Service members who were kicked out of the U.S. military for refusing the Covid vaccine could be allowed back in uniform if the vaccine mandate is lifted, according to two U.S. military and two senior defense officials.
On Tuesday, the House and Senate released language to be included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that requires the Pentagon to lift the mandate. The NDAA, the annual spending bill that funds the military, must be passed before the end of the year, and Democratic leaders let Republicans include the language in order to ensure its passage.
Pentagon leaders are now discussing whether service members who were separated can rejoin if the NDAA is signed into law, the four officials said. They said requests to rejoin will likely be handled on a case-by-case basis, but if a service member left under good circumstances — meaning they did not leave via an “other than honorable” discharge — they may be allowed to sign back up.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member