This story has been updated to correct the name of the person performing the duties of deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness’ name. It is Tim Dill.
Less than a dozen sailors, including active-duty and reserve, rejoined the Navy after the COVID-19 mandate ended, allowing those kicked out for not taking the vaccine to return to service.
The Navy reenlisted 10 sailors, Capt. Candace Tresch, spokeswoman for the chief of naval personnel, told USNI News.
The ability to rejoin started once the Department of Defense, then led by former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, rescinded the memo. Under the mandate, the Navy involuntarily separated 1,878 sailors, “which isn’t statistically significant,” Tresch said. About 30,600 sailors voluntarily separated — for all reasons — during the time that the vaccine mandate was in place.
It is unclear how many sailors voluntarily separated due to the vaccine mandate. Tim Dill, who is performing the duties of deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said that the Department of Defense does not have a number of people who voluntarily separated, adding that it was not an option for people to list as to why they left. He also could not say how many service members reenlisted or are in the process of reenlisting.
The Navy reached out to involuntarily separated sailors to offer reenlistment, Tresch said. The Navy is contacting them again, following the Jan. 27 executive order allowing service members to reenlist and receive back pay if they separated over the COVID-19 mandate.
Sailors who voluntarily separated need to self-identify, Tresch said. Those who voluntarily separated need to attest that they left over the vaccine mandate. The Navy has a sample letter sailors can use for that statement.
“I, [Full Name], do hereby affirm and attest that my separation from the United States Navy was voluntary and was based solely on my decision to separate or allow my service contract to lapse rather than comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. I understand that my re-accession under this policy is conditional upon my ability to meet all current retention standards,” reads the form.
Those who were involuntarily separated received letters of apology with reenlisting instructions, Dill said. The services are also reaching out via calls, social media and emails to reach those who separated, he added. Dill sent out a letter addressed to “fellow veteran,” while Chief of Naval Personnel Adm. Richard Cheeseman authored the one from the Navy.
“The Department is eager to welcome back those who are impacted by that vaccine mandate,” Dill said. “They never should have had to leave military service, and the department is committed to assisting them in their return. As Secretary Hegseth observed, we need to do everything we can to recruit and retain a force that meets the highest necessary standards. This effort will help us reach that goal.”
Sailors who were involuntarily separated are eligible for back pay and will serve a four-year active-duty term, although those who are eligible for retirement may only need to serve two years, according to Navy guidance.
Sailors who voluntarily separated will be required to serve a two-year active-duty tour. They are not eligible for back pay, benefits or other compensation.
Those interested in reenlisting, whether they were involuntarily or voluntarily separated, should reach out to a recruiter, according to the Navy guidance.
“After all necessary return-to-service screening is completed, work with your Navy Recruiter to apply to the Board for Correction of Naval Records (BCNR) and submit a package to ensure your military record permits reinstatement. Should your package be approved, your records may be corrected to reflect continued service such that back pay, benefits, bonus payments, or other compensation, subject to statutory offsets, may be made available,” reads the guidance.
For Marines, those interested in reenlisting need to fill out a questionnaire to start the process. Those who reenlist must commit to four years of service, regardless of if they left voluntarily or involuntarily.
The deadline for reenlistment is April 1, 2026.
There are two main differences with the new guidance from the executive order versus that in place after the mandate was rescinded, Dill said. The first is the availability of backpay. The calculation into how much backpay a service member could receive will depend on housing allowance, medical benefits and other forms of compensation a service member received while out of the service, he said.
“What did you miss out on? What did you not receive while you were gone? And we want to give you that to make you whole,” Dill said.
The second is that those who choose to reenlist will have to meet retention medical requirements rather than accession ones, Dill said. So someone who joins would be evaluated similarly to someone who is reenlisting rather than a new recruit. Medical requirements will take into account any injuries a person may have sustained while serving.
Dill could not say how many manpower hours are being put into efforts to reach those who were separated under the mandate. The Department of Defense is happy to make the investment, Dill said, adding that it is the “right thing to do.”
He also referred to recruiting, saying the services have struggled to meet recruiting numbers and this effort will help.
As of the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2025, the Navy is on target to meet its recruiting goals, USNI News previously reported. The sea service also met its goals in FY 2024, the first time in two fiscal years.
