Congress-Approved NDAA Requires Pentagon to Consider Reinstating Members Removed Over COVID Vaccine Mandate

U.S. military officials praised the bill but didn’t comment on the portions relating to vaccines.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks at the Pentagon in Washington on Nov. 22, 2023. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The defense policy bill just passed by Congress includes a requirement that the U.S. military consider reinstating former members who were removed for refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

A secretary of a military branch must consider reinstating former members who ask to be reinstated within two years of their separation, according to the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) approved last week by both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.