In a historic and long-awaited reversal, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a sweeping new memorandum aimed at rectifying what he called the “unlawful acts” of the previous administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
“We all know the previous administration issued unlawful orders on mandatory vaccines — on an experimental vaccine, the COVID-19 vaccine. You know it, we all know it,” Hegseth said during a press briefing on Wednesday. “We are doing everything we can, as quickly as we can, to reinstate everyone who was impacted by that policy.”
The new directive provides clear marching orders to Pentagon officials: reinstate wrongfully discharged service members, scrub their records of vaccine-related punishments, and restore their careers and honor. It’s the strongest signal yet from the Trump administration that justice is being delivered to those who resisted — the “warriors of conscience.”
BYPASS THE CENSORS
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That phrase, delivered twice by Hegseth, resonated deeply.
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“We want anyone impacted by that vaccine mandate back in the military. People of conscience. Warriors of conscience — back in our formations. We hear you, and we are working to get updated guidance as quickly as possible,” he said.
The move follows President Donald J. Trump’s Jan. 27, 2025 executive order directing the Defense Department to reinstate those discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. In February, the Pentagon began implementing the order, though the process has faced bureaucratic delays and criticism for inconsistent application.
“It hasn’t been perfect, and we know that,” Hegseth admitted. “We’re having an ongoing conversation with you to get it right. [We’re] working with the White House as well.”
The newly signed memo now requires the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness to issue specific guidance to the boards reviewing those cases. These include:
- Removing adverse actions stemming solely from vaccine refusal
- Upgrading discharge statuses for troops separated under the mandate
- Providing additional remedies for service members whose careers were derailed by the policy
“We’re trying to scrub all that, clean all that up,” said Hegseth.
The announcement marks a significant shift in the Department of Defense’s stance — not just a bureaucratic correction, but a moral reckoning. It’s a recognition that many who stood firm on principle during uncertain times paid a heavy price for it — and now the nation is trying to make it right.
These “warriors of conscience” may soon find themselves back in uniform — and back where they belong.