gov) Therefore, the statement that the Secretary directed the military services to identify individuals who were discharged and eligible to have their records reviewed is accurate.
  13. Update · Dec 18, 2025, 07:35 AMcomplete
    The statement is accurate; the Secretary of Defense has indeed directed each military service to identify those discharged individuals who are eligible for record reviews due to COVID-19 vaccine refusals. This initiative reflects a reevaluation of past discharge decisions, aligning with recent policy changes regarding vaccination mandates. Therefore, the evidence supports the claim as stated.
  14. Update · Dec 17, 2025, 03:06 PMcomplete
    The Department of Defense (DoD) is actively working to reinstate service members discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. In January 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14184, directing the DoD to reinstate these individuals. Following this, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued guidance to the military departments on procedures for reinstatement. The DoD has initiated outreach efforts, including sending letters, emails, and making phone calls to inform affected service members of their eligibility for reinstatement. (defense.gov)
  15. Original article · Dec 16, 2025
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