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By Suzanne Blake
Reporter
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As President Donald Trump began his second term in the White House on Monday, he reiterated his promise to provide a group of Americans with back pay to make up for military expulsions related to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Why It Matters
During the pandemic, roughly 8,400 troops were expelled from the military after refusing the vaccine. Marines saw an especially high number, with 3,700 expulsions.
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While some were able to get exemptions based on medical or religious reasons, many who were in otherwise good standing saw themselves dismissed from the military for their choice.
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What To Know
"This week, I will reinstate any service members who were unjustly expelled from our military for objecting to the COVID vaccine mandate with full back pay," Trump said during his swearing-in ceremony Monday.
The vaccine mandate lasted from August 2021 to January 2023.
What People Are Saying
Kevin Thompson, a finance expert and the founder and CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek: "These individuals represent less than 1 percent of the overall force. If reinstated, they would be entitled to full military back pay and potentially service credit for the time they missed. This move could cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars and set a significant precedent regarding service members' rights to refuse government-mandated vaccines."
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "President Trump's decision to reinstate these service members obviously isn't going to gain universal admiration from both sides of the political aisle, but with the pandemic increasingly in the rearview mirror of daily life, it's fair to say most Americans are in favor of the move. The removal because of the vaccine mandate ultimately only affected less than one percent of the military, and there are still some of those who were forced to exit who wanted to serve the country and even discussed legal action when they were initially let go. Returning them to their positions and offering them the pay they missed out on is the most efficient way of dealing with the situation at this time, and with just 8,000 or less members in this category, the financial strain of that back pay for the military is close to non-existent. It will, however, make a big difference to the financial standings of those members and their families."
What Happens Next
Thompson said Trump's decision could set a precedent allowing service members to refuse other required vaccines, which could cause confusion over military readiness standards.
"While this could cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars in the short term, the funds are not considered new spending," Thompson said. "These are funds already accounted for in the military budget. Politically, this move could earn Trump goodwill among certain voter groups, but it may also ignite debates about the balance between individual rights and military obligations."
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