Army invites back soldiers discharged for refusing COVID vaccine

WASHINGTON – Nearly a year after Congress forced the Pentagon to rescind its mandate requiring all troops to receive the coronavirus vaccine, 19 soldiers have rejoined the Army after they were discharged for refusing the shot, The Post has exclusively learned.

The news comes after the service sent a letter earlier this month inviting former soldiers who declined the jab to apply to rejoin as the military faces recruitment challenges.

Last week, the service notified vaccine-related discharged soldiers they could contact their local recruitment office for information on reapplying to the Army.

“As part of the overall COVID mandate rescission process mandated by Congress, the Army this month mailed the letters to approximately 1,900 individuals who had previously been separated,” Army spokesman Bryce Dubee told The Post.

Those who refused the vaccine and did not receive an exemption were booted from the military for violating a lawful order.

In the Army alone, 1,903 soldiers were discharged under those conditions.

But now that the mandate has been rescinded, the Army is welcoming back unvaccinated soldiers – so long as they meet certain requirements.

While The Post was unable to find a clear-cut list of standards for acceptance back into the service, defense officials say applicants are considered on a case-by-case basis.

For example, a soldier who quietly and politely declined the vaccine is more likely to be allowed to return to the ranks than one who became openly defiant and acted out against their superiors.

Though just 19 of the 1,903 discharged soldiers have gone back to active duty, the Army expects that number to grow following the letter’s circulation.

The letter also reminded former soldiers that they can petition to have their service record corrected if their discharge or disqualification was “an error or unjust,” according to the Army Review Boards Agency.

In fiscal year 2023, which ended Sept. 30, the Army came up short of its 65,000-recruit goal by 10,000 new troops.