Reinstating Service Members Discharged Under the Military's COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate

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Published

February 3, 2025

Signed

January 27, 2025

Issuing agencies

Executive Office of the President

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 21 (Monday, February 3, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 21 (Monday, February 3, 2025)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 8761-8762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-02180]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 90 , No. 21 / Monday, February 3, 2025 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 8761]]


                Executive Order 14184 of January 27, 2025

                
Reinstating Service Members Discharged Under the 
                Military's COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, it is hereby ordered:

                Section 1. Purpose and Policy. On August 24, 2021, the 
                Secretary of Defense mandated that all service members 
                receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The Secretary of Defense 
                later rescinded the mandate on January 10, 2023. The 
                vaccine mandate was an unfair, overbroad, and 
                completely unnecessary burden on our service members. 
                Further, the military unjustly discharged those who 
                refused the vaccine, regardless of the years of service 
                given to our Nation, after failing to grant many of 
                them an exemption that they should have received. 
                Federal Government redress of any wrongful dismissals 
                is overdue.

                Sec. 2. Redress. Consistent with the policies announced 
                in section 1 of this order, the Secretary of Defense or 
                the Secretary of Homeland Security, as appropriate, 
                shall take all necessary action permitted by law to:

                    (a) make reinstatement available to all members of 
                the military (active and reserve) who were discharged 
                solely for refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and 
                who request to be reinstated;
                    (b) enable those service members reinstated under 
                this section to revert to their former rank and receive 
                full back pay, benefits, bonus payments, or 
                compensation; and
                    (c) allow any service members who provide a written 
                and sworn attestation that they voluntarily left the 
                service or allowed their service to lapse according to 
                appropriate procedures, rather than be vaccinated under 
                the vaccine mandate, to return to service with no 
                impact on their service status, rank, or pay.

                Sec. 3. Additional Agency Responsibilities. (a) Nothing 
                in this order precludes disciplinary or administrative 
                action for conduct that is proscribed by chapter 47 of 
                title 10, United States Code (Uniform Code of Military 
                Justice, 10 U.S.C. 801-946a).

                    (b) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the 
                Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security shall report to the President through the 
                Assistant to the President for National Security 
                Affairs on their progress in implementing this order.

                Sec. 4. Severability. If any provision of this order, 
                or the application of any provision to any person or 
                circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of 
                this order and the application of its provisions to any 
                other persons or circumstances shall not be affected 
                thereby.

                Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order 
                shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the 
head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.

[[Page 8762]]

                    (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person.
                <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    January 27, 2025.

[FR Doc. 2025-02180
Filed 1-31-25; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P


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