WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) sent a letter to Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting a briefing on the DoD’s efforts to apologize, reinstate, and provide back pay to service members who were terminated after refusing to take the COVID-19 injection.

 In 2021, then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a COVID-19 vaccine mandate which resulted in the termination of approximately 8,700 active-duty service members who refused the injection.

“This dismissal of thousands of brave men and women from the military was a despicable act that damaged our armed forces,” the chairman wrote.

Tuesday’s letter follows a Daily Caller article about former service members who are reportedly still waiting to be made whole following the Biden administration’s disastrous COVID-19 vaccine mandate. 

During the first few days of President Trump’s second term, he issued an executive order enabling these wrongfully discharged service members to revert to their former rank and receive full back pay, benefits, bonus payments, or compensation. In February 2025, Sec. Hegseth announced that service members could seek reinstatements and back pay.

“I have no doubt that you are committed to assisting our service members, which is why I want to bring to your attention a July 24, 2025 Daily Caller article that featured several former military personnel who have still not received back pay after being terminated for refusing the injection,” Chairman Johnson wrote to Secretary Hegseth. 

Read more about Chairman Johnson’s letter in Daily Caller.

The full text of the letter can be found here. 

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