53 Marines Plan Return Post-Mandate

PHOTO CAPTION: U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. David Odom, deputy commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force and commander of 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, receives the COVID vaccine at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Feb. 11, 2021.

Fifty-three former Marines have answered an invitation to return to service after being separated under the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, according to Navy and Marine Corps officials.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said Friday that every eligible Marine separated because of the mandate has been contacted and given an opportunity to return. “53 warfighters have answered the call,” Cao said.

The announcement does not mean all 53 have already completed the reinstatement process. The Marine Corps says former Marines seeking to return are reviewed individually and may face medical and administrative screening, current retention standards and other eligibility requirements.

The number is notable against the scale of the Marine Corps’ vaccine-related separations during the mandate. As of Nov. 30, 2022, the service reported that 3,717 Marines had been separated with the COVID-19 vaccine-refusal discharge code.

Those figures should not be treated as a direct 53-out-of-3,717 comparison, however. The Marine Corps has not said that all 3,717 from the historical count are eligible for the current reinstatement program, and eligibility and outcomes are determined case by case.

The military-wide COVID-19 vaccination requirement was rescinded in January 2023. President Donald Trump later signed an executive order in January 2025 directing the Pentagon to make reinstatement available to service members discharged solely for refusing the vaccine and to provide a pathway for restoration of rank, pay and benefits.

The Department of the Navy expanded its effort this year, directing expedited reinstatement and records reviews for affected Sailors and Marines. Under current guidance, former service members determined to have been unjustly discharged may be restored to their previous paygrade and may qualify for relief involving lost service time, pay, benefits, bonuses, advancement, promotion opportunities and certain medical expenses.

The amount and type of compensation can vary by individual case. The Board for Correction of Naval Records, Defense Finance and Accounting Service and other agencies may be involved in determining final relief, while the circumstances surrounding a Marine’s separation can affect what benefits are available.

The Navy has been carrying out a similar effort. MyNavy HR said this week that 108 Sailors had returned to uniform through the COVID-19 reinstatement effort and that more than $8.6 million in back pay had been distributed.

For Marines who want to return, the service has created a COVID Reinstatement Cell to walk former members through the process. Marine Corps guidance says those accepting a return to service may generally incur a new service obligation of two to four years, which can potentially be fulfilled through active duty, reserve service or a combination of the two.

Former Marines can also seek corrections to their military records without returning to service. The Department of the Navy is proactively reviewing some records for discharge upgrades and removal of adverse actions tied solely to the vaccine mandate.

The Marine Corps renewed its outreach this week with a new message from Lt. Gen. William Bowers, deputy commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, encouraging eligible former Marines to consider returning to the Corps.

The effort brings one of the military’s most divisive COVID-era personnel policies back into focus several years after the mandate ended — this time as the services work to restore careers and records for those the current administration says were unjustly affected.

(Source: OAF Nation)