Coast Guard Members Reinstated After Vaccine Mandate Dismissal
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) declared on Monday that 56 U.S. Coast Guard personnel, who were let go because of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate under the Biden administration, will be reinstated. However, they won’t receive back pay. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described this outcome as a significant triumph for “religious, personal, and medical freedoms.”
Back in August 2021, former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin mandated that all military members get vaccinated against COVID-19. This directive was revoked nearly two years later, on January 10, 2023. The Coast Guard had a similar mandate but withdrew it on January 11, 2023.
In a separate move, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14184 on January 27, 2025, which permitted all discharged military personnel who refused vaccinations to return to service.
Following this directive, the three-member Coast Guard Military Records Corrections Commission decided to reinstate those 56 employees. Noem expressed her thoughts, stating, “The 56 U.S. Coast Guard employees dismissed due to the coronavirus vaccine have finally been reinstated. This is a victory for the freedoms of all Americans, whether in or out of uniform.” She criticized the previous administration’s vaccine requirements as unconstitutional and a serious infringement on personal liberties.
Noem emphasized that those who risk their lives to protect the nation deserve better treatment. “President Trump is committed to correcting these injustices and reinstating unfairly discharged members,” she added, considering this reinstatement a critical step forward.
The DHS noted that the service records of these personnel will accurately reflect an unbroken period of active duty, from when they were discharged for refusing the vaccine until their return to the Coast Guard.
Through Trump’s executive order, those reinstated will be eligible for their earned pay, benefits, bonuses, and rank, as determined by the Coast Guard.
