The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that 56 members of the U.S. Coast Guard who were discharged for refusing the experimental COVID-19 vaccine have been reinstated with back pay.

“DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said: ‘This is a victory for religious, personal, and medical freedom for all Americans — both in and out of uniform. The last administration’s vaccine mandates were unconstitutional, un-American, and a gross violation of personal freedom. It was no way to treat the men and women who put everything on the line to keep our country safe.'”

“President Trump is righting these wrongs and returning those unjustly removed members to service. This decision to reinstate these Coast Guard members is a major step in the right direction,” she added.

The reinstatement follows an executive order issued by President Trump over a year ago, which permits military agencies to reinstate service members discharged for refusing vaccine mandates.

A panel from the Coast Guard’s Board for Correction of Military Records retroactively readmitted these individuals on recommendation from Noem. This action ensures their military records no longer show a break in service and they are entitled to benefits including back pay, allowances, bonus payments, rank, and seniority.

The Biden administration mandated the COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic in 2021 as part of over a dozen immunizations required for military personnel. This led to the discharge of more than 8,000 troops — less than 1 percent of the U.S. military — who refused compliance.

The Coast Guard had implemented a similar mandate that was rescinded on January 11, 2023.

DHS stated that President Trump issued Executive Order 14184 on January 27, 2025, to make reinstatement available for all service members discharged for refusing the vaccine.